Oscar Wilde’s London: A Walking Tour of the Famous Writer’s Former Haunts

(6 reviews)

London audio tour: Oscar Wilde’s London: A Walking Tour of the Famous Writer’s Former Haunts

This is a 1.6mi walking tour

It takes an average of 45 mins to complete.

London

The United Kingdom

$9.99

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About the Tour

Oscar Wilde moved to London in the late 1800s where, before long, he would become the city’s most popular playwright. On this walking tour, I’ll show you the places the Irish-born writer and poet frequented, and share details about his life here and the work he created. You’ll also hear about some of the people he knew, and two other earlier trendsetters, Lord Byron and Beau Brummel.

The tour starts in front of Devonshire House. From there, I’ll point out the theatres, shops and hotels Oscar Wilde frequented, many of which remain in the aristocratic areas of Mayfair and St James. Outside Brown’s Hotel, I’ll tell you the story of Wilde’s conviction and imprisonment for homosexuality, which was illegal during his lifetime. I’ll also show you the former site of St James’s Theatre, where two of Wilde’s plays had their premieres. You’ll stroll down Pall Mall, where I’ll point out several prominent members-only establishments, including the Royal Automobile Club, the Reform Club and the Athenaeum Club. Outside the Theatre Royal Haymarket where our tour ends, you’ll hear how a palm reader rightfully predicted Wilde’s ruin at the age of 40.

Along the way, Blue Badge guide Brian Cookson will point out sites like:

Berkeley Square, where some of the characters in Wild’s novel, Dorian Gray, lived
The Royal Arcade, where Oscar Wilde’s poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol was published after his release from prison following his conviction as a sodomite
Albany Chambers, the home of Dame Edith Evans, who inspired Lady Bracknell in the classic 1952 film The Importance of being Earnest
Hatchards Bookshop, whose owner was friends with both Wilde and his wife, Constance
Lock & Co Hatters, where Wilde bought his hats, including his favourite Fedora
The Royal Academy of Arts where Wilde and James Abbott McNeill Whistler (the American painter) gave lectures which led to the end of their friendship

By the end of this 45-minute tour, you’ll have walked down the same streets and through the same squares as Oscar Wilde. You’ll also have a deeper appreciation for the writer’s life in London.

Tour Producer

Brian Cookson

20 tours

After qualifying as a Russian Interpreter during National Service, I obtained a BA in Russian and German at Oxford University. I spent most of my working life as a computer consultant, mainly working for IBM.

When I retired, I qualified as a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide. I lead guided walking tours all over London and have written two books - 'London Waterside Walks' and 'Crossing the River', published by Random House. I have also given several presentations to members of the London Guild of Registered Guides for their continual development programme.

As can be seen by my two books, I am especially interested in London areas near the River Thames and the amazing collection of bridges from Tower Bridge to Richmond.

I have also been a volunteer guide at the Wallace Collection for 25 years and I also do guided tours of all of London's major museums and art galleries, including the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert.

Preview Location

Location 14

The Albany

Turn left here when you reach the alleyway named Albany Court Yard, walk a few steps into this private alley and stop near the entrance to see the impressive Georgian-style building at the end.

Many wrongly call this "The Albany". Albany Chambers is the proper way to call ... Turn left here when you reach the alleyway named Albany Court Yard, walk a few steps into this private alley and stop near the entrance to see the impressive Georgian-style building at the end.

Many wrongly call this "The Albany". Albany Chambers is the proper way to call this snobbish address. Many famous literary figures have spent time here, including Byron, JB Priestley, Arnold Bennett, and Graham Greene. There's a story that Bulwer Lytton, the popular but ephemeral Victorian novelist, had chambers and wrote to his wife that he was alone in solitude. His wife turned up unexpectedly and found Solitude dressed in white muslin and sitting on his knee!

Ernest Worthing from The Importance of Being Ernest has chambers here. Jack pretends to have a wicked brother Ernest so he can escape to London from the country to get him out of scrapes. When he proposes to Gwendoline and finds she'll only marry him if his name is Ernest. He decides he must "kill off" his brother. His pretty ward Cecily is fascinated by the wicked brother, and when Jack’s friend, Algy, hears of this subterfuge he arrives at Jack's estate and Cecily falls for him as she thinks he's Ernest! Jack comes and announces Ernest has died of chill in Paris, only to find Algy pretending to be Ernest is fully alive. This leads to no end of complications! Interestingly, Wilde himself finally dies 5 years later in a Paris hotel. Wilde’s connection between art and life is very close. He once told André Gide he seemed to have put his genius into his life and only his talent into his writings!

Dame Edith Evans lived here during the Second World War. She was the formidable Lady Bracknell in the classic 1952 film The Importance of Being Ernest. Probably her most famous lines were when she was interviewing Jack Worthing to see if he was a suitable match for her daughter, Gwendolen. When told that he had lost both his parents, she remarked “To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”

Then he had to admit that he did not know who his parents were as he had been found in the left luggage cloakroom at Victoria Station in a Handbag. “In a Handbag” shouted Lady Bracknell in shock. Many other actors have performed this scene, but none in my opinion came anywhere near matching Edith Evans’s tones.

Let's get going again. Retrace your steps out of the alley and cross directly over to the other side of Piccadilly to where you will see Hatchards Bookshop. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Devonshire House
Berkeley Square
Maison Estelle
Brown's Hotel
Royal Arcade
Burlington Arcade
Royal Academy of Arts
Albany
Hatchards
Piccadilly Arcade
Beau Brummell Statue
Smithson Plaza
James J. Fox
St James's Palace
Pickering Place
Lock & Co. Hatters
St James's Square
Pall Mall
The Reform Club
Theatre Royal Haymarket

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Devonshire House, London W1J 8AJ, UK
Total distance

3km
Final location
Haymarket, London SW1Y 4HT, UK
Distance back to start location

797.98m

Directions to Starting Point

The walk starts near Green Park Underground Station which is on the Victoria, Jubilee and Piccadilly Lines. Take the Stratton Street exit from the station, then walk up Stratton Street away from Green Park. Turn right at Mayfair Place and the walk will start under the columned entrance to the block on your right.

Show Directions

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Food and drink are available at the Ritz Hotel, Brown’s Hotel, Fortnum and Mason’s and the Royal Academy as well as numerous bars and cafes along Piccadilly. You could also visit Brown’s Hotel to see Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, the Royal Academy, and Hatchard’s Bookshop, but check opening times.

Best time of day

This walk is enjoyable any time of day, including evenings. However, if you want to go inside any of the attractions, you should check their opening times.

Precautions

Be careful about pickpockets anywhere in London. Use pedestrian crossings where possible.

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