The Seven Noses of Soho
Legend has it that if you see all the “Seven Noses of Soho” you will attain infinite wealth. If the legend is true then this has to be the best value walking tour that has ever been offered! If the legend doesn’t quite live up to expectations you will still be able to proudly boast of your achievement.
The tour takes in all Seven Noses, a very grand eighth nose, a ghost nose and a false nose.
Along the way you will learn about the creation of the noses and the myths surrounding them. You will also see numerous other “hidden gems” including an unusual Victorian fund-raising device, some comic mosaics in an unlikely location and some “secret” art, to top it all there is even a bonus ear!
The noses are dotted around the Soho area. Guided by a fully qualified City of Westminster Guide you will also be seeing some great architecture, hearing about the history of the area and walking in the footsteps of Mozart, Marx and Jimi Hendrix, through some of Soho’s finest and most atmospheric streets.
This tour lasts roughly 2 hours.
The tour starts near Covent Garden Tube, and ends near Charing Cross, full details given upon booking.
The tour is fully accessible but there are some kerbs and narrow pavements, please contact me if you want to talk in more detail about accessibility.
Bookable via Eventbrite
Oddities of Strand
As you walk along a former beach you will discover, London’s and possibly the world’s first wine bar, the scene of an elephant’s execution and the oldest family-run shop of its type on earth. You will also see a bizarre sculpture that most people have never noticed, a back-to-front church and the city’s largest clock face, no, not that one!
You will learn about the death of the bowler hat, the birth of blue plaques, see a Victorian “Apps Store” and a steeple that should never have been and we’ll finish our tour with a drink in the close company of Dracula, close to one of the greatest, yet least known, collections of art anywhere.
This tour lasts roughly 2 hours.
The tour starts and ends near Covent Garden Tube, full details given upon booking.
The regular version of this tour is not suitable for wheelchairs, there are some stairs, steep inclines, kerbs and narrow pavements, please contact me if you want to talk in more detail about a specially adapted version.
Bookable via Eventbrite
Secrets of Dorset Square
Dorset Square and the surrounding streets are on the face of it a typical Georgian development. But packed into this tiny area are some great stories and some fascinating associations. So in addition to seeing some Great Georgian architecture, you will also some trees that were once visited by a very famous dog, an unlikely and historic sporting arena, the scene of an armed siege, WWII associations, a very tiny pub, and the birthplace of a classic car.
Marylebone has had some very interesting residents over the years and along the way we will be seeing some of their homes, both fictional and real, including the homes of the world’s most filmed character and a man now credited as a founding father of modern computer gaming. We will also pass a land-bound lighthouse and meet a working detective. We will finish at the site of a technological and social revolution, close to some of London’s most popular attractions.
This tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours.
The tour starts near Marylebone Station, and ends near Baker Street, full details given upon booking.
The tour is fully accessible there are dropped kerbs throughout and no steep inclines or other barriers, please contact me if you want to talk in more detail about accessibility.
Hidden Mayfair
Ritz, glitz, glamour, the word Mayfair evokes a James Bond spirit – high-living, high-rolling, fast cars, faster women, quality cocktails, luxury hotels, discretion, secrecy and espionage. Mayfair is also known for its numerous American links forged both in leisure and in War.
But there is also much of Mayfair that is little known and often missed by visitors and Londoners alike. So in addition to seeing sites synonymous with the area, you will also see a minimum of three elephants, London’s oldest street art, a sheep-free zone, some clubs fit for a future King and Queen, many places where even Roman Abramovich could easily run out of money, many scientific firsts, some great new public art, the finest terraced house in Britain and the country’s first one way street.
This tour lasts approximately 2 hours.
The tour starts and ends near Green Park Station, full details given upon booking.
The tour is fully accessible there are dropped kerbs throughout but there are two inclines, please contact me if you want to talk in more detail about accessibility.
Other Popular Walks
I offer a wide variety of tours throughout Westminster including Belgravia, Elephants in Westminster, Fitzrovia, The Royal Parks, Little Venice, Luxury Cocktail Crawls, Paddington, Piccadilly, Pimlico, Political Westminster, Pubs, Smoker’s Westminster, Soho, Victoria & Westminster’s Top Ten Sights.
Most tours are only available for corporate or private bookings and each is then fully adapted to the specific requirements of the group. If you are interested in me adapting any tour for you please do email me at walks@peterberthoud.co.uk or see the Contact tab for more ways to get in touch.
Prices
All public walks cost £10 per person but I do offer discounts!
Discounts
For all my walks I offer discounts to nice people, interesting people and a special additional discount for those of you who are both nice and interesting.
Interesting People pay £9.50
Nice People pay £9.00
People who are both Nice and Interesting just £8.00!
The tours are strictly limited to 10 or 15 people, according to location and time of day, and you can be sure that almost all of them will be nice and interesting!