dickens tour of london

Posted on 27th September 2023 Categories Arts + Culture

By: Author Alastair Reid Schanche

The Ultimate Self-Guided Charles Dickens Walking Tour of London

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We explore the London of Charles Dickens and lead you on a self-guided tour of his hotspots. Let’s roll…

Charles Dickens is a figure who dominates the English language and the British novel, one of the most important figures in our literary canon and, as it happens, a Londoner. He was born in Portsmouth, he spent most of his life in this fair city, and so it’s natural that he left his mark here too. 

There are still plenty of places you can visit, pubs he drank in, places he called home, famous sites that influenced his work or are referenced in his novels. Ready to discover the man and the parts of London he lived in? Come this way, fellow bookworm. 

Who was Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens is an author so important to British literary tradition that no conversation on the topic can be had without his name coming up sooner or later. 

In fact, he left such an impression on the British imagination that his name has gone on to be used as a catchall for works that depict the bleak living conditions of society’s poor – the word Dickensian. 

His most notable works include Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and Bleak House, among others. They usually, but not always, tell tales of helpless children struggling to get by in a cruel vision of Victorian London. 

The man was in many ways writing about the world he saw around him. Dickens lived in London during the Victorian era and didn’t have the easiest time of it. At age 12 he was taken out of school and sent to work in a boot-blacking factory (how Dickensian is that?) – an experience he biographies in David Copperfield, and not flatteringly. 

Dickens would have walked the streets of London – the same ones as we all do – and seen the social changes going on in the city, all the people living in the abject poverty of the time. It’s hard to imagine a writer who treats his characters so tenderly not being moved to action by what he saw and what he went through. 

In spite of this rough start, Dickens went on to achieve great success as an author in his lifetime, becoming a global celebrity. He did indeed go on to point out much of what was wrong with his society in his books, though, as Orwell would point out many years later, never offered concrete solutions. 

Even with such success, was Dickens unable to help the impoverished people he characterised? Reading any of his novels you’ll find a strong sentiment that society might just improve if only people would treat each other better – perhaps therein lies the answer.  

Dickensian London 

Dickens’ London was the London of the Victorian Era – A London of smoggy skies and cramped slums. The industrial revolution was in full swing, bringing dirty factories to London and with it, people from the countryside in search of work. 

London’s population boomed but its public services did not. Many people lived in appalling conditions and disease was rife but at the same time London was at the forefront of a change never before seen in history. 

There must have been a strange mix of misery and excitement. If you had no money London would have been rough on you and punishment for a life of crime tough (they sent you to Australia. Eugh!). 

But if, like Dickens, you were a person of means, you’d be seeing new inventions tear up the rule book on what you thought was possible, and London undergoing incredible changes as rapidly as we see in places like China or the Middle East today. 

The Victorian era was one of both great self-confidence and great hardship, summed up best perhaps by the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities : ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’.  

Read More: Charles Booth Poverty Maps: Exploring the Victorian London Poverty Maps

Your Ultimate Self-Guided Walking Tour

“If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should just explode and perish.” – Charles Dickens. 

Dickens loved a stomp – he said so himself. In honour of the good man, we’ve devised a walking tour, the finest Dickens walking tour London can boast. You can take it without any more than this guide and a good pair of shoes. Let’s begin.

Walking Tour 

Tavistock house, st paul’s cathedral, distance .

Walking Time: 2 hours

Suggested time to allow for the tour: 4 – 5 hours with stops at the museum and pub. 

Difficulty of Tour

Medium: Flat terrain but it covers a reasonable distance. 

Admission Fees

£12.50 admission for an adult to the Charles Dickens Museum, £7.50 for a child over 6. You may also want some money for a pint as we’ll be stopping at one of Dickens’ favourite pubs. 

Places Visited on the Tour

The charles dickens museum , gray’s inn.

• Lincoln’s Inn 
• The Old Curiosity Shop 
• Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese 

Ludgate Hill 

• St. Paul’s Cathedral 

Address: Tavistock House, London WC1H 9LG

Your walk starts at Tavistock House. Anyone starting this tour with the question: where did Charles Dickens live in London, will be happy to know it was right here. 

The house he lived in is long gone, now commemorated by a blue plaque. You can, though,  get a sense of what the rest of his neighbourhood looked like by the rows of grand townhouses that line the roads in nearby streets. 

Dickens lived in this location from 1851 to 1860 and wrote some of his most notable works here including A Tale of Two Cities , Bleak House , Little Dorrit and Hard Times . The building on this site is now the HQ of the British Medical Association.

To get to your next stop walk down Burton Place and turn right skirting the crescent-shaped gardens to Marchmont Street. Follow it to the very end and turn left onto Bernard Street. Make the dogleg around Coram’s Fields and follow the road about 250 metres. Doughty Street should be on your right. 

Address: 48-49 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LX

Anyone who hoped they’d get a chance to see Dickens’ London residence will be pleased by our second stop. The Charles Dickens Museum makes its home out of the house Dickens lived in when he was just getting started as a writer. 

It was here that he finished The Pickwick Papers , wrote Nicholas Nickleby and most notably of all, Oliver Twist .

Today the house is a museum dedicated to the man (the only Dickens museum London has to offer), and well worth checking out if you’ve got the time. It’s not massive so you can be in and out fairly quickly. Inside you’ll be able to see Dickens’ writing desk, the stand he gave his famous readings from, and even his commode. 

For your next stop, follow Doughty Street to its end heading south, turn left on Roger Street and right onto Gray’s Inn Road and follow it all the way to High Holborn. Turn right and Gray’s Inn will be on your right after 20 metres or so.

Address: 36 Commercial, 4 Field Court, London WC1R 5JA

Strolling down the road slightly you’ll hit Gray’s Inn. This is one of London’s Inns of Court , the hundreds-of-years-old legal institutions that have survived to this day. 

Dickens worked as a solicitor’s clerk for a few years from 1827 at the offices of Ellis and Blackmore. The site also features in a few of Dickens’ novels. Both Tommy Traddles in David Copperfield and Mr. Perker in The Pickwick Papers have chambers here. 

You can wander through the grounds (and the very lovely gardens) and get a feel for the area as these characters knew it. 

For your next stop Cross the Road and walk keeping the buildings on your left until you see the Wetherspoons pub Penerel’s Oak. Take Great Turnstile passage left after that to get to Lincoln’s Inn. 

Lincoln’s Inn

Address: Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn, Camden, London, WC2A 3ED

Another of London’s Inns of Court features heavily in Dickens’ works. The most dramatic of those mentions comes in Barnaby Rudge when a mob gathers in Lincoln’s Inn before setting off to burn Newgate Prison to the ground. This act was actually based on real-life events during the horrific Gordon Riots – some of the worst London’s ever seen. 

In David Copperfield , the namesake’s aunt Betsy Trotwood comes to stay in London and chooses Lincoln’s Inn as her lodging. She demands that the hotel be one with a stone staircase and a door on the roof, convinced London might burn down at any moment. 

Cross Lincoln’s Inn Fields and look for Portsmouth Street at the southwest corner of the square. The Old Curiosity Shop is right there, you can’t miss it. 

The Old Curiosity Shop

Address: 2es, 13-14 Portsmouth St, London WC2A 2ES

Cutting across Lincoln’s Inn Fields you’ll arrive at a squat, odd-looking building that’s totally out of touch with the architecture around it. This is The Old Curiosity Shop, and the only stop on our tour actually gives its name to a Charles Dickens novel. 

The building has been there for over 500 years and given that he named a book after the place, it’s almost certain Dickens would have known about it and visited. 

He describes the scene of his fictional Old Curiosity Shop as “one of those receptacles for old and curious things which seem to crouch in odd corners of this town and to hide their musty treasures from the public eye in jealousy and distrust.”

Follow Portsmouth Street onto Portugal Street and follow that about to Carey Street. Take Carey Street and throw a right onto Bell Yard. From there walk to Fleet Street and turn left. Walk along Fleet Street about the same distance to the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

Address: 145 Fleet St, London EC4A 2BP

Next stop is a place for a welcome break. You’ve been putting in enough steps to make Dickens proud and now you deserve a pint. Head to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese . 

This pub is said to be one of London’s oldest , perhaps its oldest. The basement pre-dates The Great Fire . The upstairs isn’t much younger. Dickens is known to have drank here and featured the aged watering hole in some of his books. 

In A Tale of Two Cities Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton walk down Ludgate Hill onto Fleet Street “and so, up a covered way, into a tavern. Here, they were shown into a little room, where Charles Darnay was soon recruiting his strength with a good plain dinner and good wine”. 

The tavern mentioned here is widely believed to be the very same one you’re sinking a cold pint in right now. Dickens is also known to have also spent a lot of time on Fleet Street. In fact, Tellson’s Bank in the same novel is also on this road. 

Dickens isn’t the only writer to have frequented Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Many, many greats have been here since. You can read all about that in our Literary London Self-Guided Walking Tour  

To get to Ludgate Hill, walk east along Fleet Street until you reach the crossroads at Ludgate Circus. Cross the road and you’ll be where you need to be, St. Paul’s should be in front of you at the top of the hill. 

Ludgate Hill is an area with a history as old as London itself. It leads up to a major London site that features heavily in Dickens’ work and is an important feature in its own right. 

For one, the character Smike from Nicholas Nickleby is captured on this hill by the horrible headmaster of Dotheboys Hall, Wackford Squeers. In another brutal play from Barnaby Rudge, young Mary Jones is hung for stealing from a shop in Ludgate Hill. 

The place also features in David Copperfield and Little Dorrit, as well as the aforementioned reference in A Tale of Two Cities. Safe to say that Ludgate Hill held an important place in the imagination of our author. 

The next one is easy, just walk up the hill and you’re there. 

Address: St. Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD

The final port of call on today’s tour is a site that’s stood tall in the imagination of all Londoners for centuries: St Paul’s Cathedral . Dickens often references Wren’s iconic dome and features as a set piece in many of his books. 

Most notable of all of these mentions is in David Copperfield when David takes Pegotty to its top and they look out over all of London. In what’s a near reverse of this image, Jo eats ‘a scanty meal’ on Blackfriars Bridge in Bleak House and studies the great cross at the top of the dome. 

Head round the back of the cathedral to get a taste of the macabre. It’s here that, as Ebenezer Scrooge, while trying to calm himself after seeing the ghostly face of Jacob Marley that the man is dead with the lines: 

“If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlet’s Father died before the play began, there would be nothing more remarkable in his taking a stroll at night in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spot – say Saint Paul’s Churchyard for instance – literally to astonish his son’s weak mind.”

Dickens Walking Tour Practical Tips 

• Make sure you take some comfortable shoes. You’ll not want to be stomping as far and fast as the man himself in anything that’s going to hurt your feet after a few stops. 
• The museum and the pub stops are optional. You could just check them out from outside. We recommend seeing the inside of the museum. It will really set the tone for the rest of the walk. 
• If you’d like to take a walking tour of Dickens’ London with a tour guide, this one from London Walking Tours is a great option. It’s free and runs on weekday evenings and regular Sundays. 

