Though this is the Mayflower Tour, there is so much more to see on the way. There isn’t another tour that is quite like this one. We will visit some of the most historic yet less visited sites in London. This walking tour takes places entirely along and around the South Bank of the River Thames. With over 2,000 years of rich if sometimes less glamerous history it makes for a fascinating tour that opens the door on this less visited part of London.
Explore some of the medieval slums of London
We will start off at the relatively popular Millenium Bridge and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Here we learn about the abject poverty that used to plague the area. See one of the worst prisons in history, The Klink, as well as the ruins of a palace and the famous Borough Market.
This region more than perhaps any other has a reputation for naval trade and exploration. The Golden Hinde sailing ship is just the beginning of what we will see.
Following from the beautiful Southwark Cathedral we will pass under London Bridge. We will see some of the huge developments that London as gone through. Refurbished Victorian docks, warships and glass towers make up for the central section of the walk. Then we reach Tower Bridge where things get interesting and we go a little off the beaten path.
See places from Dickensian London
We’ll visit what was Jacob’s Island, a terrible slum that inspired Charles Dickens. The area has changed in many ways but certain streets still take you back a century or too. See the place where piracy was rife and where criminals were hung by the neck!
Eastwards we go through a cherry tree park with lots of history and onto the tuins of a royal residency. Nearby we will learn about some of the social reformers who did so much to improve the lives of the people who lived here a century ago.
Visit the pub where Captain Cook set sail from
Wherever there were sailors, there were pubs and on this walk we will visit an old smugglers den where Captain Cook enjoyed himself before sailing off to ‘discover’ Australia and where Christopher Jones recruited a crew for a trip that would change history onboard the Mayflower. Later on we will visit his final resting place.
As we near the end we will visit an old Watch House where volunteers did their best to uphold the law amongst the slums and rescue the many dead bodies that turned up from the Bodysnatchers. We’ll see learn about one of Britain’s greatest engineers who built the first ever under water tunnel and see a historic tv and film studio that is still making hits today.
Finish at the Mayflower Pub and nearby memorial to the Pilgrim Fathers.
Finally, the Mayflower Tour ends at the Mayflower pub. A pub was already here before the Mayflower ship departed to the New World from this very spot and later when the captain brought the vessel home, it was left on the shore of the Thames a few feet from where it had departed.
Just a few minutes away is a London Underground station for easy return back to your hotel even if you stay on for a drink or one of their tasty meals. This tour touches on famous locations from Charles Dickens, if you like his novels then try our dedicated Charles Dickens Tours.
Departure Time: 9.30 am
City Location: London
Duration of Tour: 3 hours
(Approximate times as all tours are bespoke)
How to book the Mayflower Tour
Standard Adult Prices per person excluding entry fees (child prices available upon request).
1 Adult = £140
2 Adults = £120
3 Adults = £110
4 Adults = £100
5 – 10 Adults = £90
To make a booking please use our automated calendar and booking form below or contact us via email yeoldeenglandtours@gmail.com
Alternatively you can book by using the automated booking process with Viator.
