London's East End: Historic Pubs & Rebels Private Walking Tour

Name: London's East End: Historic Pubs & Rebels Private Walking Tour
Brand: Tabl
SKU: GFI0A4
Price: 448.00 GBP
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (10 reviews)

3 hours

From 14:00

Group 1+

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3 hours

14:00

What you'll do

Enjoy a pub tour of some of the oldest pubs and taverns in London's vibrant East End, see where Handel and Hogarth liked to drink, while also learning about the bloodcurdling history of Smithfield, and the fate of miscreants, drunks and political rebels. On your private pub tour you will: Enjoy a pub tour of some of the oldest pubs and taverns in London's vibrant East End, see where Handel and Hogarth liked to drink, while also learning about the bloodcurdling history of Smithfield, and the fate of miscreants, drunks and political rebels. On your private pub tour you will: Enjoy a private walking pub tour through historic London with the personal attention of your private guide;Walk through Smithfield Market, the famous old meat market of the East End, as you hear about its lengthy, gritty and fascinating history;See where Sir William Wallace was killed, and learn of his courageous life fighting for Scottish Independence (you can debate the accuracies of the film with your guide!);Enjoy a drink on us at two different traditional pubs - two pints or two glasses of wine are included on your tour;Hear about the history of the buildings, some of which date back to the Middle Ages, like the Hand and Shears Pub;Learn about the distillery process and take the chance to cultivate your own palate: will it be a stout, cider or a traditional British ale?;Learn about the local area’s gruesome history, where tales of drunkards and cadavers, doctors and anatomists, and unwary pub-goers overlap; Walk by St Bartholomew’s Hospital (St. Bart’s), the oldest in Europe, famous for its work on anatomy…and because of Charles Dickens, and as the place where the iconic fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes first meets Dr Watson; Wander into traditional pubs like The Viaduct Tavern and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (frequented by Dr Johnson) just off Fleet Street and enjoy their aged, relaxing ambience. Looking to quench your thirst whilst taking in London’s past? On this fantastic tour, you will have the pleasure of visiting some of the most historic drinking spots in the City of London. Enjoy some excellent locally-brewed craft beer whilst exploring the dark and chequered history of the Smithfield area. The central meat market for London, Smithfields has been in continuous operation for more than 800 years. Undoubtedly the most gruesome location in the capital, this ancient marketplace has long been a site of gory traditions: from the cattle that were slaughtered in its streets to the presence of countless heretic witches, public executions (of the likes of Sir William "Braveheart" Wallace) and the slaying of Wat Tyler during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. Murder and mystery define the district, which is often referenced by London’s literary legends – the nearby St Bartholomew Hospital, more commonly known as St. Barts, is where Sherlock Holmes first meets Dr Watson. Once described by Dickens in Oliver Twist as “the armpit of London, where animal excrement and entrails created a sea of filth”, today Smithfield thankfully operates in beautiful ornate Victorian halls - no entrails in sight!As you venture through these labyrinthine streets with your expert local guide, you will be going off the beaten track, journeying back in time as you explore some of Smithfield's most interesting pubs and breweries. One establishment you might venture into, The Hand and Shears, dates as far back as the Middle Ages – the Lord Mayor used to open the famed St. Bartholomew's fair from outside its doors. Another, the Viaduct Tavern, lies opposite the notorious old Newgate Prison.Its cellars are rumoured to have once been cells, though you’d never guess as you sit comfortably inside this former ‘Gin Palace’, which boasts a beautiful Victorian interior of ornate wooden screens and engraved glass panels. As you make yourself at home in these traditional watering holes, your guide will regale you with tales of the city, whilst you sample a variety of authentic British ales, stouts and ciders.Looking to quench your thirst whilst taking in London’s past? On this fantastic tour, you will have the pleasure of visiting some of the most historic drinking spots in the City of London. Enjoy some excellent locally-brewed craft beer whilst exploring the dark and chequered history of the Smithfield area. The central meat market for London, Smithfields has been in continuous operation for more than 800 years. Undoubtedly the most gruesome location in the capital, this ancient marketplace has long been a site of gory traditions: from the cattle that were slaughtered in its streets to the presence of countless heretic witches, public executions (of the likes of Sir William "Braveheart" Wallace) and the slaying of Wat Tyler during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. Murder and mystery define the district, which is often referenced by London’s literary legends – the nearby St Bartholomew Hospital, more commonly known as St. Barts, is where Sherlock Holmes first meets Dr Watson. Once described by Dickens in Oliver Twist as “the armpit of London, where animal excrement and entrails created a sea of filth”, today Smithfield thankfully operates in beautiful ornate Victorian halls - no entrails in sight! As you venture through these labyrinthine streets with your expert local guide, you will be going off the beaten track, journeying back in time as you explore some of Smithfield's most interesting pubs and breweries. One establishment you might venture into, The Hand and Shears, dates as far back as the Middle Ages – the Lord Mayor used to open the famed St. Bartholomew's fair from outside its doors. Another, the Viaduct Tavern, lies opposite the notorious old Newgate Prison. Its cellars are rumoured to have once been cells, though you’d never guess as you sit comfortably inside this former ‘Gin Palace’, which boasts a beautiful Victorian interior of ornate wooden screens and engraved glass panels. As you make yourself at home in these traditional watering holes, your guide will regale you with tales of the city, whilst you sample a variety of authentic British ales, stouts and ciders.