Dickens London: Map

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Charles Dickens London Walking Tour

Welcome to Dickensian London!  Join our Charles Dickens London Walking Tour and journey into the 19th century London that the celebrated author would have known.  Dickens suffered from insomnia and spent many sleepless nights walking the streets of London, collecting locations and inspiration to include in his novels.  On this Dickens walking tour, we will follow in his footsteps and explore some of the buildings and streets that feature in Dickens' works.

Tour Highlights

• Explore the streets where Pip’s journey in Great Expectations began, walking through the very locations that inspired one of Dickens’ most beloved novels. Uncover the area where the young Oliver Twist was wrongfully accused of theft, a pivotal moment that brings the harsh realities of Victorian London to life.
• Delve into the early years of Charles Dickens, learning about his troubled childhood and how his experiences with poverty and hardship profoundly influenced his writing. Hear stories of young Dickens working in a blacking factory and the difficult circumstances that fuelled his compassion for the poor and downtrodden.
• Finally, cap off your tour with a relaxing drink at one of Dickens’ favourite historic pubs, a charming spot where the author himself once sought solace and inspiration. As you sip your drink, imagine the conversations and ideas that might have flowed in the very same setting, making for a perfect conclusion to your Dickensian adventure.

Embark on an unforgettable journey through the heart of Dickensian London with the Charles Dickens London Walking Tour, starting at Farringdon Tube station. This captivating tour takes you through the very streets that inspired Charles Dickens, bringing to life the gritty world of Victorian London as depicted in his iconic novels.

Begin your adventure by exploring sites from Oliver Twist , where Fagin and the Artful Dodger taught young Oliver the art of pickpocketing amidst the bustling market once held there. As you walk, you’ll encounter several of London’s oldest and most famous landmarks, including the imposing St. Paul’s Cathedral. Described by Dickens as “the great black dome of Saint Paul’s bulging at you from behind a grim stone building,” it’s a sight that remains as awe-inspiring today as it was in his time.

The tour concludes with a delightful stop at a charming, historic pub—a beloved gathering spot for Dickens fans and a fitting tribute to A Tale of Two Cities . Here, you can soak in the atmosphere that inspired Dickens’ vivid storytelling.

Throughout the tour, your knowledgeable guide will weave together significant moments from Dickens’ life, revealing how his personal experiences shaped his novels. You’ll hear fascinating stories about the real-life people who influenced his unforgettable characters, making the past come alive in surprising ways.

With numerous opportunities to pause and capture the essence of Dickens’ London, your expert guide will share readings from his works, highlighting how much—or how little—these locations have changed since the Victorian era. Along the way, you’ll delve into trivia and little-known facts about Dickens and the sites you visit, gaining a deeper appreciation for the man and his masterpieces.

This tour offers a comprehensive exploration of Dickens’ literary landscape, touching upon beloved novels such as Little Dorrit , David Copperfield , The Mystery of Edwin Drood , Great Expectations , Bleak House , and more. It’s a must-do experience for literature lovers and history enthusiasts alike, providing a rich and immersive glimpse into the world of one of England’s greatest storytellers.

What’s Included

• 2 hour walking tour of London’s City, Holborn and Clerkenwell areas
• Knowledgeable, approachable & fun tourist guide

What’s Excluded

• Food & drink

What To Bring

• Consider layers of clothing
• Comfortable shoes for a leisurely walking tour

Good To Know

• The tour does not go into any of the buildings/ venues.
• English language tour

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Related tours.

Agatha Christie London Tour

Jack the Ripper Walking Tour

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THE CHARLES DICKENS LONDON WALKING TOUR

Walk the streets that forged dickens's genius.

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THE CROWDING GHOSTS OF DICKENS TROUBLED PAST

Vestiges of bygone London abound on this fascinating walk that explores an area that fired Dickens creative energies whilst, at the same time, haunting his imagination.

Our tour begins on an historic stretch of road along which Charles Dickens, when he was a very young boy, set off to embark upon the years that he later referred to as the most idyllic of his early life.

It was along this same stretch of road that he later returned to be confronted by the sudden and traumatic loss of this happy childhood.

For, no sooner had he arrived back in London than his father, John Dickens, was arrested for debt and incarcerated in the Marshalsea Debtors Prison.

Thus, our tour begins by following in young Charles's footsteps to stand beneath a prominent local landmark that he would, most certainly, recognise were he to return today and which he would have gazed up at on a regular basis during this troubled, and troubling, period.

THE SURVIVING WALL OF THE MARSHALSEA PRISON

Having paused to hear how Dickens later described this place in Little Dorrit we make our way through a tumbledown churchyard to pass through an old gateway and squeeze into a narrow passageway where we will gaze up at the formidable remains of the Marshalsea Prison.

Here we will stand amongst, as Dickens himself put it, "...the crowding ghosts of many miserable years..."

Cowering before this sturdy Dickensian relic, Richard will tell you the full story of John Dickens's time here and will discuss how the relatively short duration of his incarceration had an immeasurable effect on his young son, both emotionally and professionally, for the rest of his life.

Indeed, as you will learn, Dickens never fully recovered from the sense of abandonment he felt and his works are crammed with numerous overt, and several not so overt, references to this troubled period of his childhood and to the Marshalsea Prison itself.

LONDON'S SECRET GARDEN A TRUE SURPRISE

The tour then picks its way through a veritable maze of backstreets - the names of which pay homage to the area's Dickensian heritage (Little Dorrit Court and Quilp Street to name but two) - to enter a secret garden which dates from 1887 and which was created by one of the 19th century's greatest philanthropists.

This lovely spot proves a real surprise to many of the tour participants, even those who have worked nearby for many years!

You will even have the opportunity to sit down and relax as Richard explains the history of your surroundings and explains how Dickens himself was an influence on the founding of this wonderful rural retreat that hides amidst the bustling streets of the modern city.

THE CROSSBONES GRAVEYARD

Having absorbed the peaceful ambience of this tranquil spot, we pick our way through some of the old streets, where the scars of the Victorian industrialisation of the district are still, very much, in evidence.

Soon, we arrive at one of London's most poignant locations, the Cross Bones Graveyard, where the outcast dead were laid to rest between the 16th and 19th centuries.

This is another of those moments on the walk when the participants are genuinely surprised by what is a true throwback to a bygone age and, in order to ensure that you get the true feel of the atmosphere, Richard will break for a few minutes in order that you can read some of the moving messages that local people still leave on the gates to those long ago residents who were once interred here.

A MUDDLED MAZE OF COBBLESTONED PASSAGEWAYS

Having lingered at this special spot, the Charles Dickens Walking Tour heads across Borough High Street to explore a muddled maze of cobbled yards and passageways that once marked the entrances to some of the Capital's most famous coaching inns. "...Great rambling, queer old places," as Dickens put it in Pickwick Papers , “...with galleries, and passages, and staircases, wide enough and antiquated enough, to furnish materials for a hundred ghost stories...”

Almost all the inns have gone now, swept away by the coming of the railways and the arrival of the age of steam in the mid 19th century.

But scattered fragments of them have, somehow, managed to withstand the march of time and progress, and Richard will ensure that you get to see every one of these evocative remnants of London's Dickensian past as you walk along the thoroughfare that was once described as being like unto one continuous alehouse with not a break between!

LONDON'S ONLY SURVIVING GALLERIED COACHING INN

And, amazingly, one of the old hostelries is still there!

It's tucked away in a nondescript courtyard that nestles, apparently blissfully unaware of the arrival of the modern age, behind the shops and snack bars on Borough High Street.

To find it, we will slip through a timeworn wooden gate and, suddenly, there it will be, looming before us - the timbered exterior of London's only surviving galleried coaching inn, a true time capsule that dates from 1677, and which typifies the type of establishment that so many of Dickens characters would have set out from to embark upon their memorable adventures.

WHERE DICKENS'S CAREER TOOK OFF

Next up, we find ourselves standing on the time-washed cobbles of the very place where Mr. Pickwick met with Sam Weller.

It was this meeting that turned Pickwick Papers into a publishing phenomenon and transformed Dickens into one of the World's first celebrities in the modern sense of the word.

Richard will tell you of the terrible tragedy that could, so easily, have brought Pickwick Papers to an abrupt end had Dickens not had the wherewithal to take control of the fledgling project and breathe new life into it. In so doing he, well and truly, sealed his reputation as the inimitable Boz

LONDON'S OLDEST MARKET AND A MORBID OPENING

Having absorbed the surroundings at this evocative location, that proved so pivotal to Dickens career, the walk delves into the lanes and passages of London's oldest market, which also happen to have featured in an hilarious scene in Pickwick Papers .

From here we twist our way via London's oldest gothic church (referred to by Dickens in The Uncommercial Traveller ) to reach the banks of the River Thames where Richard will paint a vivid verbal picture of the disturbingly morbid opening of Our Mutual Friend .

NANCY'S STEPS ON LONDON BRIDGE

The final highlight, on a walk that is brim full of highlights, will be a visit to the very steps on which Nancy had a furtive meeting with Mr. Brownlow in Oliver Twist.

It was this meeting that led to her murder at the hands of Bill Sikes which, as you will hear, became one of the favourite and most terrifying features of the public readings that Dickens gave across Britain and America towards the end of his life.

Indeed, it is widely believed that it was the sheer strain of the performance of the murder scene that hastened his untimely death in 1870.

What better conclusion to our journey through the life, times and works of Charles Dickens than picturing him, expounding so much physical and mental exertion in the bringing of his characters to such vivid and dramtic life, for the delectation of his adoring audiences, that he brings on his own premature demise?

So, join Richard for an insightful walk that will introduce you to a side of Charles Dickens that you may not be familiar with as you discover the demons that drove the man himself and which provided the inspirations for some of his greatest works and most memorable scenes and characters.

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Charles Dickens London Tour

Explore the life and writings of one of the world ’ s greatest writers; Charles Dickens

A Charles Dickens London Tour is unmissable because…

London was a lifelong inspiration for the famous author and philanthropist Charles Dickens. He brought us some of the greatest novels and extraordinary characters in English literature.

Charles Dickens knew London like the back of his hand, he regularly walked 10 to 20 miles after dinner. He often took visitors to the locations of his books! So what better way in the 21st century than to travel back to Dickensian London and learn about the rags to riches story of this great man.

