POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE: WEST LONDON AND WESTMINSTER
Sixty-one kings and queens span over 1200 years of British history, defining and defined by the shifting fortunes of this Sceptered Isle. The ancient Celts were overwhelmed by the Romans, whose empire shattered and was replaced by the Saxons who split Britain into pieces, before the Viking invasion that divided England in two before the Norman invasion of 1066 that saw England finally unified under a single king. Since then the great royal houses have struggled for power and influence, all leaving their mark on the nation’s capital: London. This scatter of Celtic farmland and marsh went on to become the greatest and most powerful of cities, influencing the world as the Empire exploded across the globe while Shakespeare wrote his plays and the Tudors stabilised the nation into a global superpower.
This tour takes in some of the major royal historic sites in London, giving something of the colour, pomp and circumstance of royalty through the ages. You will learn about the royal houses, their invasions, their deeds, deceptions and deaths, from the muddy victory of William the Conqueror to the implosion of the Stuart line to the polished excesses of the Georgian era.
You may have heard of many of the players - Henry the Eighth and his six wives, Charles the First who lost his head, and Elizabeth the Second who is the longest reigning monarch in 1200 years. Yet the royal story also includes numerous others whose frequently bizarre deeds and passions shaped their own ends and the future of a nation. Find out who exploded at his funeral, who silly Billy was, who died on the toilet, and who was starved to death in a basement. Even if you are a staunch antiroyalist, the story of English crowned heads is one that should not be missed.
ROMAN LONDON: BIRTH OF THE CITY OF LONDON
London is built on London - there has been something resembling a town here for at least 2000 years, and perhaps as far back as 5000 years. Mammoths, hippos and woolly rhinos once stomped around what is now the Thames and Westminster. Neolithic and Bronze Age people got it into their heads that the waters were sacred and therefore sacrificed pots, gold and people to it. The Romans turned up (on elephants!) to steal the gold, then stayed to trade and develop the place. A native queen called Boudicca came down to avenge herself on the Romans for their high-handedness; eighty thousand died in the slaughter that followed. The Romans got religion, got corrupt, got cold feet and then left the place to the Saxons, who were happy enough living outside London (because it scared them) but were soon invaded by the Vikings who popped out of Scandinavia and began making nuisances of themselves (although the local girls found them very alluring). Alfred the Great wandered into town on a christianizing mission, then a load of squabbles broke out and when the smoke cleared the Normans were in charge...followed by the Normans-disguised-as-Englishmen, followed by the Welsh, the Scots, the Dutch, and finally the Germans. The thousand years from William the Conqueror (although he was actually known as William the Bas***rd in his lifetime) to the present day is one of the most fascinating in Europe, and I would be happy to show some of it to you. The tour suits kids as well as it can be scaled down in detail and up in grossness to stick in the mind.
THE EDGE OF THE CITY: SECRET BACKSTREETS OF LONDON
London is really a city in thirds - there is the Roman part (Londinium), then there is the Saxon part (Lundenwic) and finally there is Westminster, the city of kings, where royal and religious power crystallised in the 11th-13th centuries. As with all cities, however, its much more complicated than that: 2000 (and maybe 3000) years living on the same spot has made a rabbit warren of a place, as people, areas and institutions rise, fall, disappear, or are endlessly reworked in the aftermath of plagues, fires and an ever-changing populace.
This tour is designed to take you into the liminal shades between the ancient city and the new world order as London expanded towards the West after the Great Fire of 1666, charting the changes in society that were the foundation of modern Britain and its new place in the world. If this all sounds rather dry, it isn't: we cover jousting, plagues, royal scandals, Braveheart, ancient churches, the Peasant's Revolt, the best pub in London (!), the judiciary, architectural history, the rise of the press, crime and punishment and the Thames, and finally we dodge back into the City to examine why the best London is in fact the most hidden London.
This tour can be tailored any way, so if you have a specific historical interest, let us know in advance and this can be worked into the fabric of the tour. A fair amount of walking is involved, and as it is largely on the flat it can be accessed by wheelchair users or if you have a pushchair. It might be of interest to older children but the walk is aimed primarily at adults. Ensure you wear comfortable shoes!