Rebels, Radicals and Rough Justice: A Guide to Clerkenwell’s Historical Sites

Following the footsteps of Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants Revolt of 1381, and William Wallace, a Scottish patriot and find out how both men met violent deaths.

On this walking tour from Farringdon to Smithfield, I’ll share some of London’s darker stories with you including how Prior Houghton of Charterhouse, a prominent Roman Catholic church leader, and ten monks were hanged, drawn, and quartered for not publicly accepting Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England. I’ll also show you where Vladimir Lenin worked while living in Farringdon before he overthrew the Russian Tsar. Along the way, I'll point out numerous buildings, and I'll share the stories that they have to tell.

Along this 60-minute walk, I’ll point out often overlooked sites like:

• The Old Sessions House where thousands of people were condemned to be deported to America and Australia in the 17 and 1800s
• The Clerk’s Well where water was provided to local people by the Parish Clerks, who also performed the historic ‘Mystery Plays’ in the Middle Ages
• St John’s Gate, which was built in 1502 and used as the entrance to the ancient Monastery of the Knights of St John
• The Charterhouse, which was converted into the famous Public School and Alms Houses where 40 ‘brothers’ live today
• Smithfield Meat Market where animals used to be slaughtered and many people executed, including Protestant Martyrs and William Wallace, the Scottish patriot
• The Old Bailey, built on the site of Newgate Prison, outside which public hangings took place until 1867

By the end of the tour, you’ll have seen many extraordinary and beautiful buildings and know the fantastic stories behind them, often relating to London's violent history.