We start with London’s best collection of 19th century architecture with everything from tenements and cottages built for the Victorian poor to nowadays charming old factories and an impressive Exchange building. We also see where Dickens lived as a boy and where he set Little Dorrit, and we see charming little cottages set up by one of Britain’s other great Victorians, Octavia Hill. There’s also a moving tribute to a literally legendary medieval graveyard and we also hear how one of the world’s most successful gambles built a great hospital. We carry on to old Bermondsey, where many of its fine warehouses and great leather & wool exchanges are still there today, and also come across the first pie & mash shop still going. We then head past some of London’s oldest houses, to the river to see where Dickens set Bill Sikes getting his come uppenc. We finish in historic, pretty Rotherhithe village complete with Mayflower, Brunel (Marc & son Isambard) and bodysnatching history. And en-route we also see some great views of the river in general and Tower Bridge in particular.

Start Borough underground station
Finish Rotherhithe overground station
Shorter walk alternative – omit Rotherhithe and walk over Tower Bridge to finish at St Katherine’s Dock or Tower of London