The success of Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies has led us to offer two routes for our Tudors’ and Shakespeare’s London walk. You can still do our usual route finishing south of the river in Shakespeare’s Southwark, which also has some Henry & Elizabeth history in it, or if you’re a fan of the Hilary Mantel books or simply prefer a shorter walk, let us know and we can if you wish show you where Thomas Cromwell’s Austin Friars palace stood.

Either way, there’s a lot more to the Tudors in London than the Tower. You’ll hear the story of the Tudors whilst seeing things from the history of Henry, Elizabeth, Bloody Mary, Lady Jane Grey, Thomas Cranmer, Thomas Cromwell and William Shakespeare. Heresy, treason, plots, trials, executions, dissolution, reformation, annulment, theatres – it’s all here. You’ll see London’s oldest church and hospital, both of which have connections with Henry, and there’s the only statue in London of Henry. There’s also the only surviving medieval monastery in London, plague pits, medieval guilds, the old city wall and an ancient meat market.

Start at Barbican underground station
Finish at London Bridge station
Cromwell or Shorter walk option – Finish Liverpool Street station