Tower Hill and the City of London: self-guided walking tour
This family-friendly self-guided walk will take you and your little ones on an exciting journey through Tower Hill and the eastern part of the City of London. Get ready to explore some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks, including the Tower of London, St Katharine Docks, the Gherkin, Leadenhall Market, and the Monument. This carefully crafted route offers a perfect blend of history, modern architecture, and a few fun facts, designed to keep both parents and children engaged as you discover the stories and sights of this fascinating area. So put on your walking shoes, pack some snacks, and let’s embark on a memorable London adventure!
Walk summary
Starting point: Aldgate Station
End point: Tower Hill Station
Duration: The walk is around 4km and the walk itself should take around an hour, not including time at the Garden at 120. On top of this you should allow time to see the various sights en route. If you decide to undertake any of the side quests (i.e. something optional that you could choose to see that is on or nearby the walking route), allow additional time.
London sights you will see along the way: Gherkin, Lloyd’s Building, Leadenhall Market, Walkie Talkie, Monument, Tower of London, and St Katharine Docks.
Side quests: Sky Garden, climbing the Monument, and St Dunstan in the East.
The route
Part 1 – Aldgate Station to the Gherkin
Your starting point is Aldgate Station, with the station exit behind you, turn right.
Walk straight on and after passing a church on your right you will see a small square. Look out for temporary public art installations here and, in summer, look out for Disney-style jumping water fountains. Walk diagonally across this square and onto Duke’s Place.
Walk up Duke’s Place, which turns into Bevis Marks. Look out for unusual-shaped buildings such as the curved building referred to by some as the Can of Ham building.
Turn left onto Bury Street and walk down the street. Bury Street opens out into an open space around the bottom of the Gherkin.
The Gherkin opened in 2004 and stands on the site of the former Baltic Exchange. The Baltic Exchange was a market for shipping, insurance and information on maritime transport. It was housed in an historic building. In 1992 a Provisional IRA bomb destroyed the facade and severely damaged the rest of the building. Eventually the remains of the building and a nearby one were demolished. The Gherkin was constructed in their place.
Visitors to London now see a wide variety of unusual-shaped buildings and tall office blocks. But, at the time it was built, the Gherkin was unique. Its shape attracted critics and fans and it stood out above the city’s skyline of much lower square-shaped buildings. Now it is dwarfed by other, taller buildings and its impact on the city’s skyline is somewhat diminished.
During the construction of the Gherkin, the remains of a teenager from Roman times were found at the site. It was estimated that she lived and died between 350 and 400AD. While construction took place, her remains were removed, but in 2007 she was reburied on site following a ceremony. The spot where she was reburied is marked on the South side of the square by a stone on the floor and an inscription on a nearby bench in England and Latin.
Part 2 – The Gherkin to the Garden at 120
Head around the Gherkin to the opposite corner of the square to where you came in (you will be on St Mary Axe), turn left and head towards the intersection with Leadenhall Street. Before you get to Leadenhall Street you will see another building with a nickname based on its shape on your right ‘the Cheesegrater’. Straight ahead of you across the road you will see an unusually shaped metal building. This is the Lloyd’s Building.
This iconic building is a very modern structure for a very old institution. Lloyd’s of London is an insurance institution that originates from a coffee house in the 17th century where ship owners would meet to insure their ships and cargo.
Designed by Richard Rogers, the building that currently houses Lloyd’s of London was completed in 1986. Its unique design places the elements usually contained within the shell of the building – ducts, lifts, stairs etc – on the outside. See if you can spot a lift travelling up and down. Although initially criticised, the building has become iconic within London and received Grade I listed status in 2011 (the youngest building ever to do so).
Cross the road and head down Lime Street (the Lloyd’s Building should be on your right). Walk down Lime Street and turn left onto Fenchurch Avenue. Walk down Fenchurch Avenue until you see Hogarth Court on your right. Enter Hogarth Court and you should find the ground floor entrance to the Garden at 120.
The Garden at 120 is a free viewing platform, a rooftop garden that is open to the public. It affords 360 degree views of the city of London and a number of London landmarks, including the Shard, the Walkie Talkie, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the Gherkin. It’s also a good place to eat a packed lunch or just have a little break and rest your feet whilst enjoying great views. For more information, see our post on everything you need to know about visiting the Garden at 120.
Part 3 – The Garden at 120 to Leadenhall Market
From the Garden at 120, head back out onto Fenchurch Avenue and turn left. Head straight on, back towards the Lloyd’s building. Turn left onto Lime Street and then right onto Leadenhall Place. At the end of Leadenhall Place you will find Leadenhall Market.
The first market recorded on the site of Leadenhall Market was in 1321. In the early 15th century, former Lord Mayor Richard Whittington (aka Dick Whittington of pantomime fame) acquired the site and gifted it to the city. It became one of the best places in London to buy goods like meat, fish and eggs.
In the late 19th century Victorian period, the market was given its current look with roof and arches, protecting the market from the weather.
Today it no longer functions as a market but does house number of restaurants and shops. Leadenhall Market frequently appears in films. Harry Potter fans will have seen it in the first film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It forms the backdrop for a conversation between Harry and Hagrid when Harry is examining his list of school supplies and when Hagrid leads him to Diagon Alley. If you want to find the entrance to Diagon Alley, then when you get to the centre point of the market, turn left, walk straight on (Lime Street Passage) and take the first right. The small curved door on the corner about halfway down is the right spot!