Must-sees during a Charles Dickens Tour includes…

• Bustling Covent Garde n and the site of the notorious blacking factory where Dickens worked at age of 12!
• Enjoy a coffee in the very building where Dickens had his bachelor pad and edited the magazine “All the Year Round”
• Visit the Theatre Royal, built in the year Dickens was born and where plays of his novels were staged! Dickens went to the theatre every night for 3 years.
• Visit the site of the Marshalsea Debtors Prison where Charles Dickens family were forced to live and provided the inspiration and setting for ‘Little Dorrit ’ .
• Discover hidden twisting alleyways in the 2,000-year-old City of London where Ebenezer Scrooge had his counting house in ‘Christmas Carol’ and the Cornhill where Bob Cratchit went sledding over 20 times!
• Explore the magical Inns of Court- the heart of ‘legal London’ ‘where ‘lawyers lie like maggots in nuts’. Grays Inn is where Dickens worked as a lawyer’s clerk, Lincolns Inn is the setting of the notorious Court of Chancery in Bleak House and Middle Temple is where Pip had his lodgings in Great Expectations!
• No Charles Dickens tour of London would be complete without a visit to the Charles Dickens Museum . We’ll show you the house where he lived and worked with his family for 3 years. You can even see the writing desk where Dickens wrote some of his greatest works.

Book a Blue Badge Tourist Guide-and learn the story behind the storyteller.

Here’s what you’ll enjoy with a Blue Badge Tourist Guide

• A guided tour of the main locations connected to Dickens’ work and his life in London.
• Expert literary and biographical knowledge.
• A visit to The Charles Dickens Museum
• A tour tailored to the interests and needs of your group.

Please bear in mind that these are not public tours, but private tours conducted by specialist Blue Badge Tourist Guides who will charge a separate fee, details of which can be found on our fees page.

Let us 'Match' you with one of our Blue Badge Tourist Guides who are:

• Friendly, professional and used to dealing with groups of all ages and sizes
• Holders of the prestigious Blue Badge (the highest Tourist Guiding qualification in the UK)
• Able to use special entrances at certain well known attractions to avoid waiting in long lines
• Able to offer tours in over 30 different languages

Simply input your tour request details in the form below. When you have finished, hit the Green ‘Submit to Match’ button. Your request will be instantly emailed to three highly qualified and enthusiastic London Blue Badge Tourist Guides, matching your criteria. They will then email you confirming availability, pricing and suggestions for the tour itself. So let one of our 500+ Blue Badge Tourist Guides make your stay in London a special one.

Short notice request! We will do our best to accommodate your needs, but generally try to give at least two days notice.

Date of tour: Flexible dates Coming to London for a whole week? Let the guide know that the date is flexible, so they can suggest an upcoming event or a less crowded time for the tour. (+/- 3 days)

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Duration: Morning Half day tour up to 4 hours maximum, usually expected to finish by 13:00 Afternoon Half day tour up to 4 hours maximum, usually expected to start by 13:30 All Day Full days are up to 9 hours, usually finishing no later than 18:00 Evening Only Half day tour up to 4 hours maximum, usually expected to start no earlier than 18:00

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Charles Dickens Walking Tour

The original Charles Dickens Walking Tour will take us to places that inspired Charles Dickens. Many of them nshaped Charles Dickens as a person and indeed a writer. Others because notorious locations in his many famous novels.  All writers take inspiration from the people they meet and places they visit, and Charles Dickens was no different.  His novels are so successful because he so enjoyed wandering the streets of London and picking up the rich details of everyday life. Now is your chance to follow his example!

Dickensian poverty and Victorian slums

This Charles Dickens tour will start off south of the Thames in one of the lesser visited areas of Central London. It is here where we will visit the only surviving remnant of Marshalsea Prison, which had such an impact on young Charles and his family. We will also see where Charles Dickens lived when his father was imprisoned. Not far away is where the old workhouse was, we can visit the very spot where Oliver Twist asked for more.

Next up we will visit Little Dorrit Church and learn of the terrible poverty this area was known for in Victorian times. Soon we will see the only remaining galleried inn in all of London which Dickens himself would visit. The building next door where Sam Weller met with Mr. Pickwick in the famous scene from The Pickwick Papers. Centuries earlier the pilgrims in Chaucers Canterbury Tales met here.

Charles Dickens Walking Tour – Pick a pocket or two at Borough Market!

Northwards we will go as we meander through the ancient Borough Market. Both Charles Dickens and his characters were familiar with its Victorian structure. Just beyond is the River Thames, where Pip came up with his plan to rescue Magwitch. Down a dark siding off London Bridge we see the steps where Nancy met Mr. Brownlow in Oliver Twist. This quickly led to her horrific death in the novel and was the place she was killed in the musical.

Crossing over the famous old river we will visit the site of the notorious Newgate Prison. Charles Dickens visited for here for research purposes. See where Magwitch died and where Fagin sent the boys to pick a pocket or two on Execution days.

We will explore famous old Fleet Street, the old Newspaper street of London and visit Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. This venerable old pub featured in Dickens work but was also a favourite drinking place for him. Then we begin to enter one of the great legal areas of London where Magwitch visits Pip at his chambers in Great Expectations.

Dickens the successful writer

Just along the road is where Charles Dickens worked in the Blacking Factory. In the literary world, David Copperfield and Martin Chuzzlewit found themselves boardings but we will find something very different. A few minutes away is famous Old Curiosity Shop, perhaps the oldest shop in central London.

Lincolns Inn Fields was close to Dickens home and as such features prominently in his literature.  The Old Hall appears in the opening scene of Bleak House. The home of his friend and biographer is near by, John Forster, whose property became the residence of Mr. Tulkinghorn in  Bleak House.

More Bleak House locations come thick and fast as we pass The Royal College of Surgeons and the likely location of Krooks horrid shop before he went up in flames.

Bloomsbury, the literature capital of the world

As we reach the end of our tour, we walk the streets of Bloomsbury that have long been the literary capital of the world. Past residents have included Orson Welles, Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and JM Barrie, who created Peter Pan.

The Charles Dickens Walking Tour concludes outside the Charles Dickens House Museum where you will be free to visit in your own time. Or perhaps have a lunch in one of the many fine old pubs and restaurants in this district of Bloomsbury that Charles Dickens knew so well.

We also have an extended 5 hour version of the Charles Dickens Walking Tour and a shorter tour with less walking but a drink in an old pub that Charles Dicken both lived and wrote in. Each of these feature quite a few Christmas Carol locations too.

Charles Dickens Walking Tour – How to book

Departure Time:10 am City Location: London Duration of Tour: 3 hours (we also do a 5 hour Charles Dickens Walking Tour and a shorter 2 hour tour with a drink where Charles wrote the Pickwick Papers… email for details of the last 2)

Standard Adult Prices per person excluding entry fees (child prices available upon request).

1 Adult = £140

2 Adults = £120

3 Adults = £110

4 Adults = £100

5 – 10 Adults = £90

For more information or to make a booking, please email  [email protected]

Alternatively you can book the Charles Dickens Walking Tour by using the automated booking process with Viator below.

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Charles Dickens Tour

Dickens in London, Rochester, Broadstairs & Portsmouth

• Private car/minibus

This tour is available in most languages. Select your language on checkout.

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About The Tour

Dickensian London (half day or full day)

Start in Camden Town where Dickens spent his early youth and got inspiration for many of his characters. Jarndyce and Jarndyce (Bleak House) begins at the Court of Chancery at Lincoln's Inn (open on weekdays).

See also Grays Inn, one of the Inns of Court, where Dickens was a solicitor's clerk in 1828, and the nearby Old Curiosity Shop. Go on to Doughty Street, Clerkenwell, and the Dickens House Museum, his first real home with his wife Catherine and where he wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. It houses fascinating Dickens memorabilia and a comprehensive library of his work.

Move down to the Thames which features so often in his books. Cross to Southwark and the site of the Marshelsea Prison where his father was imprisoned for debt. Finally end the tour with a visit of Westminster Abbey, to see the Poet's Corner where the author is buried.

Enjoy lunch at one of Dickens' favourite places and one of London's oldest and most authentic pubs described in A Tale of Two Cities, or book a table at a famous traditional English restaurant where Dickens regularly ate.

Dickens in Portsmouth & Winchester (9 hours)

Visit Portsmouth and the modest house were Dickens' was born 200 years ago. The small terraced house has been restored, decorated and furnished in the Regency style appropriate to his parents.

You will also visit the dockyards in Queen Street where his father worked. On your way visit Winchester, once capital of England with its fine Norman cathedral, ancient school and quaint streets that wind their way up to the castle where the round table believed to have been King Arthur's can be seen.

Rochester & Canterbury or Broadstairs (10 hours)

Visit Rochester in Kent where there are some strong connections with Charles Dickens. You will see Restoration House, the Satis House of Dickens' "Great Expectations", Rochester Castle and Cathedral.

Then finally onto Dickens' former home at Gads Hill Place just outside of Rochester which was where Charles and his family lived from 1857 to 1870. He wrote a number of his novels here and he died here whilst working on his uncompleted book, 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood.' Gads Hill Place is now a school standing in the pleasant grounds. You can visit part of the house and stroll in the grounds and appreciate Dickens' love for his country home in the Garden of England. If travelling with children, time permitting ask your guide to take you to Dickens World amusement park for light entertainment.

In a 10 hour tour, combine Rochester with a visit to Canterbury or Broadstairs. The Dickens House Museum in Broadstairs, Kent is the house of Miss Mary Pearson Strong, the basis for Miss Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield. It is visible across the bay from the original Bleak House (not open to visitors) where David Copperfield was written. The museum contains memorabilia, general Victoriana and some of Dickens's letters. Broadstairs also holds an annual Dickens Festival.

Alternatively visit medieval Canterbury, known and loved by Dickens and featured largely in David Copperfield. Visit its splendid Norman cathedral, the scene of the murder of Thomas à Becket in 1170 when he was the Archbishop of Canterbury.

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Jane austen tour, english literary tours, what the dickens, this was our third trip and tour with british tours. castle tour in england, london day tour (customized); paris and normandy, and then rome. all private tours. all were excellent, with professional service by knowledgeable and personable guides. we were especially impressed with the rome trip that included a private tour and viewing of the popes changing rooms..

Karla Fulfer

Why choose us?

Because you insist on the longest-established and most experienced service available in Britain. Founded in 1958, British Tours is still under the same management. About Us

Who is your Guide?

Our guides are personable educated men and women, chosen for their knowledge, special interests, backgrounds and personality. They will collect you by car from any central London location and guide you inside places of historic importance

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London: Dickens Walking Tour

Have you ever wondered if the streets of London still hold echoes of Charles Dickens’ literary world?

As participants venture through the ‘London: Dickens Walking Tour ,’ led by a renowned Dickens expert, they will uncover hidden gems and fascinating insights into the author’s life and inspirations .

This meticulously curated tour promises a captivating journey through time, offering a chance to take in the atmospheric settings that shaped Dickens’ timeless tales.

Get ready to discover London through Dickens’ eyes and experience the city in a whole new light.

• Explore Dickens’ London through iconic settings and tales.
• Immerse in Dickens’ world with a knowledgeable guide.
• Gain insights into Dickens’ life, inspirations , and creative process.
• Enjoy a personalized 105-minute tour for up to 5 people.

