The Ghosts of the secret alleyways of old London town

London’s ghost stories are tucked into ordinary places: a churchyard, a pub doorway, a narrow lane, or stones built into an old wall. This private walking tour links those spots from Liverpool Street to Blackfriars, pairing grisly tales with more than 2,000 years of London history. I especially like the focus on small details and the chance to ask questions without a large group slowing things down.

I also like the range of stories. You’ll hear about a headless Parliamentarian, an invisible attacker, a child ghost, old church feuds, and the woman in black near the Bank of England. The main drawback is the price: at $226.01 per person, this makes the most sense for a private group that values a personal guide rather than a low-cost ghost walk.

Key points to know before you book

• Private guiding from Liverpool Street to Blackfriars: Your own group takes the walk, with no large party to wait for or follow.
• Sixteen stops in about two and a half hours: Expect a brisk route through churches, pubs, alleys, churchyards, and historic streets.
• A strong mix of fact and folklore: Tales range from Henry Ireton and the Thuggee campaign in India to poltergeists and friendly child ghosts.
• Guides named Kevin and Stephen: Both are associated with the experience, and the tour is designed around storytelling and local detail.
• Mostly free outdoor sights: The route costs little in admissions, though the Bank of England and YHA London St Paul’s Hostel stops list admission as not included.
• Best for history fans and repeat London visitors: The route goes beyond the city’s usual headline sights, but it is less suited to anyone seeking a slow indoor tour.

From Liverpool Street to London’s ghostly back streets

The walk begins at the Kindertransport statue outside Liverpool Street Station. That is a practical meeting point, since Liverpool Street is well served by public transport and easy to find in the City of London. Pickup is offered, but the stated meeting point is the station, so confirm the arrangement when booking if you want to be collected elsewhere.

The tour ends beside Blackfriars Underground Station at the Blackfriar pub. That gives you a useful finish, with an easy way to continue sightseeing or return to your hotel. The route itself is on foot, which matters here. London’s older lanes are too narrow and often too busy for a vehicle, and walking lets you notice carved signs, church walls, tucked-away courtyards, and names that hint at the city’s past.

This is a private activity, so the pace can be adjusted to your group. You can ask for more historical context, pause for photographs, or move along if a particular story is not your cup of tea. The stated length is about two hours and 30 minutes, and sixteen stops mean you should expect frequent short pauses rather than long visits inside each building.

Henry Ireton and the first Victorian oddity

At St. Botolph without Bishopsgate, the story concerns Henry Ireton, a Parliamentarian during the English Civil War. According to the tale, his headless ghost still searches for the head he lost centuries ago. You get about ten minutes here, enough to place the story beside the church and hear why this part of London has attracted so many unsettling legends.

The tour then passes a Victorian Turkish bath house. The stop is brief, but it adds an architectural change of mood. Not every location is a full ghost story, and that is useful to understand before booking. The route is as much about unusual buildings and overlooked corners as it is about apparitions.

That balance keeps the walk from becoming a string of identical pub tales. You’ll see how London’s streets preserve layers from different periods, even when the original purpose of a building has changed.

The Lady in Black near the Bank of England

Near the Bank of England, the guide tells the story of the Lady in Black. She is said to approach strangers and ask if they have seen her brother. It is a simple premise, but the setting gives it weight. The Bank sits at the heart of the City, surrounded by commerce, crowds, and grand institutional buildings. A ghost story here feels less like an isolated haunted-house tale and more like a strange interruption in everyday London.

This stop lasts about ten minutes. Admission to the Bank of England is not included, and the route does not promise an interior visit. You should think of it as an outdoor storytelling stop rather than a museum tour.

At St. Peter-upon-Cornhill, the mood shifts to a feud between a vicar and a meddlesome neighbor. The pause is only about five minutes, so expect the guide to focus on the sharpest part of the story. This is a good example of the tour’s appeal: a church that you might pass without a second look becomes the setting for a local dispute with an eerie edge.

Pubs, poltergeists, and an invisible attack

Simpson’s Tavern provides one of the more gruesome stops. Two Victorian men were accidentally killed here, and their ghosts are said to appear to late-night drinkers. You spend about ten minutes at the site, with the pub setting helping connect the story to the social life of old London.

At The George & Vulture, the tale concerns a poltergeist that caused trouble after hours. The visit lasts roughly five minutes. This is not a pub crawl, and there is no indication that food or drinks are included, so treat these establishments as story locations rather than scheduled refreshment breaks.

St. Stephen Walbrook brings one of the tour’s darker legends. Watch for She-Wolf Isabella, whose story involves taking a person’s heart literally. The language is dramatic, and this stop will suit you if you enjoy old tales told with a touch of theatrical menace. If you prefer strictly documented history, you may find some of the folklore less convincing, but the guide can help separate the setting, period, and legend.

The London Stone follows. The stone is presented as a mystical foundation of the city, and the stop lasts around five minutes. Its importance is not in a long visit. It is in the chance to see a small, famous object surrounded by a much larger idea about London’s beginnings.

Mayors, child ghosts, and the Blitz

At St. Michael Paternoster Royal, the guide discusses one of London’s best-known mayors, with a playful comparison to Boris Johnson. The reference keeps the tone light after the darker tales. The stop is brief, so you’ll get a compact story rather than a full lecture on City government.

St. James Garlickhythe offers one of the gentler stories on the route. Jimmy Garlic is said to have died in 1765 and later befriended children visiting the church. His remains were blown apart during the Blitz, yet the friendly ghost is still associated with the church. You spend about ten minutes here, making it one of the longer church stops.

