Best of Blackfriars Private Tour

Explore the area once dominated by the Blackfriars

In the early part of the 13th century a group of black-robed friars attached to the Order of St Dominic settled in London. By 1276 they had become so prosperous they moved to the edge of the City of London, an area now known as Blackfriars. The thriving community built a church, cloisters and other priory buildings including their own quay.

Step back in time to Roman, Medieval, Tudor and Victorian London, discover the best of Blackfriars on this circular tour of a much forgotten world. 

  • Discover Roman London to present day
  • Follow in the footsteps of Shakespeare, Pepys and Dickens
  • Private Tour; you choose the date and time
  • Hazel Baker, a qualified London Tourguide
  • Option to be collected from Victorian pub

Follow in the footsteps of literary greats such as Victorian author Charles Dickens, famous diarist Samuel Pepys and actor and playwright William Shakespeare.

Marvel at modern innovations, award-winning architecture and medieval priory remains. Stand on the site once belonging to Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. Learn about the lost palace once given to Katharine of Aragon as a wedding present by her new husband Henry VIII. 

Walk where luxurious Roman villas and temple to Mithras once stood. Learn how Victorian engineering connected Blackfriars to the continent and how their efforts are still of use today.

Start: Blackfriars Station | End: Blackfriars Station

Duration: 90 mins | Step-free access: no

Suitable for all age groups.

Private tour price:

£160 includes up to and including 12 people. £175 13 - 30 people

Max group size: 30

Best of Blackfriars walking tour in the City of London
 
Private Best of Blackfriars Walking Tour | Baynard's Castle
Private Best of Blackfriars Walking Tour | Unilever House
Private Best of Blackfriars Walking Tour | The Blackfriar pub
Best of Blackfriars walking tour in the City of London
 

Best of Blackfriars private tour reviews:

"Good history, good company, good fun. Thank you!" Michelle, USA

"Great! My first ever guided walk and I really enjoyed it rain an' all! Hazel is an excellent guide and it was marvellous" Dharshani, Harrow

"This guided walk was fun, informative and very interesting. The timing of this walk was perfect, a very quick 90 minutes but time flies when you are having fun." Karen, Greater London

"What a great thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. I found the walk to be the right amount of time - I have been on two hour London walks and I have to say that they felt too long. Hazel is enthusiastic, very knowledgeable, has a great personality and presents the information with humour. She encouraged questions and enjoyed interacting with the group which made the whole thing seem more personal. I only wish I had had time to join her and others for a drink at the end. I will certainly look out for future walks led by Hazel!" Anonymous 

"Lovely walk around parts of Blackfriars you would most probably be unaware of plus loads of informative knowledge finished off with a G+T in lovely pub. Hazel enthusiastic as always. Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon." Anonymous

"What a great thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. I found the walk to be the right amount of time - I have been on two hour London walks and I have to say that they felt too long. Hazel is enthusiastic, very knowledgeable, has a great personality and presents the information with humour. She encouraged questions and enjoyed interacting with the group which made the whole thing seem more personal. I only wish I had had time to join her and others for a drink at the end. I will certainly look out for future walks led by Hazel!" Anonymous 

"Hazel has wonderful knowledge and a real passion for history. The 90 minute tour was very informative, nicely explained and illustrated. During the walk the group came across a man who was minding his own business cleaning up a stash of clay pipes and broken bits of pottery which he had discovered. Added to the history. Blackfriars is one area that has greatly changed. It would be lovely to go back in time to see the old beauty as it was described by Hazel." Anonymous 

"I enjoyed the tour. Hazel the guide was full of useful information and it was fun to walk with her. Highly recommended to try 1 of her many tours . I.m sure that I will book more with her during the warmer weather" Ulrich P

"Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area; very interesting tour. Makes you look more closely at the details of the buildings and bridges you pass every day." Anon