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Tour Details

Interested in exploring the world of Charles Dickens in London? The Dickens Walking Tour offers a captivating experience for literature enthusiasts.

Priced at €383.48 per group of up to 5, this 105-minute tour immerses participants in the rich storytelling techniques of Dickens. Led by a knowledgeable guide, visitors will explore the literary connections that Dickens made throughout his life.

The tour brings to life quotes and stories from his renowned works, allowing guests to visit locations that inspired his famous books. Gain insight into Dickens’ journey to becoming a celebrated author while strolling through the streets of London.

This private group experience promises a deep dive into the world of one of the greatest literary figures in history.

Pricing and Duration

The Dickens Walking Tour in London is priced at €383.48 per group of up to 5 and has a duration of 105 minutes.

The price includes a private group experience, making it ideal for families or small groups of friends looking to explore Dickens’ London.

With a duration of 105 minutes, participants can enjoy the world of Charles Dickens without committing to a lengthy tour.

The cost of €383.48 per group of up to 5 offers excellent value for those seeking a personalized and informative experience in the heart of London.

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Cancellation Policy

In the event of a cancellation, participants can benefit from the tour’s free cancellation policy up to 24 hours in advance. This policy offers booking flexibility and the option for rescheduling. Last-minute cancellations may affect refund options , so it’s recommended to notify the tour operator as soon as possible. The cancellation policy ensures that participants have the opportunity to adjust their plans without incurring any fees if done within the specified timeframe. Check out the table below for a quick overview of the cancellation policy details:

Experience Highlights

Exploring the Experience Highlights of the Dickens Walking Tour in London reveals the captivating journey through locations from his renowned books guided by a world expert on Charles Dickens. Participants have the opportunity to enjoy the world of Dickens by hearing stories and quotes at significant spots that inspired his literature.

Three key highlights of the experience include:

Visit the iconic locations : Walk through the streets and alleys that served as settings for Dickens’ timeless novels, allowing visitors to step into the scenes that brought his stories to life.

Listen to intriguing tales : Explore the anecdotes and narratives shared by the expert guide, providing insights into Dickens’ creative process and the historical context behind his works.

Experience the magic of Dickens’ London : Gain a deeper understanding of the author’s connection to the city as you explore the very places that influenced his writing and shaped his literary legacy.

Full Description

Step into the vibrant world of Charles Dickens on the London Dickens Walking Tour, where participants uncover the intricate tapestry of his life and literary legacy through a guided exploration of key locations from his famous works. Participants will explore Dickens’ life and works, gaining historical insights into the author’s journey to becoming a renowned literary figure. The tour allows visitors to explore literary landmarks that inspired his stories, offering a deeper understanding of the settings that shaped his narratives. Below is a table highlighting the full description of the tour:

Inclusions and Meeting Point

Discover the enriching experience of the London Dickens Walking Tour by uncovering the inclusions provided and where the meeting point is located.

The tour includes a professional guide well-versed in Charles Dickens and optional gratuities for their services. The meeting point for this immersive journey into Dickens’ world is at Borough Underground Station, conveniently located for easy access.

Participants can expect a private group experience with a live tour guide in English, ensuring a personalized and engaging exploration of Dickens’ life and the locations from his famous books.

As you gather at Borough Underground Station, prepare to explore the captivating world of Charles Dickens and witness London through the lens of his iconic literary works.

Important Information

As participants gather at Borough Underground Station for the London Dickens Walking Tour, they should be prepared for moderate walking as the tour runs in all weather conditions , requiring comfortable shoes and clothing. The walking distance covered during the 105-minute tour is moderate, allowing participants to explore various Dickensian sites. The tour guide will lead the group through both famous and lesser-known locations tied to Charles Dickens, offering insights into his life and works. Regardless of the weather, the tour will proceed, so dressing appropriately is crucial. Comfortable footwear is essential for navigating the city streets comfortably. Embracing the elements adds to the authentic experience of retracing Dickens’ footsteps through London.

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Common questions

Are there any specific books or characters from charles dickens that will be focused on during the tour.

During the Walking Tour, the Tour Guide will focus on specific books and characters from Charles Dickens, such as The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist . This Interactive Experience will enhance understanding through engaging stories and quotes.

Is the Tour Guide Also an Actor Who Performs Scenes From Dickens’ Works, or Is It Purely Informative?

The tour guide on the London Dickens Walking Tour is primarily informative, focusing on historical accuracy rather than actor performances . Participants will explore Dickens’ life and works through expert guidance and immersive storytelling.

Are There Any Opportunities for Participants to Interact With the Tour Guide or Ask Questions During the Tour?

During the tour, participants have ample chances for tour guide interaction and Q&A opportunities. Engage with the guide, ask questions, and delve deeper into the world of Charles Dickens. Enjoy an informative and interactive experience .

Is There a Minimum Age Requirement for Participants on the Tour?

For the London: Dickens Walking Tour, the minimum age requirement is usually stated to ensure participants can fully engage with the tour focus . Children under a certain age might find the content less appealing.

Are There Any Recommended Reading Materials or Resources That Participants Can Explore Before or After the Tour to Enhance Their Understanding of Charles Dickens and His Works?

For those looking to delve deeper into Charles Dickens and his works, participants can enhance their understanding by exploring pre-tour reading materials and post-tour resources. These additional sources offer insight and context to enrich the experience.

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Step into the world of Charles Dickens with the ‘London: Dickens Walking Tour’ and uncover the magic of his literary legacy.

With expert guidance and immersive storytelling, this tour offers a unique glimpse into the life and works of the renowned author.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a curious explorer, this experience promises to be a memorable journey through the streets of London’s rich literary history.

Don’t miss out on this captivating adventure!

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In charles dickens' footsteps: wednesdays.

Follow the great author's journeys around the City of London

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) knew London well: he walked its streets and alleyways from a young age and drew much of his inspiration from London’s people and places. Dickens said: ‘A day in London sets me up again and starts me. But the toil and labour of writing day after day, without that magic lantern is immense’. 

His novels and newspaper articles paint a vivid picture of London and Londoners in early modern times, and he referred to London as his inspiration. This walk explores episodes from Dickens’ own life in London, and events and settings in his novels such as Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol and The Pickwick Papers.

Please note: children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

To book: visit our Eventbrite page

Photos: courtesy of Niki Gorick

We offer daily, weekly and monthly walks around the City of London 

Our daily walks run from the City Information Centre, just south of St Paul's. You need to book via Eventbrite to secure you place.  Note : the cut-off time for booking our daily walks is 21:00hrs the night before. If we don't have any bookings then the walk will not take place. Read our policy on Refunds .

Our weekly walks have individual booking pages and earlier cut-off times, please see the individual listing.  

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!

We have lots of free tours as part of open house in september..

Please see the programme here

We've adde d new dates for our tour of St Barts.

We've adde d 3 new walks  for this season:.

Secrets and Symbols, News from Fleet Street, and From Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde

Billingsgate Roman House and Baths open 

This unique site is now open for this season of tours.  Find out more.

Private tours

If you'd like to organise your own walk , lecture or a virtual tour, then please use our  Find a Guide  section. If you're a member of an Arts Society or a U3A, a school or another group we'd love to take you on a tour of the City. Or if you're a company based in the City who'd like to organise a social event for your work colleagues, then contact one of our qualified guides , who can put together an evening walk for you.

If you've been on a guided walk with us recently we'd love to hear from you. Why not leave a review on our TripAdvisor  page? We've been awarded TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice for 2023 and 2024!

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A WALK THROUGH DICKENS LONDON

Walking with charles dickens.

THE CHARLES DICKENS FREE WALK

By Richard Jones

This is, without doubt, one of my favourite Dickensian routes in London. It is crammed with places that Dickens knew intimately and about which he wrote frequently.

It offers a delightful stroll through Dickens London, and it takes you from the peaceful quietude of Staple Inn, through the timeless solitude of Lincoln's Inn, and on to the tranquil oasis that is the Temple.

Having explored this lovely London enclave, you will then venture along Fleet Street to dip in and out of the numerous alleyways that snake off it, and which offer a myriad of surprises to the intrepid wanderer.

The final section of the tour will bring you along the north side Holborn to find more Dickensian surprises, including the site of the place at which he was residing when fame, quite literally, came knocking on his door.

Your explorations will end at the Charles Dickens Museum, on Doughty Street, where you can explore the interior of the only one of his London houses to have survived,

And, as you make your way through the streets of London, you will be able to see the locations you visit through Dickens' eyes and read his evocative descriptions of the very places you will be looking at.

In short, this walk has it all.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DICKENS LONDON TOUR

Here are some of the highlights that you will encounter as you make your way through the historic streets of London:-

• The former home of John Forster, Dickens' greatest friend and primary biographer.
• The wonderful Old Curiosity shop, a true time-capsule of bygone London.
• The location where Pip first lodged when he arrived in London in Great Expectations .
• An inner sanctum that has changed little, if at all, since Dickens wrote of it, "you can read on its gates 'who enters here leaves noise behind'."
• A pre-fire building that Dickens visited as a boy, and to which he sent his most autobiographical character David Copperfield.
• Two ancient giants who have been going about an onerous task, day in and day out, since 1683.
• A truly atmospheric old pub that Dickens featured in A Tale Of Two Cities.
• The actual office building where Dickens worked as a clerk at the age of fifteen.
• The grave of the 18th-century author who was one of Dickens childhood favourites and from whom he derived his original pseudonym "Boz"
• One of the oldest pubs in London, that is still much as it was when Dickens supped within its atmospheric old walls.

And, betwixt and between these fascinating locations, you will uncover buildings, pubs, streets and houses that have hardly changed, if they have changed at all, since Dickens came to visit them in search of inspiration for some of the most memorable passages in English literature.

LET THE TOUR BEGIN!

Leave Chancery Lane Underground Station via exit three, which will bring you out onto Holborn. Almost immediately on the right is the black and white timbered façade of Staple Inn.

Staple Inn with its lattice windows set back in all sorts of angled gables, must surely rate as one of the most exquisite relics of old London.

It dates from 1576, although it had to be pieced back together following considerable bomb damage in World War Two.

It is so named because it once provided London accommodation for wool-staplers or brokers.

"Behind the most ancient part of Holborn," wrote Dickens in his last and unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870), "...where certain gabled houses some centuries of age still stand looking on the public way...is a little nook...called Staple Inn. It is one of those nooks, the turning into which, out of the clashing street, imparts to the relieved pedestrian the sensation of having put cotton in his ears and velvet soles on his boots."

The Facade Of Staple Inn.

To experience how little this secret niche has changed since Dickens wrote those words, go right through the ancient gateway and enter Staple Inn itself.

Continue into the first courtyard and stop to absorb the wonderful ambience of this truly enchanting place.

WHERE SMOKY SPARROWS TWITTER IN SMOKY TREES

Suddenly the rush and noise of modern London all but disappears. Huge Plane trees tower over you, and 18th or 19th century redbrick buildings surround you.

