Bloomsbury Uncovered: Literary Giants & Hidden Secrets
- 2 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
What if the most fascinating stories in London aren't in any guidebook? Bloomsbury's elegant Georgian squares and hidden cobbled mews conceal extraordinary tales that most visitors walk straight past. On this tour, Maxine, a lifelong Londoner and passionate storyteller pulls back the curtain on one of London's most interesting neighbourhoods. You'll discover the hospital that changed how the world treats its children, stand outside the home of Virginia Woolf, and visit the church where Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath were married. You'll hear how J. M. Barrie's most famous creation saved thousands of children's lives, uncover the secrets of a grand hotel with a little-known connection to the Titanic, and meet the Victorian philanthropists who quietly changed the world from these very streets. Every stop reveals a different layer of Bloomsbury: The authors, the activists and the hidden histories that no guidebook will ever tell you.
Inclusions
What's included
- Guide
Itinerary
Our first stop is at the Fitzroy Hotel, formally the Russell Hotel. Learn all about this beautiful Victorian building and it's stories linking it to the Titanic.
Set amongst Georgian terraces and independent shops and cafés, with an array of blue plaques overhead, stare down at the pavement and you’ll discover hidden trinkets symbolising the tokens mothers once left behind when handing their babies over to the Foundling Hospital.
Hear the story of how, in 1739, Thomas Coram—a sea captain and philanthropist—obtained a Royal Charter and established the Foundling Hospital for abandoned children living on the streets.
Queen Square was laid out in the 1700s and was built for the rich and powerful. Learn how all the residential buildings slowly turned into hospitals and how it ties into the madness of King George III
Lamb’s Conduit Street is described as a charming, pedestrian‑friendly historic street dating back to Tudor times, renowned for its Georgian architecture, independent boutiques, and village‑like atmosphere.
Today, Doughty Mews is a picturesque, cobbled lane lined with million‑pound townhouses, but it began life as housing for the horses and servants of the wealthy families who lived on the neighbouring street.
In 1739, Thomas Coram obtained a royal charter and established a hospital for abandoned children who were living in the streets as their mothers were unable to care for them.
Hear how this square got its name, and learn all about the famous residents who lived around the square and a scandalous court case that involved the King!
Known at The Colonnade: dating back to the 19th century, learn about The Horse Hospital a stabling for cab drivers sick horses.
Hear the heartbreaking story of how the hospital was founded by Charles West who was appalled by the child mortality in the Victorian era and its links to Peter Pan
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 524
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Ratings come from 24 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Please arrive 10-15 mins before the tour starts. Please look for me outside the station, I will be wearing a guide badge and holding an iPad.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 15 travellers
- Operated by
- Maxine's Walking Tours
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in London
- Its from-price is 88% below the median of the 4793 experiences we list in London.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 931 of 4793.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About London
London mixes royal ceremony, world-class museums and riverside landmarks with distinct neighbourhoods, markets and parks to explore on foot.
The Thames threads the city together. On its banks stand the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the Tower of London with the Crown Jewels, Tower Bridge and the long South Bank walk past the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe and Tate Modern. St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey anchor the older skyline, while glass towers crowd the financial district.
Top-ranked sights in London: St. Paul's Cathedral, Stonehenge, Tower of London.
Special offers in London
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
