Booze, Brothels & The Bard: A Walking Tour of London's Bawdy Borough
5.0
42 Ratings
Greater London
Embark on a captivating walking tour of London's bawdy borough, exploring its scandalous history, encountering famous figures like Shakespeare and Dickens, and uncovering hidden secrets of the past.
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • St George the Martyr - The only remaining part of the Marshalsea Prison
  • Crossbones Graveyard & Garden of Remembrance - The final resting place for thousands of Southwark’s outcast dead
  • The Hop Exchange - The largest extant reminder of Southwark’s beer trade
  • George - London’s last surviving galleried coaching inn
  • Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret - Europe’s oldest surviving operating theatre
  • London Bridge - The world famous and iconic London Bridge
  • Southwark Cathedral - London’s oldest surviving gothic church
  • Borough Market - A one thousand year old food market
  • Winchester Palace - The remains of one of the most prestigious homes in medieval England
  • Clink Prison Museum - The site of the notorious Clink Prison
  • Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre - The reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
What's Included
  • Walking Tour Guide included
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Venture on a millennium journey touching upon illustrious personalities such as William Shakespeare, immoral medieval workers known as Winchester Geese prostitutes, Charles Dickens, a nineteenth-century ghostly pub owner, and the creatively dubbed Doorkins Magnificat!

We’ll traverse the areas surrounding Borough and Bankside on our foot trail. Since these areas laid beyond the legal authority of the City of London, they witnessed centuries of notorious activity. We’ll understand how the region became infamous for prostitution post the Roman invasion, explore the sites of Southwark’s two most infamous jailhouses - remnants of which endure till this day, admire a thousand-year-old marketplace, scrutinize the ruins of a medieval fortress, and identify Shakespeare’s Globe Theatres from the past and present!

The foot trail inaugurates outside Borough Station, terminates near London Bridge Station and should last approximately two hours. The entire stretch comes to about two miles.

Ticket availability will be restricted to approximately ten spectators, to guarantee a well enjoyed experience for all attendees.

Location
Borough
Borough High Street
We meet outside the exit of Borough Station. Please aim to arrive five minutes early as the tour will start on time. If you aren't able to make the tour or you will be late, please message me on +44 7783 401 129 so that I know whether to send you our live location on WhatsApp.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(42 Ratings)
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478abbiej
Mar 22, 2024
We loved it! - Thank you so much Tom, what an interesting tour we really enjoyed it. Very informative and historical, we are really looking forward to your next tour that we will surely book on.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kimberlyty5026cm
Mar 20, 2024
A Nice Afternoon Tour - This was a great way to see a part of London that we hadn't toured before. I would definitely do another tour with this group again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mcdanio
Mar 4, 2024
Excellent tour, most recommended if you want to know London in and out. - The virtual tour was so excellently run by Tom, that I felt like it was in real life. The tour give me many new tips and information, I was not aware of, even though know few things about historical London and the City of London too. Tom’s skills to present and vast knowledge made my experience incredible. Most recommended London guide among very few great one.
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Anahib89
Mar 1, 2024
Great experience! - The tour guide, Tom, was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. The tour itself was full of interesting information, and he was more than happy to answer all our questions and elaborate on the stories he was sharing. Would definitely recommend.
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Flyer106171
Dec 21, 2023
Fab walking tour and guide - The tour was great. Our guide, Tom, was very knowledgeable, prompt and great communication. It was really interesting to be guided around a part of London I wouldn’t normally go to. Will definitely book Tom’s other walks when visiting London again.
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Dittoditto789
Nov 28, 2023
A great tour - Despite a cold day with a bitter wind we greatly enjoyed the "Booze, Brothels & The Bard" tour. Tom was a very knowledgeable and friendly guide leading us around a fascinating area. There is history at every turn from as far back as the Romans but taking in Dickens and Shakespeare and much else.
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M4682wksamw
Nov 24, 2023
Terrific Tour - An incredibly interesting and engaging tour. We saw some very interesting sites, thay I had never seen before. Saw a whole new side to a part of the city i have spent quite alot of time in. Which was great! Highly recommended.
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Johnq276
Nov 5, 2023
Excellent walk - Interesting and informative walk around a less well-known part of London, conducted at a reasonable pace. Tom was knowledgeable, easily heard and did a great job of unravelling fact from fiction. Would thoroughly recommend.
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Anndrourr
Nov 3, 2023
Great Walking Tour - I've been to London many times over the past 25 years and this was one of the very best tours that I have done. Tom was funny, easy to talk to, happy to answer questions, and a great companion to an area of London that was very new to me. The tour was expertly paced, full of information, and guidance for things to do on your own. This was my last day of a two week trip to Europe and before I arrived I was quite tired and ready to head home. In fact, I almost skipped it. I am so glad that I didn't - it was great. I will definitely do another tour with Tom on my next trip to London.
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Seaside41128653768
Oct 27, 2023
Borough Market .. and beyond - Another fantastic walking tour of the Southwark areas of London.. 2 hrs just sped by ! Was so interesting and again left us with the feeling of being a little more knowledgeable about some of the history to our capital city! Tom’s a great guide … brings to every tour the right level of informative but also appreciate the back history to places we’d have just walked by without knowing it’s past ‘usage’ Just brilliant!
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