"It is one of those nooks," observed Dickens, "where a few smoky sparrows twitter in smoky trees, as though they called to one another, "let's play at country." Moreover it is one of those nooks which are legal nooks: and it contains a little Hall, with a little lantern in its roof..."

Despite the changes that have taken place in the area since Dickens's day his description still holds true today, and as you stand in this little slice of bygone London, you get the genuine sensation that you have literally stepped back in time!

Today the buildings are used as offices by numerous actuaries, so it is a comforting thought that the people you catch glimpses of beavering away behind the ancient facades are working out such intriguing statistics as your chances of ending the walk without getting hit by a bus!

The Inner Court Of Staple Inn.

Keep ahead, passing through the arched passageway, and, at its other side, pause outside the building immediately on the left.

THE RESIDENCE OF MR GREWGIOUS

In The Mystery of Edwin Drood, this was the residence of the kindly lawyer Mr Hiram Grewgious, the guardian of Rosa Budd, Edwin Drood's fiancée.

Notice the stone above the doorway which is inscribed 'PJT 1747.'

Dickens comments on this stone that Mr Grewgious had never "troubled his head" as to its meaning, "...unless to bethink...that haply it might mean Perhaps John Thomas, or Perhaps Joe Tyler."

The Stone Above The Door Of Mr Grewgious's Chambers.

Follow the railing as it skirts the pretty little garden; go up the steps and bear right along the pedestrian walkway called Staple Inn Buildings.

Turn right onto Holborn, continue over Furnival Street, and a little way further along, turn right through the iron gates into Barnard's Inn.

Follow the passageways that lead you to a wonderfully evocative inner sanctum.

WHERE PIP'S GREAT EXPECTATIONS BEGAN

It was here that Pip and Herbert Pocket had chambers in Great Expectations.

The fact that so many enclaves in this area are referred to as 'inns' when they are, in fact, places of business can be somewhat confusing.

Evidently Dickens also found this a little perplexing, for he has Pip ruminate upon the fact when he first visits Barnard's Inn:-

"I had supposed that establishment to be an hotel kept by Mr Barnard...whereas I now found Barnard to be a disembodied spirit, or a fiction, and his inn the dingiest collection of shabby buildings ever squeezed together, in a rank corner, as a club for Tom-cats."

Either Dickens was being a little harsh in his criticisms , or the area has changed considerably since his day, for today this really is a truly lovely spot and its well worth lingering a little to enjoy its secluded ambience.

Barnard's Inn.

Once you have absorbed to your hearts content backtrack out of Barnard's Inn and back to Furnival Street.

Turn right into Took's Court, which Dickens re-named Cook's Court in Bleak House (1852-53).

Situated on the left, just after the road veers sharp left, pause outside number 15, a very pleasing early 18th century building.

THE DICKENS HOUSE

This has been re-named 'Dickens House' and it was here that the meditative law stationer Mr Snagsby lived and worked in Bleak House .

Mr Snagsby "dealt in all sorts of blank forms of legal process, in skins and rolls of parchment, in paper - foolscap, brief, draft, brown, white, whitey-brown, and blotting; in stamps, office quills, pens, ink, India rubber, pounce, pins, pencils, sealing wax and wafers; in red tape and green ferret; in pocket books, almanacks, diaries and Law lists; in string, boxes, rulers, inkstands (glass and leaden), penknives, scissors, bodkins, and other office cutlery.' He was "the high standard of comparison among neighbouring wives, a long way down Chancery Lane on both sides.'

The Dickens House - Home Of Mr Snagsby.

Continue ahead, turn right along Cursitor Street, right onto Chancery Lane and cross to the Gatehouse of Lincoln's Inn, which had to be rebuilt in the 1950's as it was in danger of imminent collapse!

A BLACK EYE FOR YOUNG MASTER DICKENS

On his first day of working for Ellis and Blackmore, the then teenage Dickens, in a blue jacket and "military-looking cap which had a strap under the chin" met a "big blackguard fellow" in front of these gates.

The 'blackguard' knocked off his cap and said, "Halloa, sojar," which, as Dickens later recounted, when he returned to the office sporting a black eye, "I could not stand, so I at once struck him and he hit me in the eye."

The Old Gate Outside Which Dickens Had His Memorable Encounter.

Go through the gates, which date from the 16th century, and enter Lincoln's Inn one of London's four Inns of Court.

OPENING HOURS

Lincoln's Inn is only accessible to the public Monday to Friday until 6.30pm, so you will not be able to include this section of the tour at weekends or after 6.30pm at night, since the gate will be closed and locked.

If this is the case, turn left as you face the gate, walk along Chancery Lane, and turn right along Carey Street, just by the Knight's Templar pub. Keep walking along it, and go right along Serle Street, which leads to Lincoln's Inn Fields, where you can pick up the next section of the walk.

A FOGGY START TO BLEAK HOUSE

Immediately the surroundings change to a delightful combination of dark brick and light stone buildings.

The redbrick building on the other side of the lawn is the Old Hall, dating back to 1489, and which - before the construction of the Law Courts on the Strand, was where the Lord Chancellor's Court met outside of legal terms.

It was here in "Implacable November weather" that Bleak House began with its vivid images of a London fog:-

"London. Michaelmas term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill. Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle, with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snowflakes - gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun. Dogs, undistinguishable in mire. Horses, scarcely better; splashed to their very blinkers. Foot passengers, jostling one another's umbrellas in a general infection of ill temper, and losing their foot-hold at street-corners, where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke (if this day ever broke), adding new deposits to the crust upon crust of mud, sticking at those points tenaciously to the pavement, and accumulating at compound interest. Fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows among green aits and meadows; fog down the river, where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping and the waterside pollutions of a great (and dirty) city. Fog on the Essex marshes, fog on the Kentish heights. Fog creeping into the cabooses of collier-brigs; fog lying out on the yards and hovering in the rigging of great ships; fog drooping on the gunwales of barges and small boats. Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient Greenwich pensioners, wheezing by the firesides of their wards; fog in the stem and bowl of the afternoon pipe of the wrathful skipper, down in his close cabin; fog cruelly pinching the toes and fingers of his shivering little 'prentice boy on deck. Chance people on the bridges peeping over the parapets into a nether sky of fog, with fog all round them, as if they were up in a balloon and hanging in the misty clouds. Gas looming through the fog in divers places in the streets, much as the sun may, from the spongey fields, be seen to loom by husbandman and ploughboy. Most of the shops lighted two hours before their time - as the gas seems to know, for it has a haggard and unwilling look. The raw afternoon is rawest, and the dense fog is densest, and the muddy streets are muddiest near that leaden-headed old obstruction, appropriate ornament for the threshold of a leaden-headed old corporation, Temple Bar. And hard by Temple Bar, in Lincoln's Inn Hall, at the very heart of the fog, sits the Lord High Chancellor in his High Court of Chancery. Never can there come fog too thick, never can there come mud and mire too deep, to assort with the groping and floundering condition which this High Court of Chancery, most pestilent of hoary sinners, holds this day in the sight of heaven and earth."

Lincoln's Inn Old Hall.

Turn right as you face the hall and lawn, and make your way into:-

THE UNDERCROFT OF LINCOLN's INN

The atmospheric cloisters date from 1623 and they make for a wonderful respite from the hustle and bustle of modern London. Indeed, such is the ambience of this lovely oasis, you could almost believe that you had somehow slipped back in time.

In Chapter Three of Bleak House , Esther Summerson arrives in Lincoln's Inn during a dense London fog and makes her way to Old Square, which is the square across which you have just walked.

She describes her journey here thus:-

"We drove slowly through the dirtiest and darkest streets that ever were seen in the world (I thought) and in such a distracting state of confusion that I wondered how the people kept their senses, until we passed into sudden quietude under an old gateway and drove on through a silent square until we came to an odd nook in a corner, where there was an entrance up a steep, broad flight of stairs, like an entrance to a church. And there really was a churchyard outside under some cloisters, for I saw the gravestones from the staircase window..."

The graves to which Dickens alludes can be seen dotted across the flagstone floor of the cloisters.

The Cloisters Of Lincoln's Inn.

Turn left to walk through the cloisters towards the steps at their west end. The stairs on either side lead up to the chapel, which, if open, is well worth a visit.

JOHN DONNE AT LINCOLN'S INN

The chapel's foundation stone was laid in 1620 by the metaphysical poet and divine John Donne (1571/2 - 1631).

He was actually the Inn's preacher between 1616 and 1622, and was persuaded to return to preach the first sermon in the chapel in 1623. So crowded was the chapel that 'two or three [of the congregation] were endangered and taken up for dead for the time, with the extreme press and thronging.'

The chapel interior possesses some fine Jacobean pews and some striking stained glass.

Whenever a bencher (a member of the Inn's governing body) dies, the chapel bell is rung to mark their passing. It was the mourning knell tolled by this bell that is reputed to have inspired John Donne to write what is probably his most famous prose quotation, "Never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee."

Go down the two steps out of the cloisters (be very cautious at this point as you are, in fact, steeping out onto a road), turn left and, a little way along, pause outside the red-brick Old Hall.

THE CASE OF JARNDYCE VERSUS JARNDYCE

This is where in Bleak House the legal suit of Jarndyce versus Jarndyce droned ever onwards, just as it had been doing for so long that no man alive could remember what it was originally about!

Dickens considered the Court of Chancery detestable and in Bleak House proffers the following warning:-

"This is the Court of Chancery; which has its decaying houses and blighted lands in every shire; which has its warn-out lunatic in every mad-house, and its dead in every churchyard; which has its ruined suitor, with his slipshod heels and threadbare dress, borrowing and begging through the round of every man's acquaintance; which gives to monied might the means abundantly of wearying out the right; which so exhausts finances, patience, courage, hope; so overthrows the brain and breaks the heart; that there is not an honourable man among its practitioners who would not give - who does not often give - the warning, "Suffer any wrong that can be done you, rather than come here!"

The Court Of Chancery In Session.

Turn your back on the hall and walk towards the large New Hall (built in 1843). However, pause by the garden path on the right, just past the War Memorial, to admire the garden of Lincoln's Inn.

Miss Flite, a possible heir in the Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce suit, and a character whose entire life revolves around the case, observes of this garden:- "I call it my garden. It is quite a bower in the summer time"

The curious little building of red brick and stone, that gives the appearance of being a mini fortress, is in fact the gardeners shed and is known in the inn as "the head gardeners castle."

The Gardeners Shed.

Keep ahead, passing to the left of the New Hall.

To your left is New Square, which, given it was built in 1625, is anything but!

The Square has changed so little since Dickens day that in the 1980's it was used as the setting for the TV dramatisation of Bleak House.

Exit through the gates of Lincoln's Inn ahead of you and turn right into into Lincoln's Inn Fields. Keep ahead, which has the distinction of being London's largest Square.

