Some Walks

Explore the picturesque streets of London’s neighbourhoods such as Marylebone, Mayfair, St James and Westminster and hear about extraordinary individuals who lived here and made London the literary, antique and book capital of the English speaking world.

Each walk starts and finishes near an underground station and lasts 1.5-2 hours.

You can come on one of the walks mentioned below, or Anthony will help you design your own Tailored Walk.

Obsessive aristocrats, eccentric scholars and extravagant monarchs. This walk tells the history of one of London's most fashionable areas, St James, and introduces some of the remarkable characters who walked the elegant streets, men like Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister; his son, Horace, outrageous letter writer, collector and author; and the Prince Regent (later, George IV) who built the most luxurious house in London and tore it down a few years later. Meet women like Nell Gwyn, Charles II's favourite mistress and Ada Lovelace, pioneer of computing 200 years ago.  And glimpse the steamy underside of life, including the story of notorious James Graham, London's first sexologist 250 years ago!  Come and see where they all lived and what they left behind! (Starting point near Green Park station.)

This walk has been designed to co-incide with the Globe Theatre's new play about the life of Nell Gwyn, the famously pretty and witty mistress of Charles II.  We follow her footsteps around some of the areas in St James's she frequented and hear about the kind of life led there by women in the late 17c.  There are stories of Nell, of her rivals, her friends and admirers, and some of the other ladies who practised the same trade then and later. And you may be surprised how much is left of the buildings that she and her contemporaries knew.

Love, romance and illicit passion have lurked behind the stately facades of Marylebone for more than 200 years. Ranging from the Brownings to John Profumo, this walk brings to life poets, writers, musicians and politicians who lived and loved in and around Wimpole Street, putting them into the context of this unique and historical part of London. Anthony describes daily life for masters, mistresses and servants in an area that has been one of the most fashionable in London for over two centuries. We also hear about an adventurous dog! (Starting point near Bond Street station).