Historic walk of East Londons Wapping Docks and its famous Pubs
Description
Wapping has a long history that goes all the way back to Anglo Saxon times, before it was even part of London and it takes its name from the old word Wapol, meaning ‘Marsh’. This whole area has been shaped by the river whether it is the great voyages of exploration, Victorian heavy industry and the docks, terrible Dickensian slums that hugged the river, the dreadful destruction of the Blitz or its modern day resurgence with big business and leisure. We will visit famous old pubs, places of execution and great philanthropy as well as visiting locations relating to some of the most famous names in history such as Captain Cook, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Frobisher, Sir Walter Raleigh, Charles Dickens, Hanging Judge Jeffers and Captain Bligh. See a part of real London that tourists could never find, well away from the bright lights of the West End, theatres, museums and palaces.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We start off in the futuristic Docklands
Once the docks where ships from the Canary Islands plied their trade.
We will pass by the Museum of London Docklands and learn of the history of these old buildings and wharves.
Before we get here, we will visit the famous Grapes Pub from where Sir Walter Raleigh set sail and with links to Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Sherlock Holmes and many others.
This old trading dock is now a luxury marina.
This old pub has strong links with famous painters, writers and even royalty. Sat right by the river, we can go down onto the shore if the tide is out.
From the old stairs at the end of Narrow Street we can see where Martin Frobisher set off to discover The Northwest Passage.
The Thames River Police are the oldest police force in the world. They still patrol the rivers keeping an eye out for crimes such as murder and suicide.
On the corner of Dundee Street we will see the old court for murders and suicides before hearing about William Peckover who perhaps performed the most incredible piece of maritime navigation in history.
This famous old pub is the birthplace of perhaps our greatest painter. Before that it was the site of witchcraft!
A beautiful old Roman Catholic Church
Henry Raine was a wealthy brewer and owned a family business and a generous philanthropist who set up a school for the poor girls and boys in Wapping which is now one of the finest in the country.
It is here the convicted pirates had there last drink before being hanged on the river Thames down the steps that we will be visiting shortly. Then on to St Johns Church with connections to Captain Cook and President Jefferson
Dating from 1460, this old pub and the nearby stairs has seen more history than some cities. Captain Bligh (whose house site we visit) boarded HMS Bounty here. A crook who stole the Crown Jewels was caught here along with the hated Hanging Judge Jeffers. Many a pirate and criminal met their grisly end here too.
The tour finishes in the shadow of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London in an old docks which is now the home to luxury yachts and boats belonging to the rich and famous.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- We have earmarked this tour as especially safe during the Coronavirus outbreak due to generally quiet places that we visit where social distancing is generally not a problem. All of our tours are private so it is just you/your family and your guide. To make it easier and safer for all concerned we would suggest starting this tour a little later than the usual time, perhaps around 10.30-11am which allows us all to miss rush-hour. We are happy to still come to your hotel to meet you but for the moment we would suggest meeting us at the tour starting point. This allows you to arrive by a taxi or uber rather than public transport. Please feel free to wear masks throughout or at times during the tour. Your guide will also have a mask with them.
Reviews(10)
excellent tour, very informative, a part of London one usually does not know much about. Our guide Kevin was wonderful, vast knowledge, nice stories, great insights
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice review. I'm really glad that you enjoyed your tour with Kevin so much.
A very entertaining and educational experience. There is so much to learn about the wharf areas of london. Kevin, our guide, is exceptionally knowledgable. He added a rich layer of insight to the known history of the area and pointed out the non obvious. I highly recommend this tour.
I'm so glad that you had such a good time on your tour with Kevin. Wapping is such a fascinating part of London that most visitors never get to see. We really appreciate your review. Thankyou!
Kevin was great! We had trouble meeting up but he was so accommodating. Every question I asked, he had an answer and could give even more details.
I'm so glad it turned out well in the end. Thanks for your kind review and I'm really glad you had such a good time with the lovely Kevin.