I PREDICT A RIOT!

It was here in Barnaby Rudge that the Gordon Rioters gathered.

Proceed counter clockwise around the square turning left, and with the square to your left proceed along its northern fringe until you arrive on the right at:-

THE SIR JOHN SOANE MUSEUM

13 Lincoln's Inn Fields. Wednesdays to Sundays, 10am - 5pm. Last entry at 16.30

Admission: Free.

Sir John Soane (1753-1837), architect of the Bank of England and 10 Downing Street, reconstructed this house in 1792, and furnished it with a veritable treasure trove of all things beautiful, instructive and curious.

Before he died, he succeeded in obtaining an Act of Parliament, which ensured that the houses - he expanded next door when his collection outgrew the original premises! - and their contents would be preserved as a public museum.

Of particular interest, from a Dickensian point of view, are the original paintings of William Hogarth' (1697-1764) The Rakes Progress and The Election Campaign. Hogarth was an astute observer and commentator on the social scene of 18th-century London.

He was a favourite artist of the young Dickens, whose early style was greatly influenced by the narrative manner of Hogarth's works.

Later in life, Dickens commented on Hogarth's compassion and praised him for his awareness of "the causes of drunkenness among the poor."

The Sir John Soane Museum.

Keep ahead past the museum (if you choose to visit it turn right out of it), and follow the square when the road turns left.

You will pass number 65 on your right where a blue plaque remembers it as the former home of William Marsden (1796-1867) one of the great figures of 19th-century healthcare and founder of both the Royal Free and the Royal Marsden hospitals.

A few doors further along you will pass numbers 59 and 60, which is:-

LINDSEY HOUSE

This building dates back to 1641 and is known as Lindsey House, after its first owner, Robert Bertie, the first Earl of Lindsey.

Unfortunately, his tenure here was cut short by his becoming Charles 1st's commander-in-chief, in which capacity he was killed at the battle of Edgehill in 1642, the first major skirmish of the English Civil War.

A dark plaque on the wall commemorates Spencer Perceval (1762-1812) the only English Prime Minister to have been assassinated. He was gunned down in the lobby of the House of Commons by a Liverpool grocer named John Bellingham, a failed businessman from Liverpool who blamed Perceval for his financial difficulties.

Lindsey House.

THE FORMER HOME OF JOHN FORSTER

The next building along, comprising numbers 57 and 58, Lincoln's Inn Fields, dates from the 18th century, and the grand porch was designed by Sir John Soane.

Dickens friend, business adviser and primary biographer, John Forster (1812 -1865) lived at number 58.

Dickens based the character of Mr Podsnap in Our Mutual Friend (1864-65) on Forster.

Later, he used this house as the residence for Mr Tulkinghorn - legal adviser to Sir Leicester Dedlock and evil blackmailer of his wife, Lady Dedlock - in Bleak House. Dickens was at his lawyer-bashing best when he wrote:-

"The crow flies straight across Chancery Lane...into Lincoln's Inn Fields. Here, in a large house, formerly a house of state, lives Mr Tulkinghorn. It is let off in sets of chambers now, and in these shrunken fragments of its greatness lawyers lie like maggots in nuts."

The Former Home Of Dickens Great Friend, John Forster.

DICKENS GIVES A READING

On the 2nd December 1844 Dickens, who had travelled especially from Italy - where he was living for a year - gave a private reading at Forster's house from his new Christmas story The Chimes.

The select gathering included, Forster, Thomas Carlyle, and Daniel Maclise.

"There was not a dry eye in the house," Maclise later wrote to Dickens wife, Catherine, who had remained in Italy. "Shrieks of laughter - there were indeed - and floods of tears as a relief to them - I do not think that there ever was such a triumphant hour for Charles..."

Maclise also did a pencil sketch of the occasion, showing Dickens seated at the desk, the book open in front of him. Streaks of light radiate from him and he is surrounded by his enraptured audience.

Forster considered it an accurate depiction of the occasion, although he did comment that there was a touch of caricature of which he considered himself "chief victim."

A second reading two evenings later was equally successful, and thus were sown the seeds of Dickens foray into public readings from his works and, according to Forster, "those readings to larger audiences by which, as much by his books, the world knew him in later life."

Daniel Maclise's Sketch Of Dickens Reading From The Chimes .

Continue ahead, and keep straight ahead into Portsmouth Street where, a little way along on the left, is:-

THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP

This quaint little building long known as " The Old Curiosity Shop " dates from 1567 and was reputedly built from old ship timbers.

The legend, "Immortalized by Charles Dickens", emblazoned on its wall is a bit of wishful thinking.

Dickens emphatically states at the end of The Old Curiosity Shop (1841) that the building of which he wrote was "long ago pulled down."

In a letter to The Echo in 1883, a Mr Charles Tesseyman confessed that his brother, who had dealt in old china, books and paintings from the premises between 1868 and 1877, had added the "Immortalized by" appellation to his shop front for "business purposes."

Following his brother's death, in 1877, the new tenant painted over his name but left the claim displayed on the wall.

Around 1881, an American journalist, who was writing about Dickensian landmarks, arrived at the shop and "straightaway wrote an article in Scribner's Monthly [assuring] his readers that this was the old original Old Curiosity shop of Dickens."

The Old Curiosity Shop.

PICKWICKIAN GHOST STORIES

The George IV pub on the right past the shop, rebuilt since Dickens's day, is thought to have been the original of the Magpie and Stump, where in Pickwick Papers, Jack Bramber tells Mr Pickwick some very bizarre and extremely gruesome stories.

Backtrack to Lincoln's Inn Fields and turn right. Keep ahead until you arrive at the classical, Ionic-columned frontage of:-

THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS

Please note that the building is currently undergoing restoration and is encased in scaffolding.

The building was originally built by George Dance and James Lewis between 1806 and 1813. In 1835 it was completely rebuilt by Sir Charles Barry, although he did keep the grand portico with its giant Ionic columns.

Commenting on the lawyers of Lincoln's Inn, Mr Boythorn in Bleak House says that they should have their "necks wrung and their skulls arranged in Surgeon's Hall, for the contemplation of the whole profession, in order that its younger members might understand from actual measurement in early life, how thick skulls may become!"

Today you can do likewise, as all manner of gruesomely fascinating artefacts and anatomical specimens - lawyers skulls excepted - are now on display and open to the public in the college's two museums.

IMPORTANT. Please note that the Museums are currently closed whilst the restoration is being done.

Continue ahead back towards the gate of Lincoln's Inn, which you can see in the distance. Immediately before it, turn right into Serle Street, then left into Carey Street.

The building that dominates its right side is The Royal Courts of Justice, comprising the Civil courts and also the appeal courts, both Civil and Criminal of England. They are open to the public, so you might like to take a break and attend one of the court cases inside.

On the left you will pass The Seven Stars Pub, which dates back to 1602, and which is named for the seven provinces of the Netherlands.

Immediately after the Royal Courts of justice, turn right into Bell Yard, which is the title of Chapter 15 in Bleak House.

THE NECKETT CHILDREN

Dickens describes Bell Yard as a "narrow alleyway", and that description still holds true today, albeit the fact that its right side is overshadowed by the open space alongside the mighty bulk of the Royal Courts of Justice means that it doesn't give the appearance of being a narrow alley.

It was here in Bleak House that the four orphaned Neckett children lived in an upper room, cared for by the eldest, Charley, who goes out to do washing jobs to support her siblings.

It was also in Bell Yard that Mrs Lovatt had her pie shop at which she sold the finest and tastiest meat pies in London, albeit the main ingredients were supplied by Sweeney Todd, "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and consisted of his murdered clients! So tread carefully.

At the far end of Bell Yard, turn right, and pause opposite the monument in the centre of the road. This is:-

This pedestal, surmounted by a bronze dragon, marks the boundary between the Cities of London and Westminster and is the point at which Fleet Street ends and Strand begins.

The statues of Queen Victoria and her son Edward as Prince of Wales are by Sir Edgar Boehm - who is reputed to have died in 1890 whilst in the process of making love to Edward's sister, Princess Louise!

The Dragon Atop Temple Bar.

A LEADEN-HEADED OLD OBSTRUCTION

This, however, is not the Temple Bar that Dickens knew.

In Bleak House Dickens described Temple Bar as:- "that leaden-headed old obstruction, appropriate ornament for the threshold of a leaden-headed old corporation."

In 1888 the leaden-headed old obstruction was transferred to Theobald's Park, in Hertfordshire, and there lay largely forgotten and terribly neglected for over 100 years.

But, in 2004, it was brought back to central London, restored, and re-erected next to St Paul's Cathedral where it can be now be admired by all those who visit St Paul's.

A relief on the column actually shows Temple Bar as it was in Dickens day.

The Relief Showing Temple Bar As Dickens Knew It.

Cross over the road using the island on which Temple Bar stands. This is a very busy road so the utmost caution is called for.

Directly opposite Temple Bar, when you have crossed over, you will find:-

CHILD'S BANK

This particular building dates from 1878, when its predecessor was demolished with the removal of Temple Bar.

In A Tale of Two Cities Dickens renamed it "Tellson's Bank" and described it thus:-

"Tellson's Bank by Temple Bar was an old-fashioned place, even in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty. It was very small, very dark, very ugly, very incommodious. It was an old-fashioned place, moreover, in the moral attribute that the partners in the House were proud of its smallness, proud of its darkness, proud of its ugliness, proud of its incommodiousness. They were even boastful of its eminence in those particulars, and were fired by an express conviction that, if it were less objectionable, it would be less respectable. This was no passive belief, but an active weapon which they flashed at more convenient places of business. Tellson's (they said) wanted no elbow-room, Tellson's wanted no light, Tellson's wanted no embellishment. Noakes and Co.'s might, or Snooks Brothers' might; but Tellson's, thank Heaven! Any one of these partners would have disinherited his son on the question of rebuilding Tellson's. In this respect the House was much on a par with the Country; which did very often disinherit its sons for suggesting improvements in laws and customs that had long been highly objectionable, but were only the more respectable. Thus it had come to pass, that Tellson's was the triumphant perfection of inconvenience. After bursting open a door of idiotic obstinacy with a weak rattle in its throat, you fell into Tellson's down two steps, and came to your senses in a miserable little shop, with two little counters, where the oldest of men made your cheque shake as if the wind rustled it, while they examined the signature by the dingiest of windows, which were always under a shower-bath of mud from Fleet-street, and which were made the dingier by their own iron bars proper, and the heavy shadow of Temple Bar. If your business necessitated your seeing "the House," you were put into a species of Condemned Hold at the back, where you meditated on a misspent life, until the House came with its hands in its pockets, and you could hardly blink at it in the dismal twilight. Your money came out of, or went into, wormy old wooden drawers, particles of which flew up your nose and down your throat when they were opened and shut. Your bank-notes had a musty odour, as if they were fast decomposing into rags again. Your plate was stowed away among the neighbouring cesspools, and evil communications corrupted its good polish in a day or two. Your deeds got into extemporised strong-rooms made of kitchens and sculleries, and fretted all the fat out of their parchments into the banking-house air. Your lighter boxes of family papers went up-stairs into a Barmecide room, that always had a great dining-table in it and never had a dinner, and where, even in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty, the first letters written to you by your old love, or by your little children, were but newly released from the horror of being ogled through the windows, by the heads exposed on Temple Bar with an insensate brutality and ferocity worthy of Abyssinia or Ashantee. ...Cramped in all kinds of dim cupboards and hutches at Tellson's, the oldest of men carried on the business gravely. When they took a young man into Tellson's London house, they hid him somewhere till he was old. They kept him in a dark place, like a cheese, until he had the full Tellson flavour and blue-mould upon him. Then only was he permitted to be seen, spectacularly poring over large books, and casting his breeches and gaiters into the general weight of the establishment..."

