City of London Pubs Walking Tour
Thu, 18 Jul
|London
Join Open City for a walking tour exploring the fascinating architectural history of some of London's most iconic public houses
Time & Location
18 Jul 2024, 18:30 – 20:30
London, 174 Queen Victoria St, Greater, London EC4V 4EG, UK
About the event
This fun and engaging walking tour — led by public historian and tour guide Sheldon K Goodman — will explore the enigmatic streets and alleys of Holborn, Farringdon and Clerkenwell which play host to a roster of legendary pubs such as The Cheshire Cheese, The Rising Sun and The Fox and Anchor.
Inspired by Open City's new book Public House: A Cultural and Social History of the London Pub, the tour will celebrate the incredible diversity, design and stories of London’s public houses as we are at last able to enjoy them again.
London’s pubs have provided the social and architectural infrastructure for civic life to thrive with a remarkably varied mix of spaces for meeting, making up, breaking up and cultural conviviality. From opulent former Gin Palaces and Taverns to Micropubs and community-owned pubs, the story of London’s more than 3,500 pubs tells the story of the city itself.
Highlights will include The Cheshire Cheese — a famous watering hole favoured by Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens — The George and Vulture which is allegedly haunted by a ghostly 'Woman in Grey' and the Viaduct Tavern where the cellars themselves hold a unique and contested story.
Providing a safe and fun way for enthusiastic urbanists to explore the city, this tour will explore the architecture and history of the London pub by focussing on some of the capital's most prominent drinking establishments which a chance to explore the surrounding streets and go inside the pubs themselves.