This was excellent and brought to life the East End of London and Wapping area. Made even more special by our authentic, passionate, and very knowledgable Cockney guide - Kevin - what an absolute gem. Now understand the historical meaning of robbing Peter to pay Paul - and it appears to be still happening in the modern day …. Nods as good as wink to a blind beggar…!!
Kevin was thrilled to hear you enjoyed your tour so much. Wapping is such a fascinating area that 99% of tourists never get to see. There is a very popular and funny cockney expression to say how fab Kevin is but sadly it is a bit rude for here so let's just say he is the Bees Knees instead. Thanks for your great review!
It was a tour organised by my partner as a birthday present. Have to say, was such a wonderful delight. Living in East London, we had no idea about all the treasures which this area had to offer. Kevin, our guide during the tour, has such a remarkable command over history, which he narrates in an impeccable and engaging manner. To top it all off, he is really friendly and warm, which made the experience really pleasurable. Time literally flew by, whilst learning so much about East London and its famous pubs!!! Definitely recommended and waiting to go on a guided tour with Kevin again soon!
Thank-you so much for your tremendous review. We're so glad that you had a good time, especially as it's in your neighbourhood. Kevin really enjoyed showing you around; there is so much to see isn't there. Everyone is always surprised!
Very instructive and guides have been lovely and happy to answer all our questions. This is the perfect activity during lockdown for people living in the area. I am already ready to book another tour
We're so glad that you enjoyed the tour, especially as you live almost on the route! Thank-you for your wonderful review.
Our guide, Kevin, was fabulous. He overwhelmed us with his historical knowledge of the area. He was able to answer all our questions. We spent 5 hours together but it didn't feel like it. It's obvious that Kevin really enjoys what he does. Definitely would recommend.
Thank-you Julie for your great review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the tour. Yes Kevin loves Wapping and the East End and there is so much unappreciated history and impressive sights to see. Thanks again for booking with Ye Olde England Tours.
Our guide, Kevin, met us at our local tube station and we set off for Canary Wharf, a new financial district of London. Kevin was able to give us some real insight into the transformation of this area since he was born and raised in the East End. We stopped at four historic pubs and even had the opportunity to go mudlarking, i.e., scavenging, on the shores of the Thames at low tide. This is an area that even many Londoners are not familiar with and Kevin provides the local knowledge along with an absolute wealth of historical background. Don't miss this one!
Thanks so much for your wonderful review. Wapping and the surrounding districts have so much history and interesting quirky things to enjoy that most people never get to see. We're so glad that you enjoyed the tour and I know Kevin loves that tour in particular.
We were met on time in our hotel and after introductions headed out to Wapping. Our guide Kevin was extremely familiar with the area since his family had worked there and as a child he spent a lot of time there. The tour wandered in and out of the old warehouses and Kevin explained how the old docks worked. Because my husband and I are interested in architecture and military history Kevin included a lot of information on those subjects also. The tour included quite a few hours, it was so informative that we did not even feel the time passing. His knowledge was impressive, his candor and honesty on many subjects and his warm personality made us feel at the end of the tour that we made a friend....and we will keep in touch....thank you Kevin
I was interested in the Wapping/East East area due to a few recent reads. While in some ways it was disappointing in that so little of the old docks area is still intact, Kevin filled in incredible amounts of information so that you could wrap your mind around how the area might have looked 100 or 500 years ago. We wove in and out of the neighborhoods, along the river and former sites of the river, and by particular pubs and churches of note, and the historical detail Kevin provided along the way was just excellent. He even spent time taking me mud-larking (new to me). I really feel like this was a unique experience. I wanted to see the "non-tourist" side of London, and Kevin delivered.
Thank you for your fabulous review. We’re so glad that you enjoyed your tour with us and Kevin was thrilled as he loves showing everyone Wapping and the East End. It’s easy to see how London has more construction work going in than the whole of a Europe put together. We too get sad when some of the old places get redeveloped and though most of the docks are now very modern, hopefully some of the old cobbled streets, pubs, churches and warehouses give a bit of old atmosphere. You never quite know what you will find when you down to the Thames, anything from bones to Roman and medieval treasures to WW2 bombs! Thank you for booking with Ye Olde England tours and letting us show another side to London.
