London - Which London Walks/Pub Crawl
 

I will be in London in a couple of weeks, I have been to London a few times and seent he main toursits sites. I am interested in something different for sightseeing this time. I have looked at the London walks website I am overwhelmed with the different choices, which walks have fodorites done that they would recommend. I am looking at maybe doing the Jack the Ripper walk and I would also like to do a pub crawl and get off the beaten tourist track on this visit. Thanks in advance.

I'd go for the Inns of Court or Shakespeare and Dickens
It's really a case of what interests you.
I'd avoid Jack the Ripper myself.

I've done the Jack the Ripper & enjoyed it but it's disappointing that most of the sites are nothing like they were so the atmosphere is not the same.

Jack the Ripper walks are rubbish (abd I used to guide them so i know of which I speak).

There are some great pub walks on the London walks itinery - they're all good. Just pick one that takes your fancy. You go in two pubs on the walk and end up in a third usually.

I quite enjoyed the "Pub Walk along the Thames" - we went to several different pubs, all from a different century :)

I thoroughly enjoyed the Hampstead Heath walk.

It is perhaps worth noting that the London Walks pub walks are not "pub crawls". The pub walks are predominantly about the walks, with short breaks at a couple of pubs. Pub crawls are generally about drinking, with walking being nothing more than the means of transportation between drinking sessions.

The Along the Thames pub walk mentioned above is a good introduction to this kind of walk. Another that I particularly like is the Chelsea pub walk -- you get much more into local neigbourhood pubs than you do in other walks.

Personally, I like the JtR walks. I've done them by London Walks about eight times. I like to listen to the different takes on the stories. Every guide is different, and I always get a new piece of lore.

Some other good walks are the ghost tours by LW. I liked Haunted London, Ghosts of the Old City, and Ghosts, Gaslight, & Guinness. For pub walks I enjoyed Along the Thames Pub Walk.

There are the specialty ones also, if you want a bit more history.

Also I read a book a few years back about "three day walking tours" around London. It was broken up into categories such as Maritime, WWII, Princess Diana's Footsteps, Legal London, Pub Walks, etc. It was an easy pace starting in the morning and ending in the afternoon each day with places to rest, shop, and eat. This is a self-walk book, and was great. You could go at your own pace.

If you've never been to London, or want to learn a little about a part you've never been to, guided walking tours are great.

While the atmosphere has definitely changed from the time of the crimes, I thought the nightime Jack the Ripper walk was great (it ends at the Ten Bells Pub). My wife and I had a really good time on it. It was a group of about eight and I don't think anyone was disappointed.

We also enjoyed the Pub walk along the Thames.

=:)

Please be aware that a pub walk and a pub crawl are completely different animals.

A pub walk is basically a walk punctuated by a couple of pubs.

A pub crawl is an attempt to drink in a large amount of pubs with the intention of getting completely Brahms.

I really liked Alleyways, Apparitions and Ale (I think that's what it's called). Really good ghost stories and you cover some good ground.
But keep in mind that the pub stops are pretty fast, and also that you have to wait until the next stop to access a toilet... which everyone else is also trying to do!

Some people enjoy the JtR walk - but I have to agree - complete rubbish. (<b>eight</b> times?? Why on earth?)

IMO - Why spend some of your very limited time in this great city walking through people's neighborhoods standing on street corners while a book flogging guide yells (in order to be heard by the 150 other nearest and dearest along for the walk) about the pub that used to be where that car park is now, or which disemboweled woman was found under where that block of flats is now. None of the original sites still exist - the people who live around there really REALLY hate DR (the book flogging guide)

janisj, I absolutely agree but you're whipping that dead horse again.:) There's no accounting for taste.

I've taken at least 4. My favorites were the pub (Thames and chelsea) walks. The Chelsea may arguably take you to more areas/neighborhoods you wouldn't otherwise find yourself (my self) in. Pub walks provide a variety of info about the area, afford you a chance to sit down and enjoy refreshments, and also to meet some of your fellow walkers.

We also enjoyed a general crime walk (Blood Curdling London may be its current incarnation) and, I think, a &quot;hidden&quot; or &quot;secret&quot; london walk.

historytraveler: It's the evangelist in me - can't help myself :D

JTR walks and Tussauds are advice proof. You can tell 'em all you like and they'll still go there (see also; london dungeon and hard rock cafe)

I can't understand why anybody would want a guided pub walk or pub crawl. Pubs are very straightforward propositions. Find one (not difficult in London); look in; if you like what you see, stop and have a drink or several drinks; then find another pub and repeat until you are falling-down drunk, broke, bored, out of time, or in some other way finished.

I've been on several of these things and they're fun - they're not pub crawls. They are just like the usual guided walks - history, ghosts, etc but with a couple of pit stops in pubs for a BOOZE or BINGE.

I'm not aware of any guided pub crawls in London - but i did see one in Paris recently. It was Australians.

Which pub walks did you go on, padraig? I might want to sign up for one of those!

