A great walk should do more than take you somewhere. It should make you look at London differently.
My walks combine original historical research with stories about the people, buildings and events that have shaped the capital. Some are about hotels, some about the wider story of London: its society, architecture, transport, culture and changing ideas of luxury.
London Walks
I currently lead six walks for London Walks, ranging from the hidden stories of London’s luxury hotels to Agatha Christie, Belgravia and the making of modern London.
Walks run on selected dates and are also available as private tours. See the London Walks pages for current dates and booking information.
The Secrets of London’s Luxury Hotels
Step past the top-hatted doormen of London’s grand hotels and discover the people, scandals and extraordinary events that unfolded behind their gilded doors. This walk has it all, from royals and writers to rascals and rogues.
The Secrets of London’s Luxury Hotels →
Untold Stories of London’s Luxury Hotels
A companion to The Secrets of London’s Luxury Hotels, exploring another group of famous Mayfair and St James’s hotels – and the characters and stories that made them legendary. Different hotels, different stories and plenty of secrets.
The two luxury-hotel walks are complementary but stand alone, so you can enjoy either one or both.
Untold Stories of London’s Luxury Hotels →
Murder, Music & Mystery in Belgravia
Behind Belgravia’s white stucco and elegant garden squares lies a neighbourhood with a surprisingly colourful past. Follow the stories of musicians, aristocrats, adventurers, criminals and famous names, discovering the less genteel side of one of London’s most celebrated addresses.
Murder, Music & Mystery in Belgravia →
Agatha Christie: the Queen of Crime
Follow the clues through the life of Agatha Christie – not simply the locations associated with her books, but the woman behind them.
Her childhood, wartime work, travels, relationships and extraordinary literary career reveal a more complicated story than the familiar image of the Queen of Crime. The walk also explores the real-life stories behind Poirot, Miss Marple and The Mousetrap.
Agatha Christie: The Queen of Crime →
Full Steam Ahead – Railways, Reading Rooms & Remains
London was transformed by the railway age – but what did it replace and what did it create? From canals and Victorian engineering to lost communities, railway ambition and the transformation of King’s Cross and St Pancras, this walk explores the forces that helped create modern London.
Full Steam Ahead – Railways, Reading Rooms & Remains →
Tinsel, Traditions & Tales of Christmas
A seasonal journey through the West End exploring the Victorian origins of many of the Christmas traditions we take for granted today – from Christmas trees and cards to crackers, Boxing Day and Dickens.
Tinsel, Traditions & Tales of Christmas →
Hotel experiences
My work as a hotel historian also takes me inside the hotels themselves. These are more than conventional walking tours. They draw on my original research into individual hotels and allow participants to experience their history in the places where it happened.
Inside Brown’s Hotel: An exclusive tour of London’s oldest luxury hotel
Discover the story behind one of London’s most famous hotels – from its beginnings in 1832 to the remarkable characters who have passed through its doors – while gaining access to parts of the hotel not normally included in a public walking tour.
October & November 2026 – limited places.
Book the Inside Brown’s Hotel tour on Eventbrite →
The Milestone Heritage Tour and Afternoon Tea
As official historian of The Milestone, I lead a one-hour introduction to the history of the hotel and its Kensington surroundings as part of the hotel’s Heritage Afternoon Tea experience.
Guests receive a private guided tour and receive a signed, commemorative copy of The hotel’s official history booklet before sitting down to enjoy a luxurious spread in the original owner’s oak-lined study.
Discover The Milestone Heritage Afternoon Tea →
Private walks and bespoke experiences
The walks above can also provide inspiration for private groups, hotel guests, organisations and corporate clients.
I can create or lead experiences around a particular hotel, neighbourhood, historical theme or group interest – combining research, storytelling and guiding to create something distinctive rather than a standard sightseeing tour.
More hotel history
The walks are part of a wider body of research into London’s historic hotels.
Explore the hotel histories → for deeper stories about individual properties or browse my Articles → for stories about London’s hotels, hospitality, travel and the people who inhabited that world.
