The Planners Dream Goes Wrong: A Walking Tour Around Seven Dials

On the outside, London’s Seven Dials neighbourhood looks like many others, with its variety of houses, shops and businesses. But when it was developed in the 1690s by the talented young entrepreneur, Thomas Neale, he devised a clever way to maximise the number of buildings that could be built here and save himself from financial ruin at the same time. On this walking tour through the area, I’ll share his clever plan with you and show you how it led to Seven Dials’ unique street layout. You’ll also find out how the neighbourhood – once a breeding ground for petty crimes and prostitution – has escaped modern-day developers, leaving Neale’s original streets and a few alleys and courts for you to explore.

Starting near St Martin’s Lane, I’ll guide you to the Agatha Christie Memorial, where you’ll hear about her connection to the area. As you make your way to the Historic Seven Dials obelisk, you’ll hear a few of the stories that inspired her eighth novel, The Seven Dials Mystery. Along the way, I’ll point out some interesting places, including:

• The Garrick Club, one of the world’s oldest members’ clubs, which counts the likes of Henry Irving, Stephen Fry, Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells, A.A. Milne, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti among its members
• Neal Street, arguably the birthplace of the Punk Rock movement
• The Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden, a pub that was once synonymous with bare-knuckle boxing and was frequented by Charles Dickens
• Flaxdresser & Ropemaker, a ship chandlers where, before it closed during Covid, one could find an Aladdin’s cave of all things nautical
• The building that was, apparently, once Queen Anne’s bathhouse

On this tour, you'll also have a chance to:

• See the centre for Georgian carriage-building
• Become acquainted with Seven Dials’ first residents, as well as local characters from the Georgian period
• Hear about E.J. Dent, the man who built the clock for Big Ben
• Learn about the Battle of Bow Street
• Pass by what was once St Giles workhouse and the hospital that replaced it
• Find out about Caravan Club, the scandalous and LGBTQ-friendly 1930s nightclub financed by a small-time local criminal named Billy Reynolds
• Discover Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies, an annual directory of prostitutes

Whether it’s your first time in London or you’re a curious local, you’ll gain a valuable introduction to the city’s rich history on this tour. Give yourself 90 minutes to get the most out of the experience. There are plenty of opportunities to stop for refreshments along the route.