Guided tour

Booze, Brothels & the Bard: London's Bawdy Borough

Activity provider: Historic London Tours
Guided tour

Booze, Brothels & the Bard: London's Bawdy Borough

Activity provider: Historic London Tours

From US$ 21.97 per person

Travel through a thousand years of history, meeting William Shakespeare, medieval 'Winchester Geese' prostitutes, Charles Dickens, and the wonderfully named Doorkins Magnificat!

About this activity

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Duration 2 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English
Small group
Limited to 10 participants

Experience

Highlights
  • Explore Southwark with a guide and learn why its known as London's Bawdy Borough
  • Discover over a millenium of history filled with debauchery and seedy goings-on
  • See two notorious prisons and a what remains of Bishop Winchester's palace
  • Uncover Charles Dicken's connection to London's infamous neighbourhood
  • Visit London's largest and oldest market and Shakespeare's famous Globe Theater
Full description
Travel through a thousand years of history, meeting William Shakespeare, medieval 'Winchester Geese' prostitutes, Charles Dickens, the ghost of a nineteenth century pub landlady, and the wonderfully named Doorkins Magnificat! On our walking tour we'll visit the areas around Borough and Bankside, which being outside the jurisdiction of the City of London were for centuries the site of seedy goings on. We'll learn how the area had been notorious for prostitution since the arrival of the Romans, visit the locations of Southwark's two most notorious prisons of which parts can still be seen today, take in the sights of a millennium-old market, view the remains of a medieval palace, and find Shakespeare's Globe Theatres both old and new! The walking tour begins outside Borough Station, ends near to London Bridge Station, and will take around two hours. Total distance is about two miles. Ticket sales will be limited to circa ten attendees, to ensure maximum enjoyment for everybody on the tour.
Includes
  • Guide
  • Tips
Not suitable for
  • Children under 13 years

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meet just outside the Borough Station exit on Borough High Street. Your guide will be standing there with an Historic London Tours sign.

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Important information

Know before you go

  • The total talking distance for this tour is 2 miles (3.2 km)
Customer reviews

Overall rating

5 /5

based on 5 reviews

Review summary

  • Service
    5/5

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Our guide, Tom Currie, was excellent. He was informative and very communicative as well as encouraging all questions. The tour was fascinating and gave a wonderful in-depth picture of the history of the area. We visited many locations and the whole trip was woven into an enjoyable excursion.

January 30, 2023

Excellent tour with a very knowledgeable guide Tom. Would highly recommend

January 28, 2023

A very special experience to get to know the old London. Tom Currie is a good engaging storyteller. Ideally such a small group.

November 21, 2022

Product ID: 425926