Discover Four Iconic Pubs in London’s History

Discover Four Iconic Pubs in London’s History

By Proper Boozers

Free cancellation available

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Free cancellation available
3h
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Overview

Take a walk into London's wild side with pub expert and blogger, Niall.

Niall was born the son of Irish landlords in London and spent his early years living over a pub. This sparked a life long fascination and led to him starting a cult instagram page @Proper_Boozers that celebrates real London pubs.

Explore Southwark through this lenses with four stops in some of the areas most iconic pubs.

Uncover the vibrant history of Southwark, London’s southern gateway. Stroll the Thames where the original London Bridge once stood, explore Borough Market’s thousand years of trade, and hear the tale of the Winchester Geese. Step into historic pubs to relive stories of press gangs, body snatchers, and lively locals. A perfect tour for history enthusiasts and curious travellers keen to discover the gritty, colourful past that shaped this unique district.

Activity location

Thames River
- London, United Kingdom

Meeting/Redemption Point

SE1 1TQ
- Southwark Street
- SE1 1TQ, London, England, United Kingdom

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Discover Four Iconic Pubs in London’s History

3h
English

Travelers

Language options: English

Starting time: 13:00

Price details

P 2,303.09 x 1 AdultP 2,303.09

Total

Until Fri, Feb 20

What's included, what's not

Expert Guide
All drinks
Meals
Bottled water
Lunch
Snacks

Know before you book

Wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Are children allowed?

Activity itinerary

Thames River

We begin on the banks of the River Thames, the lifeblood of London for nearly two millennia. Here we uncover how the river shaped the city — from Roman crossings and medieval marvels to executions, sayings like “one for the road”, and the darker side of Southwark life.

London Bridge

Discover the many lives of London Bridge: once a medieval wonder lined with houses, shops, and pubs; later a stage for grisly executions with traitors’ heads displayed on spikes. We’ll trace its decline, its surprising sale to an American businessman, and how part of it now stands in Arizona.

Borough Market

London’s larder for a thousand years. Once the rowdy domain of traders, porters, and early-opening boozers, Borough Market fell into decline in the late 20th century before reinventing itself as today’s foodie mecca. Still noisy, still chaotic — just swap fish heads for focaccia.

Crossbones Graveyard & Garden of Remembrance

Crossbones Graveyard on Redcross Way is where the unlicensed, the unloved, and the unrecorded of Southwark were buried — especially the Winchester Geese. Once a byword for vice, now a place of remembrance, it stands as a haunting marker of the stories London tried to forget.

Kings Arms

The King’s Arms is one of Borough’s best-kept secrets: a little timber-fronted pub that’s been serving pints since Shakespeare’s day. It’s the kind of place where you can actually feel London’s drinking history seeping out of the walls — and the beer’s not half bad either.

The Royal Oak

The Royal Oak is one of Southwark’s great old-school boozers. Tucked away on Tabard Street, it’s a Georgian-era pub with a real Victorian feel inside — dark wood, tiled floors, and a warm welcome. Long associated with the brewery tradition of the area, it’s now famed for serving Harvey’s ales direct from the cask, keeping the Sussex brewery’s name alive in the heart of London.

Marshalsea Prison South Wall

The Marshalsea was Southwark’s debtors’ prison — a grim place where you could end up locked away for life just for being broke. Dickens’ dad did time here, and the memory haunted him into his writing. Today, only fragments of the wall remain, but the stories still hang heavy in the air.

The Gladstone Arms

The Glad is a proper Southwark survivor — a Victorian pub named after Prime Minister Gladstone, nearly knocked down a few times but always brought back to life. These days it’s all about good beer, good music, and that snug, old-school charm you only get in a neighbourhood boozer.

Lord Clyde Southwark

We save the best for last: the Lord Clyde. A gem of a Victorian pub on London’s shortest street. Beautifully tiled outside, warm and welcoming inside, it’s the perfect spot to raise a final glass and toast Southwark’s drinking past.

Location

Activity location

Thames River
- London, United Kingdom

Meeting/Redemption Point

SE1 1TQ
- Southwark Street
- SE1 1TQ, London, England, United Kingdom

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