"Fascinating insight into an area of London not so commonly visited by walking tours. Many anecdotes the guide told us were from her personal experience e.g. her own visits to buildings that were closed to us. Would have liked more information about the Dominican 'Blackfriars' when we visited the only remaining piece of the monastery but the guide was open to questions." Mike Hopper

"Very entertaining and interesting- the guide had lots of information that i had never heard before." Anon

"Easy place to find, meet and walk from, Hazel was friendly and very informative of Blackfriars area and local history. Most enjoyed the walk while learning new facts of old London." Kenton M

"A great way to get to know a less well known area of London. Interesting and informative." Anon

"This Blackfriars walk is really interesting. Hazel really 'knows her stuff' and her enthusiasm and charm make it all the more interesting. I have lived in London most of my life but still learnt so much about this historically rich area." June Burrows

"Thoroughly enjoyed the walk. Most interesting walking in an area I knew very little about. The guide, Hazel, was very personable and knowledgeable about the area. I'll never look at Blackfriers bridge in quite the same way again. Certainly has encouraged me to take a closer look around the North side of the Thames. It was a friendly group and people soon got talking to each other on the walk between places of interest." Catherine Ross

"Excellent: informative and enjoyable. Highly recommended." Anon

"Fabulous, informative tour - well worth doing. Suitable for families with older children as well as singles or couples interested in London's history. We learnt lots of fascinating facts about the rare and the architecture with a steady stream of stories from our guide. Highly recommended." Anon

"Who'd have thought Blackfriars could be so interesting. Hazel knows her stuff and always makes time to answer any questions you may have." Gillian Faulkner

"What a friendly guide Hazel is. This was the first of her walks I had been on and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought I knew the Blackfriars area but Hazel took us down side streets and alleys I'd never even noticed before! She has clear diction and a microphone so you can hear her above traffic, just as well as she is very informative and funny. Recommended." Kim Prendergast

"What a brilliant way to spend 90 minutes! Hazel, the tour guide, has a sunny disposition, a wide range of historical and up to date general knowledge and a good sense of humour.We were taken to places we didn't know existed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. This was our first walk with Hazel but we are definitely going on some more." Anon

"I would highly recommend this walk. Hazel uses a great deal of her great personality to make the walk and history come alive." Richard Cumbers

"Informative, interesting and a splendid way to spend 90 minutes. Hazel the guide is excellent. I have been on three of the walks and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Take advantage of the opportunity and go on a walk." Anon

"Hazel was great and the tour was interesting. Glad I went." Jonathan Freeman

"This was a fascinating walk around Blackfriars and Hazel made it really enjoyable with her incredible knowledge of the area's history. It's just the right length and a really fun way to spend the afternoon. We will certainly book more walks with Hazel." Christine and Ian B

"What a great thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. I found the walk to be the right amount of time - I have been on two hour London walks and I have to say that they felt too long. Hazel is enthusiastic, very knowledgeable, has a great personality and presents the information with humour. She encouraged questions and enjoyed interacting with the group which made the whole thing seem more personal. I only wish I had had time to join her and others for a drink at the end. I will certainly look out for future walks led by Hazel!" Anon

"Hazel has wonderful knowledge and a real passion for history. The 90 minute tour was very informative, nicely explained and illustrated. During the walk the group came across a man who was minding his own business cleaning up a stash of clay pipes and broken bits of pottery which he had discovered. Added to the history. Blackfriars is one area that has greatly changed. It would be lovely to go back in time to see the old beauty as it was described by Hazel." Anon

"Lovely walk around parts of Blackfriars you would most probably be unaware of plus loads of informative knowledge finished off with a G+T in lovely pub. Hazel enthusiastic as always. Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon." Anon

Julie Roe   29-Jul-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarA fascinating and amusing tour by the delightful Hazel who brings history to life. Perfectly pitched and a manageable walking distance covered. I am looking forward to going on another.


Lisa and Jason Sales   28-Jul-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarAnother excellent walk with Hazel full of interesting history and stories. We will definitely be booking to do one of Hazel's other walks.