JERRY CRUNCHER'S PERCH

It was outside Tellson's Bank that the mysterious Jerry Cruncher was wont to sit.

Dickens has this to say about Jerry Cruncher's association with Tellson's:-

"Outside Tellson's - never by any means in it, unless called in - was an odd-job-man, an occasional porter and messenger, who served as the live sign of the house. He was never absent during business hours, unless upon an errand, and then he was represented by his son: a grisly urchin of twelve, who was his express image. People understood that Tellson's, in a stately way, tolerated the odd-job-man. The house had always tolerated some person in that capacity, and time and tide had drifted this person to the post. His surname was Cruncher, and on the youthful occasion of his renouncing by proxy the works of darkness, in the easterly parish church of Hounsditch, he had received the added appellation of Jerry..."

Dickens goes on to describe Jerry Cruncher's "occupation of the day" thus:-

"...It could scarcely be called a trade, in spite of his favourite description of himself as "a honest tradesman." His stock consisted of a wooden stool, made out of a broken-backed chair cut down, which stool, young Jerry, walking at his father's side, carried every morning to beneath the banking-house window that was nearest Temple Bar: where, with the addition of the first handful of straw that could be gleaned from any passing vehicle to keep the cold and wet from the odd-job-man's feet, it formed the encampment for the day. On this post of his, Mr. Cruncher was as well known to Fleet-street and the Temple, as the Bar itself, - and was almost as ill-looking..."

We shall encounter Jerry Cruncher again, later in the tour.

Child's Bank By Temple Bar.

INSIDE THE BANK

The interior of the bank still has a decidedly antiquated feel, and it is worth stepping inside to view the glass case on the wall opposite the door, in which ten old guns are exhibited. The bank purchased these guns in June 1780 to defend the premises during the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots so vividly described by Dickens in Barnaby Rudge.

The Guns Displayed Inside Child's Bank.

Back track along Fleet Street and turn right through the gateway into Middle Temple Lane.

MIDDLE TEMPLE

You have entered Middle temple, another of London's four Inns of Court.

Immediately, the blandness of late 20th-century architecture gives way to a tranquil oasis that has been left untouched by time and progress.

Elegant buildings of redbrick rise up on either side of the cobble-stoned byway, and Charles Lamb's sentiment that, "a man would give something to be born in such places" still holds true

Writing of this lovely enclave in Barnaby Rudge , Dickens had this to say:-

"There is yet a drowsiness in its courts and a dreamy dullness in its trees and gardens. Those who pace its lanes and squares may yet hear the echoes of their footsteps on the sounding stones and read upon its gates... "Who enters here leaves noise behind"."

Looking Into The Temple's Pump Court.

Keep ahead, passing Brick Court on your right, then turn right beneath the soaring London plane trees. To your left is:-

ALTERNATIVE WEEKEND DIRECTIONS

The Middle Temple Lane gate from Fleet Street will be closed if you are doing the walk on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday. However, you can still get into the Temple by following this alternative route.

Keep walking along Fleet Street until you come to Bouverie Street.

Turn right along it, and go right along Tudor Street where you will find an open gate into the Temple.

Head diagonally right across the large square towards Paper Buildings. Pass to the left of the red post box, keep ahead past the gardens, pass though the arch, then turn right along Middle Temple Lane, and, on the left, you will come to Middle Temple Hall.

MIDDLE TEMPLE HALL

Built in the 1570's, this is a true time capsule of bygone London.

Each of the four Inns of Court possesses its own dining hall in which aspiring barristers must eat a certain number of dinners during each law term in order to be "Called to the Bar."

Despite heaping a goodly amount of scorn upon the legal profession, Dickens was not averse to participating in its traditions.

In 1839 he enrolled as a student barrister at Middle Temple, hoping that the law would provide a safety net should his writing career end. However, he failed to eat the required number of dinners and subsequently resigned his membership in 1855.

It was inside this hall that Shakespeare's Twelfth Night had its first performance, on the 2nd February, 1602.

Middle Temple Hall.

Continue across the courtyard to the picturesque little fountain.

FOUNTAIN COURT

In Martin Chuzzlewit (1843–44), Dickens wove a romance around this court involving Ruth Pinch and John Westlock. The area has changed little since Dickens wrote of it:-

"Brilliantly the Temple fountain sparkled in the sun, and laughingly its liquid music played, and merrily the idle drops of water danced and danced, and peeping out in sport among the trees, plunged lightly down to hide themselves..."

Fountain Court.

Cross over to the steps to the left of the little fountain and look down them at the red-brick building on the right opposite the garden. This is:-

GARDEN COURT

Garden Court was the place where Pip was living in Great Expectations , when the convict Abel Magwitch turned up one storm-tossed night to reveal himself as the source of Pip's good fortune. Dickens has Pip explain how:-

"Alterations have been made to that part of the Temple since that time, and it has not now so lonely a character as it had then, nor is it so exposed to the river. We lived at the top of the last house, and the wind rushing up the river shook the house that night, like discharges of cannon, or breakings of a sea..."

Garden Court.

Backtrack to Middle Temple Lane and continue over it to pass through the covered passageway into Pump Court, so called because the fire pumps were once located here.

As you pass through it, look up at the sun dial high on the left wall, noting its timely reminder "Shadows we are and like shadows depart."

continue through the cloisters where on the left you will find:-

TEMPLE CHURCH AND THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

The Temple gets its name from the Knights Templar, the monastic military order founded in 1118 with the avowed intent of protecting pilgrims on the road to Jerusalem.

This was their London citadel and in 1185 they built their Round Church, which was modelled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The Templars were well-connected and soon became influential in the politics of the age. They quickly attracted grants of land and money as the younger sons of noble families flocked to enroll in their ranks, and by the 13th century they were one of the most powerful monastic orders in Christendom.

In England, the Master of the Temple was frequently called to sit in the King's Parliament and successive monarchs, King John included, frequently stayed at the Templars London base, and the Master of the order was by the King's side at the signing of Magna Carta .

By the early years of the 14th century the Templars were the most powerful monastic Orders in Europe and were answerable only to the Pope himself.

But their success attracted the jealousy and greed of many other Orders and eventually that of the nobility and monarchs of Europe as well.

In 1306, Philippe IV of France became determined to rid his territories of the Knight Templars.

At dawn on Friday, October 13th, 1307 the King made his move, and with the backing of the Pope, Clement V, all the Knights Templars in France were simultaneously arrested by Philippe's agents. Under torture, some Templars "admitted" to all manner of blasphemous and indecent acts. Many of their number were burnt at the stake and eventually in 1312 the order of the Knights Templar was officially dissolved throughout Europe.

There are many conspiracy theories concerning the real reason for dismantling of the order, and some of them go far beyond the simple and obvious motive that Philippe simply wanted to get his hands on their lands.

Several modern day fringe researchers have claimed that the order stored secret knowledge, linking them to the lost teachings and relics of Christ, including the Holy Grail; and the Temple Church itself now has the added "attraction" of having featured in both the book and the film of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

But, in London, their Round Church still stands as a proud testimony to these soldiers of Christ, and is well worth a visit, should time permit.

you can get details of admission charges and opening times on the Temple Church Website

The Round Church Of The Templars.

THE LAWYERS ARRIVE

In 1324 the Templars London estate was given to the Knights Hospitallers of St John, and some of the monastery buildings were rented to law students for accommodation.

The connection with the law flourished and it is lawyers who today worship in the church.

Despite its extensive renovation following bomb damage in the Second World War, the Temple Church is still a very special and atmospheric place.

The first thing that strikes you when you enter are the effigies of knights that lie peacefully recumbent on the floor within.

The hustle and bustle of the world outside seem centuries away as you stand gazing down upon these long ago members of the order; or as you admire the carved faces that adorn the interior wall of the church's round section, some of their expressions twisted into weird grimaces, whilst others are being gnawed at by bizarre and demonic creatures.

One Of The Faces Inside Temple Church.

Proceed clockwise round the church and, having passed Goldsmith's Buildings, stroll by the tombstones of the churchyard to the railing where you will find:-

THE GRAVE OF OLIVER GOLDSMITH

Although Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) was long dead by the time Dickens was born, he was one of Dickens's favourite boyhood authors and he remained so for the rest of his life.

Goldsmith's only novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1762) was a great influence on Dickens's early work, particularly Pickwick Papers .

Dickens gave his youngest brother, Augustus, the nickname Moses, in honour of Moses Primrose the Vicar's son in Goldsmith's book.

Forster, in his Life of Dickens , explained how, when this nickname was "facetiously pronounced through the nose' it became "Boses" and, on being shortened, became "Boz", which was the pseudonym that Dickens adopted in 1836, and under which much of his early work appeared.

The Grave Of Oliver Goldsmith.

Backtrack past Goldsmith's Building and go right to exit the Inner Temple via the arched gateway. Above the gateway is a black and white timbered structure, which is:-

PRINCE HENRY'S ROOM

The building dates from 1610, and was named after the eldest son of King James 1st.

It was originally a tavern called the Prince's Arms.

In Dickens childhood the building was occupied by Mrs Salmon's Waxworks, which Charles certainly visited, and to which "perspiring Wax Works" he later sent David Copperfield .

Prince Henry's Room.

Turn right along Fleet Street. Pause outside the premises of the bankers Messrs. Hoare and Co. to gaze across the road at:-

THE GIANTS OF ST DUNSTAN'S

St Dunstan's Church, whose magnificent clock, dating from 1671, is said to have been the first clock in London with a double-sided face, and the first to have the minutes marked on the dial.

The chief glory of the clock, however, lies in the two ancient giants that wearily lift their clubs every fifteen minutes and make half-hearted attempts to strike the bells. Sadly their efforts are frequently drowned out by the noise of the Fleet Street traffic.

In David Copperfield , David and his aunt, Betsy Trotwood, make a special journey to witness the giants strike the bells, and time their visit "to catch them at it at twelve o'clock".