This is a welcome change from stories of murder and revenge. It also brings the Second World War into the walk, showing how London’s haunting traditions are tied not only to medieval or Victorian events but also to more recent destruction.

At Williamson’s Tavern, the old alleyway outside was the scene of an attack on police by an invisible force. The stop lasts about five minutes. The setting matters as much as the incident. An enclosed lane, a pub, and a story about something no one could see are a natural combination for a ghost walk, even if you remain free to judge the tale for yourself.

Bow Bells and the story of a family revenge

St. Mary le Bow is one of the route’s major church stops. Bow Bells are among London’s best-known landmarks, and the church has a long, sometimes grim past. You get about ten minutes here, enough time for the guide to connect the bells and church with the darker episodes that shaped the area.

The route then pauses outside the building now associated with YHA London St Paul’s Hostel. Here you hear about the man who ended the Thuggee movement in India and the terrible revenge inflicted on his family. Admission is not included, and this is listed as an exterior stop, so do not plan on entering the hostel as part of the tour.

This story broadens the walk beyond London’s streets. It links a local location with British imperial history and the personal cost of a campaign carried out far from England. It is one of the stops where the historical subject may interest you as much as the supernatural angle.

Furniture, pub ghosts, and ruined churches

At St. Andrew by the Wardrobe, the guide tells a story about a particularly distraught ghost. The church’s name also provides a small word puzzle involving a piece of household furniture. The answer is not an armchair. You get around five minutes here, and the stop should appeal to anyone who enjoys the odd links between place names and everyday language.

The Cockpit pub is home to a female ghost with money troubles and a husband known for his violent temper. Again, the pub is a backdrop for a compact human story. The short five-minute pause keeps the route moving, but it also means you should not expect a long examination of the building or a sit-down stop.

Ireland Yard has a different feel. What remains of the church here was destroyed by both the Great Fire of London and the Blitz. The old churchyard is now a small public garden, but the guide warns against lingering too long. This stop shows how much of London’s past survives only in fragments. A patch of green and a few old remains can carry the memory of a church that no longer exists.

Ancient graves at Smithfield Market

The tour finishes at Smithfield Market in a creepy passageway where ancient graves are built into the walls. This is a strong final setting because it brings together the walk’s main themes: old stone, death, hidden spaces, and London’s habit of building new life around older remains.

Smithfield is also a useful endpoint for people who want to continue exploring. The walk does not end at a grand attraction with a formal exit. It leaves you in an area shaped by centuries of trade, churches, markets, and public life, with Blackfriar pub and Blackfriars Underground Station nearby.

The route is not designed around long interior admissions. You spend most of your time outside, listening and walking. That keeps the tour focused and avoids the lost time that comes with moving a large group through ticketed buildings, but it also means weather will affect your comfort. Wear shoes suited to city pavement and bring protection from rain or cold.

What the $226.01 price really buys you

At $226.01 per person, this is expensive compared with a standard group ghost walk. The price becomes easier to justify if you are sharing it with family or friends and want a private guide for your own group. Group discounts are available, which may improve the value for a larger party.

You are paying mainly for time, flexibility, and attention. A private guide can explain a church name, answer a question about the Civil War, or spend an extra moment on a story that catches your interest. On a regular group walk, the guide has to keep everyone together and follow a fixed rhythm.

There are also few admission costs built into the route. Most stops are free outdoor locations, and the Bank of England and YHA London St Paul’s Hostel list admission as not included. That means the cost is not buying a series of museum entries. It is buying a guided interpretation of places you could technically visit on your own.

Guides including Kevin and Stephen bring different personalities to the experience. Kevin is described as particularly strong on the subject matter, while Stephen’s tour style includes plenty of facts, unusual buildings, and gruesome stories. If guide choice matters to you, ask Ye Olde England Tours which guide is available before confirming.

Who will enjoy this walk most

I’d choose this for someone who has already seen the Tower of London, St. Paul’s, or the standard City highlights and wants a more unusual route. It also suits history fans who enjoy the point where documented events and local folklore meet.

The private format works well for families, couples, or a small group of friends. Children who like ghost stories may enjoy the tale of Jimmy Garlic, though some of the material involves murder, violent revenge, and grisly deaths. Use your judgment for younger children.

This is less suitable if you want a seated experience, a long visit inside historic churches, or a tour with a low fixed price. It is also not ideal for anyone who dislikes walking between short stops. Most travelers can participate, service animals are allowed, and the route is near public transport, but the supplied details do not give a specific distance or step-free route. Ask about access needs before booking.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the experience are not accepted for a refund. Confirmation is issued within 48 hours, subject to availability.

Should you book the secret alleyways tour?

Book it if you want London presented through odd corners, old churches, pub legends, and stories that are easy to miss on your own. The private format and guides such as Kevin and Stephen are the main reasons to choose it over a cheaper group walk.

Skip it if the $226.01 price feels too high for an outdoor storytelling tour, or if you prefer documented history without much folklore. For a small group that values questions, a flexible pace, and a route from Liverpool Street through the City to Blackfriars, it offers a distinctive way to see old London.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts at the Kindertransport statue at Liverpool Street Station, at 14 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 7NH.

Where does the tour end?

It ends at The Blackfriar pub at 174 Queen Victoria Street, next to Blackfriars Underground Station.

How long does the walking tour last?

The tour lasts approximately two hours and 30 minutes.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates, and the experience includes a private guide.

Are entrance fees included?

Most listed stops are free outdoor locations. Admission is not included for the Bank of England and YHA London St Paul’s Hostel stops. The tour does not include London Underground tickets to or from your hotel.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.