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Welcome to the magnificent City of London Walk! Starting at ‘Monument‘ Tube Station, get ready to immerse yourself in a blend of modern skyscrapers, historic monuments, and iconic landmarks. As you embark on this journey, you’ll witness the awe-inspiring skyline adorned with towering structures like The Shard, Gherkin, and Walkie Talkie. Explore the rich history of the city as you encounter iconic landmarks such as the Great Fire of London Monument, the Tower of London, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its storied past and impressive architecture, and you’ll be captivated by the grandeur of Tower Bridge as it gracefully spans the River Thames, offering breathtaking views of the city.

Marvel at the bustling activity on the river, with boats cruising by and the vibrant atmosphere of the riverfront. Join us as we uncover the wonders of the City of London Circular Walk, where tradition meets innovation and history intertwines with modernity.

Getting There: Directions, GPX and App Link

The Hiking App I use is ‘OutdoorActive‘ which has a free and Pro version, the Pro version will allow you to download the routes to your phone and use them without using up your data. The reason I mention it is that if you were to download it, below is the link to this route in my hike list on that app, you can follow the arrows and voice on that. I think it is best that you do get the app, as most of these walks are a bit tricky to explain.

Navigation Aids:

Trek Profile

  • Distance: 4m / 6km
  • Duration: 3-4 hours (loads of stops, and you’ll need a nice cold drink I expect in one of the famous pubs)

Trek Description & Pics

You’ll start off at the Monument for the Great Fire of London.

As you step out of Monument Tube Station onto Fish Street Hill, the monument for the great fire of London stands on the junction with Monument Street.

It was built between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London and to celebrate the rebuilding of the City.

Sir Christopher Wren best known for the design of many London churches, including St Paul’s Cathedral, prepared several designs for the Monument.

www.themonument.info

Moving on – walk down ‘Monument Street‘ and turn left onto ‘Pudding Lane‘, known as the location of Thomas Farriner’s bakery, where the Great Fire of London started in 1666, at the end cross over the road and turn left again up ‘Philpot Lane‘.

Stroll along Pudding Lane and gasp at the Walkie Talkie.

20 Fenchurch Street, otherwise known as the ‘Walkie Talkie’ because of it’s distinctive shape, is 525 feet tall, and was completed in 2014, and then the three floor Sky Garden was completed in 2015.

The Sky Garden is London’s highest public garden – a open space with 360-degree views of the city’s iconic skyline. Here, you can experience lush greenery, exquisitely landscaped gardens, observation decks, and an open-air terrace. Access to the Sky Garden is free of charge, but spaces are limited. Visits must be booked in advance, and can be made up to three weeks in advance.

Sky Garden – London’s highest public garden

Moving on – Cross over ‘Fenchurch Street‘ and turn left onto ‘Lime Street‘, and a little up the road the beautiful ‘LLoyds of London‘ building will appear.

A short walk along Lime Street to see the Lloyds of London building…

Lloyds of London is home to a global insurance market bringing together brokers from every insurance and reinsurance sector. From its beginnings in a city coffeehouse in 1686, it evolved and expanded many times, moving to its current site on Lime Street in 1928. Redeveloped in 1958, just 20 years later it had outgrown that space too.

Lloyds had the confidence to embrace Richard Roger’s avant garde design that would make the new building a City landmark, which it certainly is.

Spend a little time here taking in the whole design, we sat on the wall opposite, had a rest and it was in the shade also.

Lloyd’s of London

Moving on – Walk to ‘Leadenhall Street‘ cross over and left onto ‘St Mary Axe‘, next stop the ‘Gherkin‘.

Head along St Mary Axe, next stop the Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe)…

The Gherkin, formally 30 St Mary Axe and previously known as the Swiss Re Building, is a commercial skyscraper in London’s primary financial district, the City of London.

It was completed in December 2003 and opened in April 2004. It is 591 ft tall and stands on the sites of the former Baltic Exchange and Chamber of Shipping, which were extensively damaged in 1992 in the Baltic Exchange bombing by a device placed by the Provisional IRA in St Mary Axe.

The building has become a recognisable landmark all over the World, and it is one of the city’s most widely recognised examples of contemporary architecture.

Moving on – We walked around it to take it all in and then took a right over to ‘St Helen’s Bishopsgate Church‘ and then the ‘Leadenhall Building‘ appears.

You can stop looking up for a moment to take in St Helen’s Bishopsgate Church and the white tree…

The parish church was built by 1140, or possibly earlier, and had been granted to the deans and canons of St Paul’s.

The parish church was dedicated to St Helena, Roman Emperor Constantine’s mother, who had supposedly uncovered the remnants of the cross, or the True Cross, upon which Jesus was crucified.

This is a beautiful bit of history in this part of London, and it is beautifully restored and kept, a real opposite to the luxury and modern architecture that surrounds it.

Moving on – We walked around it to take it all in and then took a right over to ‘St Helen’s Bishopsgate Church‘ and then the ‘Leadenhall Building‘ appears.

Fancy a bit of cheese? Well the ‘Cheese Grater’ or 122 Leadenhall Street is the biggest grater you’ve ever seen!…

122 Leadenhall Street, which is also known as the Leadenhall Building, is a 738 ft skyscraper in central London. It opened in July 2014 and was designed by the Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners; it is known informally as The Cheese Grater because of its distinctive wedge shape.