Cholmondley_Warner,

I have to say, I'd never really consider going to Tussauds, london dungeon or the hard rock cafe (anywhere)... but I found the JtR walk a lot of fun. We had a good guide who, in addition to the normal JtR lore, presented a lot of interesting information about the neighborhood and how they've changed over time. We also had a small group (under a dozen... it helps to go in October instead of July) and never did he shill for a book he had written. Also, doing the walk at night added a bit of atmosphere.

We're normally independent travelers and rarely take guided tours... but I'd certainly recommend this to friends.

Just one man's opinion...

Al

astein12: If there were fewer than 12 - I'm pretty sure your guide was not <i>the DR</i>. Am I right?

Correct... it was another author, but can't remember the name offhand.

If it was another author - are you sure it was a &quot;London Walks&quot; product?

Sounds more like maybe one of Richard Jones' jack-the-ripper-walks

It was London Walks... I'll see if I can find the details.

I've done a Christopher Wren, British Museum, Westminster area, and the Evening Pub Walk along the Thames. My favorites were the Christopher Wren and the Pub Walk (the British Museum tour was cut short because of a fire alarm and everyone had to evacuate).

The pub walk was very interesting. We stopped in 2 pubs and had a history of them and the guide recommended some different beers/ales to try. The walk took us from Blackfriars Bridge to London Bridge and passed the Globe Theatre enroute. We ended at the George where the guide gave us a history but didn't go in as a group since the 2 hours was up.

Each walk had between 10 and 20 people. Probably the Christopher Wren walk had the fewest people and the pub walk had the most.

janisj - not sure what you're referencing with the 150 people on a walking tour and a book flogging guide??? What's that about?

DD and I did the Harry Potter walk. I would rate it as fair - there were so many people that it was very hard to hear the guide, and most of the &quot;sites&quot; we saw were just inspirations for the books. My husband did a pub walk (can't remember which one, but they met at the Sloane Square tube stop). He was not that impressed - there weren't many pubs in the area and the guide wasn't very informative or entertaining. You might want to skip that particular walk.

Adrienne, there's one tour leader of the Jack the Ripper tour who draws big groups. He's written a book which some of the tour members buy. Nobody flogged a book on the walk I took nor was there anywhere near that size crowd.

&quot;<i>janisj - not sure what you're referencing with the 150 people on a walking tour and a book flogging guide??? What's that about?</i>&quot;

The primary London Walks guide for the JtR walk is Donald Rumbelow - who has written many books on the subject. He was also a consultant on the &quot;From Hell&quot; ripper movie. He's awfully famous and many people go on the walk simply because he is the guide. They regularly get over 200 for DR and even in winter well over 100. I doubt he has had a group of less 50 in many many years.

From the LW website &quot;<i><font color="blue">Donald will have some of his books with him in case any of you want one. And needless to say he'll be glad to sign it for you. Makes an unbeatable present for anybody who's got a friend who's interested in the subject.</font></i>&quot;

The site also says tho' that he recently injured his knee and is out of commission so maybe some going in the near future won't have the pleasure . . . . .

Thanks for clarifying! I was never interested in the Jack the Ripper walk so the references didn't mean anything.

I've never had DR in any of my JtR walks by LW. I, like a previous poster, had guides that talked about the changes in the neighborhoods and the JtR lore. Never had a book hawked at me either. The most I ever had in my group in Sept was 20. Usually 8-15 people.

You either like the tour or you don't. I personally enjoy them. :)

A couple of other good tours that I had were Jane Austin (Christmas time) and Medieval London.

Thanks for all the responses. I will pass on the Pub Walk, a pub crawl is more to my liking.

As for JtR, I think I'll go, althought I've been to London alot, this maybe my last trip for a while.

Also, the Hampstead Heath walk appeals to me, so I'll do that.

Thanks fodorites for your help.

Over the course of many years, we have done most of the London Walks including the Explorer Days. All have been worthwhile and enjoyable. I guess we were fortunate when we did the JtR walk some time (eons?) ago with DR. There were only 4 of us on the tour, and he never mentioned selling us a book.

and he never mentioned selling us a book&gt;&gt;&gt;

Tell English Heritage this. They'll want to put up a plaque.

Hi partyon - I don't think you'll regret taking the Hampstead Heath Walk.

While you're at Hampstead, consider giving a visit to Kenwood House, which is a real gem with a fabulous paintings collection. The grounds were also used for a scene in the movie Notting Hill.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/s...show/nav.12783

Some other attractions in Hampstead include 2 houses owned by National Trust: Fenton House and 2 Willow Road.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-fentonhouse
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-2willowroad

I haven't been to either, but they're on my list for my next trip. Check their opening times as both are rather limited.

Lastly, Keats House is nearby as well.

And to combine the two there are a few cracking pubs in Hampstead.

It's been a while since Hampstead was my area but I have fond memories of: The Holly Bush, The flask and the Magdala (it was outside the Magdala that Ruth Ellis (last woman to be hanged in Britain) killed her lover)

For London Pub Walks, I would recommend London Tavern Trails : http://www.londontaverntrails.com
They visit historic pubs full of character & charm, most you wouldn't find yourself