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History
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Travel through a thousand years of history, meeting kings, body snatchers, Charles Dickens, an eighteenth century ghost, and William Wallace (and learn how he was in no fit state to shout "Freeeedoooommmm!" whilst being executed!)
Detailed description:Travel through a thousand years of history, meeting kings, body snatchers, Charles Dickens, an eighteenth century ghost, and William Wallace (and learn how he was in no fit state to shout "Freeeedoooommmm!" whilst being executed!)
On our walking tour we'll visit the areas around Smithfield, for centuries London's site of both animal and human slaughter. We'll learn about how the city disposed of the tens of thousands of Black Death corpses in the fourteenth century, the execution methods used in the Middle Ages, and how the area became a notorious slum which Dickens used as the setting for Oliver Twist.
The walking tour begins outside Barbican Station, ends near to Farringdon Station, and will take around two hours. Total distance is about two miles.
Hello, and welcome to Historic London Tours! I’m Tom Currie, an accredited London Borough of Islington and London Borough of Camden tour guide, having successfully passed each association's training course. I'm an experienced guide, having led many groups of both tourists and locals on London tours.
After several years in an office job, I left in order to pursue my love of history. Many of my friends had suggested to me over time that I take up guiding as it was clearly my passion; whenever I visit a new area I love to soak up the local history (to the point where one friend of twenty years told me “Tom, will you stop making me learn!”)
London has such a rich and vibrant history, but much of it has been hidden away from plain view. As your guide, I’ll uncover those forgotten stories for you: by the end of the tour, you’ll be guaranteed to say “I never knew that!”
On our tour we'll visit the areas around Smithfield, for centuries London's site of both animal and human slaughter. We'll learn about how the city disposed of the tens of thousands of Black Death corpses in the fourteenth century, the execution methods used in the Middle Ages, and how the area became a notorious slum which Dickens used as the setting for Oliver Twist.
Who can come
Adults
Activity level
not much
Skill level
beginner
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