Not Your Typical Tour
The stories behind the statues — from Wellington to the present day
There are thousands of statues and memorials in London. Most people walk past them every day without pausing to consider who they remember, or why. This private tour changes that entirely. Over three hours we explore the most significant and thought-provoking war memorials in Central London — not just as beautiful works of art and sculpture, but as windows into the conflicts they commemorate and the people who lived and died through them.
The tour spans two centuries — from the Duke of Wellington and the Crimean War through the carnage of the two World Wars, and right up to the modern conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and the recent victims of terrorism. Every memorial has a story. Your guide knows all of them.
The Battle of Britain Memorial — honouring the Few
Bomber Command Memorial — remembering 55,573 who never came home
The Royal Tank Regiment Memorial, Whitehall Place
The Stories Behind the Stone
Beautiful works of art — and the extraordinary people they commemorate
This tour doesn’t just look at the memorials themselves — it examines the events and people behind them. The Bomber Command Memorial commemorates 55,573 aircrew who lost their lives — a figure that still has the power to stop you in your tracks. The Battle of Britain Memorial honours the 2,936 aircrew who flew in the battle, from more than a dozen different nations.
The lesser-known memorials are often the most surprising. The Machine Gun Corps memorial. The memorials to Allied nations — Poland, Belgium, France, the Commonwealth — whose contributions to Britain’s survival are sometimes overlooked. And the Gurkha memorial, honouring soldiers whose loyalty and bravery has been one of the constants of British military history for two centuries.
🕊️ The tour covers conflicts from the 1850s to the present day — including memorials to those killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and recent terrorist attacks in London itself.
“They had no choice”
The Animals in War Memorial — one of the most quietly moving memorials in London
Pricing — 3 Hour Tour
Per Person — Guide Included
Entry fees not applicable. Child prices available on request. Departure 10:00am.
Book via the calendar below, by email, or through Viator.
Published by your guide — Stephen Liddell
Lest We Forget — A Concise Companion to the First World War
Your guide Stephen Liddell is not just a tour guide — he is a published historian. Lest We Forget is his concise companion to the First World War: the conflict that claimed the lives of over 17 million people, and whose memorials you will encounter on this very tour. Written with the same passion and depth of knowledge that he brings to every walk, it is the perfect companion read — before your tour to bring the memorials to life, or after as a lasting reminder of what you saw.
Frequently Asked Questions for the War Memorials Private Tour
Departure Time:10 am
City Location: London
Duration of Tour: 3 hours
(Approximate times as all tours are bespoke)
How to book War Memorials Private Tour
To make a booking please use our automated calendar and booking form below or contact us above.
Alternatively book through Viator below.
“There are thousands of memorials in London. This tour finds the ones that matter most — and tells the stories of the people behind them.”
