This walk takes us into the dark and dramatic history of London’s riverside, following the Thames from Tower Hill to Wapping, once alive with sailors, smugglers, pirates, and river rogues. We begin at the Tower Hill, where traitors and nobles met their fate before the watching crowds. From there we pass Tower Bridge and step into St Katharine Docks, once a bustling hub where the riches of empire were unloaded. We continue along the hidden alleys and ancient stairs of Wapping High Street, tracing the last footsteps of the condemned at Wapping Old Stairs. Along the way we’ll visit the Town of Ramsgate, where the notorious Judge Jeffreys was captured; the Captain Kidd, named after the most legendary pirate ever to hang at Execution Dock; and the Prospect of Whitby, the “Devil’s Tavern,” where sailors and smugglers once plotted by candlelight. We return via waters of Shadwell Basin, passing the replica ships at Tobacco Dock, and the quiet canals of Wapping before we pass Traitors’ Gate and end the evening at the Hung, Drawn and Quartered pub a fitting finale to a journey into London’s bloody maritime past.
📍 Walk Details
- Start Point: Tower Hill Station (by the Tower Hill sundial).
- End Point: Tower Hill Station (option to join for a drink at The Hung Drawn and Quartered Pub
- Distance: 7km easy pace, with frequent stops for stories
- Duration: 2 hours including breaks.
- Difficulty: Easy flat riverside walking.
- Leader: Gary 07968585224
✅ What to Bring
- Comfortable walking shoes.
- Weather-appropriate clothing.
- Water/snacks if you like.
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