London Walking Tour 5

This walk starts at The Bank of England and finishes at Leicester Square. The fifth in a series of free video guides to help tourists enjoy London.

The address of the map for this walking tour is https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TGIxBaVZrS2DRrkyf4fp-RBjXIOQGFjv&usp=sharing

Clicking the markers along the route gives access to more detailed information.

Transcript:

The fifth video in this series leaves the Bank of England along Poultry, twisting and turning on the way to Leicester Square. There's a link to a map of the route below.

Pass by Mansion House along Poultry into Cheapside towards St Mary-le-Bow Church. It's said that those born within earshot of the sound of it's bells can claim to be true Cockneys.

Forty meters before the church turn right along King Street towards The Guildhall, administrative and ceremonial centre of the City of London which also houses a decent art gallery and the remains of a Roman amphitheatre.

The weather vane on the spire of nearby St Lawrence Jewry Church is in the form of a gridiron on account of poor Lawrence being barbecued to death.

Leave along Gresham Street then turn into Wood Street towards the Barbican passing London's own leaning tower, all that remains of St Alban's Church after second world war bombing.

Turn left to find remnants of London's ancient wall on both sides of the road before taking the elevated walkway to St Giles Cripplegate Church in one direction and the widely praised Museum of London in the other.

From the museum head south before slipping through peaceful Postman's Park then along King Edward Street towards the rear of London's Stock Exchange before turning by Christchurch Greyfriars Church, yet another victim of second world war bombs.

Just past the Central Criminal Court, better known as the Old Bailey, which like the Royal Courts of Justice can be visited subject to stringent security measures, take the road between St Sepulchre's Church and the supposedly haunted Viaduct pub towards St Bartholomew's Hospital, the oldest in Britain.

Opposite, the Golden Boy of Pye Corner is located where the Great Fire of London eventually burned itself out.

Further along, a statue of King Henry VIII stands above an entrance to the hospital and further still there's a memorial to William Wallace who was executed nearby as long ago as 1305.

The path below the nearby beamed Tudor building leads to St Bartholomew the Great Church, one of London's oldest.

Beyond Smithfield meat market, extremely active in the early hours when most are sleeping but resembling a morgue at other times, follow Charterhouse Street before turning left into Farringdon Road and climbing the steps onto Holborn Viaduct.

Pass The City Temple and St Andrew's Church before cutting right to Ely Place, the last privately owned street in London and home to St Etheldreda's Church which dates form the reign of King Edward I.

Close to the entrance of Ely Place take the narrow passage to Ye Olde Mitre pub, a favourite with tourists and associated with Queen Elizabeth I.

Continue along the passage to Hatton Garden, famous for jewelry, which is frequently visited by the romantically involved and wishful thinkers.

Returning to Holborn pass the equestrian statue of Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, then the red brick Prudential Building before crossing towards the timber framed facade of Staple Inn.

Walk through the courtyard if it's open or via Chancery Lane if it isn't to the Silver Vaults, a subterranean parade of retail outlets predominantly selling silver and worth a visit. Security is understandably tight but largely unobtrusive with most people being permitted entry.

Along Chancery Lane, Ede and Ravenscroft, the oldest tailors in London, is the preferred outfitter to many of the Judiciary and robe maker for the royal family.

Just before the neo-gothic King's College building, turn into Carey Street towards the rear of the Royal Courts of Justice.

Pass a couple of ancient parish boundary stones then the seventeenth century Seven Stars public house before turning into Serle Street where a statue of Thomas More occupies a niche on the corner.

The precincts of Lincoln's Inn to the right can be visited most weekdays and a variety of guided tours are available.

Lincoln's Inn Fields to the left, now a pleasant square, was once a place of execution.

To the south the macabre Hunterian Museum attracts it's fair share of inquisitive visitors while to the north Sir John Soane's Museum is especially popular on the occasional evenings when illuminated by candlelight.

Before leaving via Sardinia Street stroll a few meters along nearby Portsmouth Street where The Old Curiosity Shop is surrounded by the more modern buildings of the London School of Economics.

At the end of busy Kingsway bear right past Bush House, former home of the BBC's world service, then just before the Waldorf Hilton Hotel enter Drury Lane..............written transcript truncated by You tube.

Видео London Walking Tour 5 канала flyandvisit