You can walk right through the middle of it, and on the other side is a great sitting area in the shade and a really good coffee shop, so this was our first proper coffee break. It was nice to sit and just people watch, and then it wasn’t far to our next stop at Leadenhall Market.

Moving on – A short walk ahead is ‘Leadenhall Street’, we crossed over again and then turned left down ‘Whittington Avenue‘, heading towards the entrance to ‘Leadenhall Market‘.

Leadenhall Market next, a 14th century indoor market now a modernised, intriguing and iconic venue!…

Leadenhall Market is a buzzy, beautiful and airy market in the heart of the City of London, that boasts a unique selection of boutiques, shops, restaurants and bars. It is a hidden gem – both outdoors and covered – with rich heritage and stunning architecture dating back to the 14th century.

This is an iconic London landmark, an ideal spot for shopping, drinking and dining safely in the heart of the Square Mile.

We spent some time in here, looking around, and then decided to go to the Swan Tavern as it was quieter and a beautiful pub down one of the alleyways.

Moving on – We walked around the market and then walked down Lime Street Passage, down Lime Street again and back onto Fenchurch Street.

Another pub coming up, no this isn’t a pub crawl! But it could be I suppose…

The building is located on Fenchurch Street near the place where the East India Company had its headquarters. The East India Arms was built in 1829 as part of an entire block of then typical London buildings: the houses at 67 to 70 Fenchurch Street were all four-storey buildings in red brick.

Within the City of London, it is the only place which still has links to the East India Company, and on the outside of the pub is a plaque to the East India Company and its history.

We didn’t stop here, just thought we’d pass by on our way to the Tower of London!!!

Moving on – Took the next right down LLoyds Avenue, heading towards Trinity Square, and next stop the Sundial above Tower Hill Underground Station, to get an awesome view of the Tower of London from this side.

The Tower Hill Sundial, tells the history of London from the beginning…

The Tower Hill tube station Sundial, as well as telling the time, it tells the history of London and London transport. It runs from the Roman city of Londinium in AD 43 through to the building of the Thames Barrier between 1975 and 1982. The illustrations on the dial help to tell the story.

It’s I think the most informative Sundial in London, and to top it off, the view from there looking at the Tower of London is awesome, also you will have the Shard in the background on the other side of the river.

Pic by https://www.aladyinlondon.com/

Moving on – Walk towards the Tower of London and use the subway to cross over to the other side and then use another subway on Jubilee Way and follow the signs for St Katherine’s Dock.

Right, yes, another pub, but you just have to see this place and where it is…

Just downstream from the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, is St Katherines Dock, and hear you can wonder around and visit the cafe’s or just sit and watch as the boats come and go in the dock.

The highlights are the huge yachts that are moored up, and the beautiful ‘The Dickens Inn’ a reconstructed, 18th-century timber-framed warehouse with balcony and indoor dining and large garden, situated at the far end of the docks.

We did stop here and sit inside and have an ice-cold beer, we deserved by this time.

Moving on – Walk left towards the Thames River and pass the hotel on your right heading towards Tower Bridge. We went onto the bridge to get a view up and down the river and the beautiful skyline.

Tower Bridge! What a bridge, and the views are spectacular, the river, the skyline and the Tower of London…

Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge, built between 1886 and 1894. It crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London. The bridge was constructed to give better access to the East End of London, which had expanded its commercial potential in the 19th century. The bridge was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales in 1894.

Just to stand on it is amazing, the busy traffic going over it, the tourists, the river flowing beneath it, and the skyline views, has to be one of the best attractions in London!

Moving on – Walk back towards the Tower of London, down the steps and then underneath the bridge to walk along the Northern Bank, and past the ‘Tower of London‘ from the front.

You’re on the final leg, along the River Thames and the Tower of London!…

The Crown Jewels have been stored and displayed at the Tower of London since 1661, continuing a long tradition of storing precious objects here.

The history of the castle began by the Normans to control the native population of the City of London, it has served as a royal residence, a military stronghold, a menagerie, a royal mint, and a prison.

We stayed on the Northern Bank all the way to ‘London Bridge’, and then it’s a hard right following the road back to ‘Monument Tube Station’.

Other Tube Options – There are other tube stations, including ‘Tower Hill’, ‘Cannon Street’, ‘Mansion House’ and ‘Bank Station’ a little further up.

Congratulations, you’ve completed the City of London Circular Walk! Hopefully, the weather has been on your side, and you’ve had an incredible experience. To make your journey even smoother, I recommend downloading this route from the Outdooractive app. It will provide you with reassurance about timing and ensure you stay on the right track. With so much space and various paths in the area, it’s easy to unintentionally veer off course.

I truly hope you’ve enjoyed this walk, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could share this post using the social media buttons on your left or in the footer below. Your comments are also more than welcome—I love connecting with new people and discussing our shared experiences. Who knows, we might even meet up on one of our future walks. Thank you for joining me on this memorable adventure, and here’s to many more to come!

Fundraising for CALM, they do save lives!

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More information about Campaign Against Living Miserably: Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide. Every week 125 people in the UK take their own lives. And 75% of all UK suicides are male.

CALM exists to change this. Join the campaign to take a stand against suicide.

Please donate an amount you can afford, everything helps.

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