A City Walk (London Walks Book 5)

2. London's Blue Plaques, English Heritage

If you have the time, it's just a further 15 minute walk to Camden where there's an array of eclectic street food to enjoy at Camden Market. The route is divided into five sections of varying lengths. Why not try all or part of the City Loop which starts and ends outside No. Covering 78 miles, this walk offers a wonderful opportunity to see a variety of open spaces across London. The walk is divided into 15 sections of varying difficulty and lengths.

If you haven't brought a snack with you, there are many cafe's and pubs along the way to keep you going.

LONDON WALKS PRACTICALS

Friar's Lane, Richmond Nearest Tube: Continue past St Paul's to Fleet St; a plaque in Salisbury Court marks the place of his birth in ; further along, St Dunstan's in the West is where, in , the libidinous diarist tried to grope a 'pretty, modest maid' during a sermon. The Unequalled Self' by Claire Tomalin. For more information on this brilliant walk, email the Regent Street Association regentstreetonline. The walk goes through four of the eight Royal Parks where one can view three palaces and the home of the Spencer family, Spencer House.

Head to St James's Park and walk the section there. The path loops gracefully around the lake with impressive views of the gardens and its local inhabitants, the pelicans! Dowload the full route here. An Anglican Parish Church, it has been described as 'the pride of English architecture'. Although not a walk, this is by large, a refreshing destination and city sanctuary.

Every Tuesday at 1pm, free music recitals organised by the Walbrook Music Trust are held within the church. It gives aspiring musicians an opportunity to perform in front of an audience. There are dozens of ceramic plaques from the s up to Follow this link for the full route.

The remains of the Roman walls are marked on this route around the City. Follow this link to read more. There are constant reminders of Dickens, the law and the Bloomsbury Group, handsome houses with elegant wrought iron detailing and pretty fanlights, and brilliant places to stop and eat. Directions are good but the explanations are fairly scanty, so do your own research first or buy a Jubilee Walkway book. Download the walk from TFL's website. This seven-mile walk through four royal parks was set up in her memory in www.

Extending from the Thames Barrier to the river's source in the Cotswolds, The Thames Path would take some time to conquer in its entireity, but there are plenty of manageable sections. You can download the route on an app , courtesy of Southwark Council. The Unequalled Self by Claire Tomalin. The Lee or Lea Valley got a facelift before the London Olympics and this walk looks at its inspiring makeover.

It starts at Waltham Abbey Gardens — don't miss the abbey, which is Saxon and Norman with a stunning nave and Lady Chapel and the grave of King Harold of arrow fame in the grounds — and Cornmill Meadows, a great favourite with birders. Mills, meadows and marshes are the order of the day and if you walk in the early morning or late evening, the wildlife spotting is excellent. The route loops back to Waltham Abbey via the Royal Gunpowder Mills — the Lee was used for ammunition manufacture for centuries — which operated in the 18th and 19th centuries, had their own canal system and can be visited from March to September.

Download the route from the TFL website. Follow this link to find out more. Also, the Edwardian rebuild of Regent Street added fabulous bronze window frames.

So often in London we are blinded to history and architecture by the shop fronts. This book is a fantastic way to find out more about the people celebrated by over plaques all over the city and bring home the fact that you are walking down the same streets that they once did. Next time you're planning a pub crawl, keep this book in mind and enlighten your drinking buddies with a little local knowledge as you follow the routes to some of London's best pubs. A favourite with connoisseurs of real ale, you may find yourself in that pub you've walked past times and always meant to try and discover your new favourite watering hole.

If you love history and enjoy walking tour books, but find that they never have quite enough background and detail, then London Stories may very well be the book for you. The information is much more in depth than other books in our list, set out in a series of mini essays rather than points along a map. The lack of maps might be a hindrance to some, but the author gives suggestions of where to situate and engross yourself in each section. It's time to pick up the pace. Luckily the facts in this book are short and to the point because you'll be flying past them with this tour especially made for people looking for a good run through the city.

Great for people trying to change from the same old running route, with much needed detail about encountering traffic, the terrain, and where to make a loo stop.

This photo-rich tour book gives walkers a great taste of London with fascinating tidbits, and even suggests the best time in the week to do each route. This means you won't miss out by choosing a walk that incorporates a fabulous market which — whoops, isn't on the day you picked to visit. The author's voice really comes through as Nicola Perry makes doubly sure you don't miss out on her top picks, even if they stray a little from the direct route.

Unlike these books which are one long walk broken up into sections that can be done a piece at a time, Hidden Rivers is intended to be walked from the source of each river in most cases ending up at the Thames — although they can be done in reverse.

The illustrations on each double page spread are magnificent, and the book is a handy size for carrying with you as you go. If you've walked the Thames Path before, you'll see it with fresh eyes with this book which covers the 50 mile walk from Hampton Court to Crayford Ness. Don't worry, you don't need to do all 50 miles in one go though props to anyone who tries. Of course, by walking the Thames you're usually on one bank or the other, but you need not fear that you're missing out on something important as the book generously describes both sides, so read ahead to see which bridges you should cross over.

If you've only got time for a quick jaunt around London, then the City Walks Deck of 50 cards could be right up your alley. These shorter walks are captured on individual cards with a map on one side and the self-guided tour on the back. Not quite small enough to fit in your pocket, but certainly a lighter version to carrying a book around with you. Many of the walks are based on places to eat and drink, so its a natural pick for foodies.