Elizabeth Young   28-Jul-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarAbsolutely brilliant. I am so glad that I have discovered Hazel and the joy of guided walks. It was easy to identify Hazel at the tube station. Her tour was well planned and extremely informative; bringing the past alive. She even pointed out lovely local museums that I can come back to. I now know some great pubs to bring my American friends!

Kay Davison   21-Jul-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarHazel was very knowledgeable and informative. An enjoyable walk.


Susan Atkins   21-Jul-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarReally enjoyed The Best of Blackfriars Walk. Despite living in London all my life and thinking I knew a good deal about it, this tour was informative and brilliantly conveyed to the group by Hazel. We look forward to future tours.


Ruth Griffiths   21-Jul-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarHighly recommended. The guide is very knowledgeable and also entertaining. The 90 minutes flew by. I will definitely go on more of her walks.


Sarah Lambert   16-Jun-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarA fascinating walk , entertainingly guided by Hazel. We will definitely be booking up some more walks with her in the future


Veronique Jouhaud   16-Jun-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarA great tour of the Blackfriars area. It was the second time I was attending one of Hazel's tours and I very much enjoyed it. Hazel knows a lot about the history of London and shared many stories. She makes her tour very lively, fun and interesting.


Yael Cliff   16-Jun-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarBlackfriars Walk Very inspiring Excellent walk a lot of interesting stories Learning a lot Small group of people Very good walk leader I will definitely go again!!


Carola Kleinstuck-Schulman   15-Jun-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarDespite the weekend closure of the District Line, everybody on Hazel's list turned up, and I am sure everybody enjoyed it as much as I did. Hazel is knowledgable and entertaining in equal measure and kept everyone interested and engaged. I will definitely book another of her walking tours and recommend them to anyone who might be interested.


Anonymous   10-Mar-2019

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarTour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area; very interesting tour. Makes you look more closely at the details of the buildings and bridges you pass evry day.


Mark Hopper   8-Oct-2018

Rated : StarStarStarStarFascinating insight into an area of London not so commonly visited by walking tours. Many anecdotes the guide told us were from her personal experience e.g. her own visits to buildings that were closed to us. Would have liked more information about the Dominican 'Black friars' when we visited the only remaining piece of the monastery but the guide was open to questions.


Anonymous   8-Oct-2018

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarVery entertaining and interesting- the guide had lots of information that i had never heard before.

Kenton Maloney   3-Apr-2017

Rated : StarStarStarStarEasy place to find, meet and walk from, Hazel was friendly and very informative of Blackfriars area and local history. Most enjoyed the walk while learning new facts of old London.


Anonymous   1-Apr-2017

Rated : StarStarStarStarA great way to get to know a less well known area of London. Interesting and informative.


June Burrows   1-Apr-2017

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarThis Blackfriars walk is really interesting. Hazel really 'knows her stuff' and her enthusiasm and charm make it all the more interesting. I have lived in London most of my life but still learnt so much about this historically rich area.


Catherine Ross   1-Apr-2017

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarThoroughly enjoyed the walk. Most interesting walking in an area I knew very little about. The guide, Hazel, was very personable and knowledgeable about the area. I'll never look at Blackfriers bridge in quite the same way again. Certainly has encouraged me to take a closer look around the North side of the Thames. It was a friendly group and people soon got talking to each other on the walk between places of interest.


Anonymous   31-Mar-2017

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarExcellent: informative and enjoyable. Highly recommended .


Anonymous   26-Jun-2016

Rated : StarStarStarStarStarFabulous, informative tour - well worth doing. Suitable for families with older children as well as singles or couples interested in London's history. We learnt lots of fascinating facts about the rare and the architecture with a steady stream of stories from our guide. Highly recommended.

Blackfriars City of London Walk
Best of Blackfriars walking tour in the City of London
 
  • © 2017 London Guided Walks Ltd - All Rights Reserved | Website Privacy & Cookie Policy

    • Registered Office: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