Guided Walking Tours with Paul Talling, Author of London's Lost Rivers
'Paul Talling is a connoisseur of these lost waterways' - BBC The One Show
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(Black and white pics on this page are courtesy of Tim Slessor)
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London's Lost Rivers, Derelict London and London's Lost Music Venues Guided Walks by Paul Talling :
River Fleet, River Westbourne, River Tyburn, Limehouse, Minories to Poplar, Dartford, Silvertown, Shadwell/Stepney, London Docks (Wapping), Royal Woolwich Dockyard & Royal Arsenal Canal, Isle of Dogs, the Grand Surrey Canal, River Peck, Croydon Canal, River Neckinger, Hammersmith, Bow Creek, Whitechapel/Bethnal Green, East Finchley (inc The Bishops Avenue) & The Lost Rivers of Hampstead Here are some walking tours with Paul Talling - These walks cover the routes of London's lost and hidden rivers/canals/docks and also takes in other points of interest, social history, trivia & the odd bit of dereliction along the way. The walks are at an extremely relaxed pace and last much longer than walks by other guides. The time estimate of walks is very rough as I'm in no hurry and these usually result in a social in the pub afterwards. Any queries can be sent to the contact form below. Please note that these walks are wholly above ground and there will be no subterranean trips down to the sewers!
Walks are limited to 20 people to keep it more personal and are ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE ONLY. You cannot pay on the day. Tickets are on sale at We Got Tickets who are a reputable ticket agency. Click on the link below for a direct link to all the events on sale for London's Lost Rivers. These walking tours go ahead regardless of the weather - rain or shine, heatwave or arctic conditions! I have public liability insurance. Well-behaved dogs and children are welcome on all tours. 
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Pic courtesy of David Jenner
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Please complete the form at the bottom on this page to be notified of new walks as soon as dates are announced. Please also contact me if you would like me to organise a private group tour for you and your friends, family and colleagues.
New date for the River Fleet walking tour: Sunday 9 May 2021
A 3 1/2 hour walk up the valley of the lost river from Blackfriars to St Pancras talking about sewers, wells, spas, knackers yards, listening to drains and looking at the derelict parts of Smithfield and Kings Cross regeneration along the way.
Tickets must be booked in advance from WeGotTickets (if agency states 'no tickets available' then that date has already sold out of tickets)
Tickets for these walks usually sell out months in advance. Click on individual walk for more info and pictures.
New date for the River Fleet walking tour: Sunday 9 May 2021
A 3 1/2 hour walk up the valley of the lost river from Blackfriars to St Pancras talking about sewers, wells, spas, knackers yards, listening to drains and looking at the derelict parts of Smithfield and Kings Cross regeneration along the way.
Tickets must be booked in advance from WeGotTickets (if agency states 'no tickets available' then that date has already sold out of tickets)
Tickets for these walks usually sell out months in advance. Click on individual walk for more info and pictures.
I went along on a walk with Paul Talling's which traced the course of the lost River Fleet. He was most informative and knowledgeable about his subject in a humorous and relaxed way and I very much enjoyed the day.
C Jarvis
"Thanks so much for taking our members on your River Fleet walk on Wednesday. I’ve heard back from several persons who let me know how much they enjoyed the walk and how much they learned. You apparently have a good, strong voice which was projected well to our members"
Society of Genealogists
C Jarvis
"Thanks so much for taking our members on your River Fleet walk on Wednesday. I’ve heard back from several persons who let me know how much they enjoyed the walk and how much they learned. You apparently have a good, strong voice which was projected well to our members"
Society of Genealogists
Here is a review on the Bradstock Boys Blog:
"Friday night saw us walking the streets of London with Paul Talling. I'm not quite sure how I first came across him, but I'm glad I did. He is the author of the books - London's Lost Rivers and Derelict London. I have a fascination with old London and changing London, but am a complete junior school boy compared to Paul who has taken his passion beyond a hobby and now writes (Derelict has sold 25,000+ copies) as well as running some very well-informed walks and talks during the summer months. We persuaded him to walk us up the old river Fleet, which essentially, is hidden in a sewer underneath Farringdon Road. Even in the freezing cold, the walk was fascinating...from the opening undiscovered (by us, at least) view of the Thames by night just near the remarkable Black Friar tavern (built on the site of a Dominican monastery), past Henry VIII's Bridewell Palace, through Smithfield meat market and on up to Clerk en Well, where we lay down in the middle of the road to peer a down a drain where we could hear and see the fast flowing river all the way to Kings Cross where he bade us farewell. Over three hours he didn't stop regaling us with the history and stories of the Fleet...mostly they seemed to involve nasty smells and carcasses floating down the river. The Boys particularly liked the (surely soon-to-be-revived) tradition of putting women in barrels and rolling them down the hills, the girls seemed to enjoy the more genteel history of the Venetian-like canal that Wren wanted to turn it into. If you get the chance go to Paul's website and join one of his tours next summer...as we will.
The only downside is that I forgot to ask him to autograph the two books we had carried with us all evening"
"Friday night saw us walking the streets of London with Paul Talling. I'm not quite sure how I first came across him, but I'm glad I did. He is the author of the books - London's Lost Rivers and Derelict London. I have a fascination with old London and changing London, but am a complete junior school boy compared to Paul who has taken his passion beyond a hobby and now writes (Derelict has sold 25,000+ copies) as well as running some very well-informed walks and talks during the summer months. We persuaded him to walk us up the old river Fleet, which essentially, is hidden in a sewer underneath Farringdon Road. Even in the freezing cold, the walk was fascinating...from the opening undiscovered (by us, at least) view of the Thames by night just near the remarkable Black Friar tavern (built on the site of a Dominican monastery), past Henry VIII's Bridewell Palace, through Smithfield meat market and on up to Clerk en Well, where we lay down in the middle of the road to peer a down a drain where we could hear and see the fast flowing river all the way to Kings Cross where he bade us farewell. Over three hours he didn't stop regaling us with the history and stories of the Fleet...mostly they seemed to involve nasty smells and carcasses floating down the river. The Boys particularly liked the (surely soon-to-be-revived) tradition of putting women in barrels and rolling them down the hills, the girls seemed to enjoy the more genteel history of the Venetian-like canal that Wren wanted to turn it into. If you get the chance go to Paul's website and join one of his tours next summer...as we will.
The only downside is that I forgot to ask him to autograph the two books we had carried with us all evening"
Click on the link below for a direct link to all the events on sale for Paul Talling's London's Lost Rivers, Derelict London & London's Lost Music Venues
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