What's Included

- A friendly, professional English Speaking tour guide for your own private group

- Plenty of time to take photos of your favourite places

- 2 drinks - house wine or pint of beer - at pubs on the tour

What's not included

- Food and extra drink

- Gratuities

- Hotel pick up and drop off

Meeting Points

Your guide will meet you outside The Castle Pub, 34-35 Cowcross St, London EC1M 6DB, United Kingdom

Venue Information

Smithfields Market

Just to the northwest of the City of London sits Smithfields Market, the UK’s largest wholesale meat market and one with a rollercoaster past, to say the least. Originally known as “Smooth Field”, the area established itself as a livestock market over a thousand years ago, due to its excellent access to water and grazing. If you wander around the area today, you’ll see this history reflected in many of the street names: Cow Cross Street, Duck Lane, Pheasant Court and Goose Alley are all nearby.

Smithfields on the Silver Screen

As a large, open space close to the city, Smithfield became a popular location for large gatherings and events during the medieval period. One of the more famous of these was the 1390 jousting tournament put on by Richard II, in which 60 knights from across Europe came to London to tilt for two days, accompanied by sixty noble ladies. Organising the tournament was a 47-year-old Geoffrey Chaucer, and this episode served as inspiration for Paul Bettany’s role as the great English poet in the film A Knight’s Tale. Most famously, and continuing the cinematic theme, the Scottish revolutionary William Wallace was executed at Smithfields in 1305, though whether he really did shout “Freedom!” with his dying breath is subject to some speculation.

These days, most visitors come to Smithfields for the colourful history, though you can of course still buy meat here at surprisingly affordable prices. There’s also a certain charm in experiencing the cheerful hawking and clatter that has been going on continuously for over a thousand years.

St Bartholomew's Hospital

Founded in 1123 during the reign of King Henry I, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital – usually known as Barts – is the oldest hospital in Europe. It survived a precarious financial position during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, until Henry VIII refounded it in 1547, endowing it with properties that would secure its income in the future. In gratitude, the grandest gate to the hospital was named in his honour, and the Henry VIII entrance continues to serve as its main entrance. The statue of the king just above the gate is the only remaining one of him in London.

Commuter Care

Barts was nearly closed in 1993, after an inquiry concluded that there were too many hospitals in Central London, an area where relatively few people actually live. The planned closure was met with fierce resistance, and ultimately Barts was kept open on the grounds that it serves the City’s daily commuting workforce of 300,000 people.

Dr. Watson, I Presume

If you find yourself in the area, be sure to stop in at the Barts Museum, which houses a well put-together historical narrative of the hospital. Here you can learn about the pioneering work on surgical procedures carried out by Percivall Pott and John Abernethy, the thrusting into the mainstream of the nursing profession by Mrs Bedford Fenwick, and the various famous alumni who have trained here. Included among the latter (sort of) is Dr. John Watson – Barts was the setting for his very first meeting with Sherlock Holmes.