Historical London Walk A Monopoly of Power and Wealth
Tour around Mayfair and St James’s
Bustling and vibrant, this walk takes in some of the most expensive addresses in the world. Many sights will be familiar, many less so.
Meeting at Speakers’ Corner we tell the story of how this spot became the place where the notion of ‘free speech’ evolved. We then make our way through Mayfair, visiting Grosvenor Square and its many associations with the United States. From here it is on to Bond Street via Berkeley Square – and the chance to hear that nightingale sing (traffic permitting).Exclusive shops, addresses and hotels abound.
After crossing Piccadilly, we walk on to St James’s Square and Pall Mall, a secret world of clubs and exclusivity. Lying between Piccadilly and St James’s Palace the square forms a cosy little world, out of bounds to all but the most wealthy. Although we cannot go in, we will share at least some of their secrets!
The final part of this walk takes us through Horse Guards Parade and on into Whitehall, the centre of government and administration. Although many of the buildings will be familiar, many of the stories will not.
Our walk finishes on the Thames embankment. Numerous cafes, bars and restaurants lie within easy reach.
Did you know?
- The Queen buys her underwear from a shop on Conduit Street.
- You are forbidden by law to beat your carpets in Berkeley Square and you can be ejected from Burlington Arcade for whistling!
- Mayfair used to have a Spring Fair, but it was closed down in 1764 because of riotous behaviour!
- Brooks club is the resting place for Napoleons’ death mask whilst the Athenaeum houses Charles Dickens’s chair.
- Both Charles De Gaulle and Dwight Eisenhower were regular diners at the Connaught Hotel.
- Maggs bookshop in Berkeley Square is reputed to be the most haunted house in London.
- The Duke of York column, erected in 1834, cost £25,000 and was paid for by stopping every soldier a day’s pay.