Part 4 – Leadenhall Market to the Monument
Exit Leadenhall Market via Lime Street Passage onto Lime Street. Turn right, follow the curve of the road round and then when you reach the intersection with Fenchurch Street, cross the road. You can’t miss the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building on your right. The building’s unique shape is top-heavy, meaning there is more space on the upper floors than the lower ones. This design was to capitalise upon the fact that higher floors with views could be leased out for more money. When it was first built, an issue with the building’s shape meant that it reflected the sun in such a way that it concentrated the glare onto the street below and actually caused damage to cars.
SIDE QUEST: At the top of the Walkie Talkie is a popular viewing platform called the Sky Garden. It is possible to visit without tickets, but the queue for doing so is often long. Tickets can be pre-booked for free.
Head down Philpot Street. When you reach Eastcheap, cross over to the other side and turn right. Walk down the road until you see Pudding Lane on your left. Walk down Pudding Lane until you see a square open on your right, where you will see a tall stone column, the Monument to the Great Fire of London.
The Monument was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London. The Great Fire of London started on 2 September 1666, in a bakery on Pudding Lane (the road you just walked down). The fire spread quickly through the city and destroyed much of medieval London.
Completed 11 years after the fire, the Monument is a reminder and memorial of the Great Fire of London.
SIDE QUEST You can climb the Monument if you wish (paid, £6 for adults, £3 for children aged 5-15). Open daily from 09:30am – 1pm and 2pm-6pm. Last entry is at 12.30pm and 5.30pm.
Part 5 – The Monument to the Tower of London
With the Monument entrance behind you, walk straight down Monument Street crossing Pudding Lane – look out for a plaque that notes that it was the location where the Great Fire of London started. At the end of Monument Street you’ll reach a busy road, which is Lower Thames Street. Turn left onto Lower Thames Street. Head straight along Lower Thames Street.
SIDE QUEST From here you are just minutes away from St Dunstan in the East, a public garden set within the ruins of a church that was bombed in the Second World War. It’s an ideal place to rest your feet for a short while if you need a break and is worth seeing as it shows some of the damage that was wrought on London during World War II. Just head up St Dunstan’s Hill and there are entrances on both sides of the old church. If you do visit St Dunstan in the East, retrace your steps to this point and re-join the walk.
Keep following Lower Thames Street up the hill and round to the right. Pass by All Hallows By The Tower Church on your right. Cross the road at the traffic lights so you are on the Tower of London side. Look out for a little dragon statue.
There are thirteen of these dragon sentinels in total, each marking a historic entrance to the City. You might encounter them at locations like Holborn, Aldgate, or London Bridge. Spotting these dragons can become an exciting treasure hunt for your children as you walk through London’s streets. This isn’t just decorative. These dragons mark historic entrances to London. Now they mark the boundary of the borough of the City of London.
Turn right into the pedestrianised plaza. You will see the Tower of London on you left. Walk down towards the river keeping the Tower of London to your left. At the bottom, walk through the gates and onto the wharf between the Tower of London and the Thames.
Walk along the river towards Tower Bridge. Along the way you will pass the outside of Traitors’ Gate (on your left). This water gate once connected with the Thames and was the entrance for prisoners arriving at the Tower of London by boat.
Part 6 – The Tower of London to Tower Hill Station via St Katharine Docks
Go through the underpass under Tower Bridge and turn right. Head towards the river and walk alongside it, pass the statue of the girl and the dolphin. Just past the sundial, cross the footbridge. Turn left and head straight ahead. You will find yourself in St Katharine Docks.
St Katharine Docks is bit of a hidden gem in London. Once a commercial port, this pretty marina is now a little haven for those seeking an escape from the tourist hustle and bustle. Historic warehouses line the edges of the marina and yachts and other boats bob in the water. If you’re lucky, you may even spot the Royal Barge Gloriana, which moors up here sometimes. St Katharine Docks is an excellent place for a meal or a break.
Do a loop around St Katharine Docks. Imagine it as a square or rectangle, you came in at the bottom left corner, your aim is to finish at the top left corner where, after walking along a wooden boardwalk past a number of restaurants on your right, you will see a set of steps in front of you up onto Tower Bridge Road. Turn right here and walk straight on, you will find an underpass on your left. Walk through the underpass and you will find yourself on a walkway alongside the Tower of London moat.
Keep walking until you reach a foot bridge and the ruins of the Tower Hill Postern. This is a medieval stone gatehouse which is known to have been in existence in 1190, but which had collapsed by 1440. Turn right.
Walk up the stairs in front of you. Halfway up the stairs you will find on your right an opening into a small square.
In the square you’ll find a statue and a section of the old London Wall. The statue is believed to be the Roman Emperor Trajan.
The section of wall behind the statue is part of the London Wall. The London Wall was originally constructed towards the end of the 2nd century AD and it enclosed a semi-circular area from the site of Tower Hill in the east, to Blackfriars in the west. The part of the wall with flat red tiles running through it is the Roman part of the wall. These tiles would have added strength and stability. The top section of the wall dates from medieval times.
Head back out onto the steps and head up the last section. The entrance to Tower Hill Tube Station should be on your left.
You’ve reached the end point of this walk!
Route
Have you done this walk and found somewhere cool along the way that others walking the route with kids should definitely see? Share in the comments!