In 1830, the old church was demolished and the clock sold to the Marquis of Hertford who re-erected it at his house in Regent's Park.

Over 100 years would pass, before, in 1935, the clock was returned.

The Giants Of St Dunstan's.

Continue to the traffic lights. Cross over Fleet Street, veer left, and, a little way along on the right, dive into the grim, dark passageway named Hen and Chickens Court.

SWEENEY TODD

It admits you into a chilling, claustrophobic courtyard, where beneath your feet, hefty iron grilles cover precarious drops into mean looking cellars where all manner of horrors might be lurking.

You are standing at the rear of 185 Fleet Street where Sweeney Todd "the Demon Barber" had his premises.

His murderous, though fictional, escapades first appeared in print in 1847, and his story so captured the public imagination, that he became the most successful of all the Victorian melodramas.

His habit of murdering his clients and conveying them by way of an underground tunnel to nearby Bell Yard, where Mrs Lovett kept a meat pie shop, struck a chord with a reading public who were far more dependent on outside caterers than we are today!

The Sinister Hen And Chickens Court.

Return to Fleet Street. Turn right, and, if they are open, enter the gates of St Dunstan's churchyard

The present building dates only from 1829 to 1833, but is an excellent early example of Gothic Revival architecture.

St Dunstan's In The West is the church of Dickens second Christmas book, The Chimes , and Dickens introduces us to it as follows:-

"But, high up in the steeple! There the foul blast roars and whistles! High up in the steeple, where it is free to come and go through many an airy arch and loophole, and to twist and twine itself about the giddy stair, and twirl the groaning weathercock, and make the very tower shake and shiver! High up in the steeple, where the belfry is, and iron rails are ragged with rust, and sheets of lead and copper, shrivelled by the changing weather, crackle and heave beneath the unaccustomed tread; and birds stuff shabby nests into corners of old oaken joists and beams; and dust grows old and grey; and speckled spiders, indolent and fat with long security, swing idly to and fro in the vibration of the bells, and never loose their hold upon their thread-spun castles in the air, or climb up sailor-like in quick alarm, or drop upon the ground and ply a score of nimble legs to save one life! High up in the steeple of an old church, far above the light and murmur of the town and far below the flying clouds that shadow it, is the wild and dreary place at night: and high up in the steeple of an old church, dwelt the Chimes I tell of. They were old Chimes, trust me. Centuries ago, these Bells had been baptized by bishops: so many centuries ago, that the register of their baptism was lost long, long before the memory of man, and no one knew their names. They had had their Godfathers and Godmothers, these Bells (for my own part, by the way, I would rather incur the responsibility of being Godfather to a Bell than a Boy), and had their silver mugs no doubt, besides. But Time had mowed down their sponsors, and Henry the Eighth had melted down their mugs; and they now hung, nameless and mugless, in the church-tower. Not speechless, though. Far from it. They had clear, loud, lusty, sounding voices, had these Bells; and far and wide they might be heard upon the wind. Much too sturdy Chimes were they, to be dependent on the pleasure of the wind, moreover; for, fighting gallantly against it when it took an adverse whim, they would pour their cheerful notes into a listening ear right royally; and bent on being heard on stormy nights, by some poor mother watching a sick child, or some lone wife whose husband was at sea, they had been sometimes known to beat a blustering Nor' Wester; aye, "all to fits," as Toby Veck said;—for though they chose to call him Trotty Veck, his name was Toby, and nobody could make it anything else either (except Tobias) without a special act of parliament; he having been as lawfully christened in his day as the Bells had been in theirs, though with not quite so much of solemnity or public rejoicing..."

It was in the tower of this church that Toby Veck (known as 'Trotty' on account of his gait) was subjected to a sequence of visions in The Chimes .

This Section Of Fleet Street As It Was In Dickens Day.

KING LUD AND HIS SONS

If it is possible, it is worth going into the porch, which is set back beyond the clock to view three of London's oldest statues, which depict King Lud and his two sons.

Lud was the legendary founder of London and these weatherworn statues once stood over Lud Gate (one of the medieval entrance points into London - Ludgate Hill, the road that runs down from St Paul's Cathedral commemorates it) until it was taken down in the 18th century.

These statues now lie abandoned and forgotten in this quiet recess away from Fleet Street.

Please note, the statues are currently boarded over.

The Statues Of King Lud And His Sons.

Continue along Fleet Street. Take the next right and pause outside the 17th-century gatehouse, which is all that survives of:-

CLIFFORD'S INN

Dickens, in Our Mutual Friend , has left an enduring, albeit uncomplimentary, portrait of Clifford's Inn. John Rokesmith, having followed Mr Boffin along Fleet Street, asks if he would:-

"...object to turn aside into this place – I think it is called Clifford's Inn – where we can hear one another better than in the roaring street? [Mr Boffin] glanced into the mouldy little plantation, or cat-preserve, of Clifford's Inn, as it was that day, in search of a suggestion. Sparrows were there, cats were there, dry rot and wet-rot were there, but it was not otherwise a suggestive spot."

Inside The Gate Of Clifford's Inn.

Backtrack along Fleet Street and continue past St Dunstan's Church and keep ahead over Fetter Lane. Just past the bus stop bear left into:-

JOHNSON'S COURT

This narrow thoroughfare is perhaps one of the most important Dickensian sites on the walk, for here stood the office of The Old Monthly Magazine , a small-circulation periodical in whose December 1833 issue Dickens's first published story, A Dinner At Poplar Walk appeared.

Dickens later recalled how "stealthily one evening at twilight, with fear and trembling", he had dropped the story "into a dark letter-box in a dark office up a dark court in Fleet – street".

When he found that they had published it, he was so overcome with emotion that he "walked down to Westminster Hall, and turned into it for half an hour, because my eyes were so dimmed with joy and pride that they could not bear the street, and were not fit to be seen there".

Although he received no payment for his work, he wrote a further nine stories for the magazine and thus took his first tentative steps to becoming the "inimitable Boz".

Johnson's Court As It Is Today.

Follow Johnson's Court as it meanders between tall buildings of differing ages and styles.

As it emerges into Gough Square, pause outside the house immediately on the left. This is:-

DR JOHNSON'S HOUSE

17 Gough Square, London, EC4A 3DE.

October to April: Monday - Saturday, 11am - 5pm. May to September Monday - Saturday, 11am - 5.30pm.

There is an admission charge.

Samuel Johnson (1709-84), literary scholar and critic lived and worked here, compiling A Dictionary of the English Language , the first comprehensive English dictionary.

His monumental tome originated in 1746 when five London booksellers decided that a dictionary would be a guaranteed bestseller and approached Johnson to see if he would be interested in creating one. Since Johnson at the time was flat broke, their offer of 1500 guineas, half of which was to be paid up front, proved irresistible.

Eager to secure further funding Johnson sought a patron and approached Philip Dormer Stanhope, the fourth Earl of Chesterfield. Stanhope readily agreed to become the patron of the work, but showed a marked reluctance to contribute financially. Indeed the fact that all he handed over was a draft for a measly £10 rankled with Johnson.

When his Lordship then insisted on claiming a part of Johnson's triumph relations between the two men cooled considerably, with Johnson claiming that Chesterfield taught, "the morals of a whore and the manners of a dancing master."

The thick skinned Chesterfield laughed the attack off as a bit of good-natured banter, which it most certainly was not.

Still, Johnson at least had the seven hundred and fifty pounds advance, and so he rented these rooms in Gough Square, hired six serving men to work as amanuenses, and embarked upon a project that would take him six years to complete.

The finished work contained the definitions for an impressive, if not breathtaking, 43,500 words, amongst them such gems as "Oats a cereal eaten in England by horses and in Scotland by men!"

He was also able to avenge himself upon Lord Chesterfield - who was openly hinting that he had had a lot more to do with the work than he actually had - "Patron" wrote Johnson "a wretch who supports with indolence and is paid with flattery."

Chesterfield laughed that one off too.

Johnson's former house is now a museum dedicated to his memory and the original dictionary is on display inside. It is well worth a visit.

Dr Johnson's House, Gough Square.

With your back to Dr Johnson's House, go diagonally right across Gough Square, turning right at the statue of Dr Johnson's cat - Hodge.

On arrival at the flower bed, bear left and then right into Wine Office Court, where, a little way along on the left, the surging tide of modern urbanity is suddenly repelled by a time-worn step that delivers you into a true gem of bygone London:-

YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE

Rebuilt in 1667, this rambling tavern of creaking floors, cosy rooms and snug corners, possesses a timeless ambience that keeps the contemporary world firmly at bay.

Portraits of those who have worked and supped here over the centuries gaze fondly down from its dark wooden walls. Dr Johnson, Oliver Goldsmith, Mark Twain, Alfred Tennyson and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – to name but a few – have all ducked beneath its low beamed ceilings to absorb its 17th-century atmosphere.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Dickens, too, was a regular, and the table to the right of the ground floor restaurant's fireplace is said to have been his favoured place.

This is believed to have been the pub that Dickens had in mind when, following Charles Darnay's acquittal on charges of high treason in A Tale of Two Cities , Sydney Carton invites him to dine.

"...Carton, who smelt of port wine, and did not appear to be quite sober, laughed then, and turned to Darnay: "This is a strange chance that throws you and me together. This must be a strange night to you, standing alone here with your counterpart on these street stones?" "I hardly seem yet," returned Charles Darnay, "to belong to this world again." "I don't wonder at it; it's not so long since you were pretty far advanced on your way to another. You speak faintly." "I begin to think I am faint." "Then why the devil don't you dine? I dined, myself, while those numskulls were deliberating which world you should belong to - this, or some other. Let me show you the nearest tavern to dine well at." Drawing his arm through his own, he took him down Ludgate-hill to Fleet-street, and so, up a covered way, into a tavern. Here, they were shown into a little room, where Charles Darnay was soon recruiting his strength with a good plain dinner and good wine: while Carton sat opposite to him at the same table, with his separate bottle of port before him, and his fully half-insolent manner upon him..."

Dickens Is Said To Have Favoured This Corner When He Visited The Cheshire Cheese.

POLLY THE WICKED PARROT

Before you leave Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, it is worth looking above the till (cash register) in the bar to the right of the pub's entrance.

In a glass case, you can catch a view of "Polly" the Cheese's famous - or should that be infamous? - ex-parrot.

In the early 20th century, this parrot achieved international celebrity status because of its abilities of imitation. Visitors to London would make a point of dropping in at the Cheshire Cheese in order to make Polly's acquaintance.

It was also renowned for its colourful language - its extensive vocabulary having been acquired from soldiers who visited the pub whilst on leave during Word War One!

You can read a full account of the life and escapades of Polly the Parrot here.

Polly The Infamous Parrot.

Leave Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and turn left along Wine Office Court. At its end, go right along Fleet Street and cross it via the traffic lights pedestrian crossing.

Turn left on its other side, go right along Whitefriars Street and turn first left into the wonderfully named:-

HANGING SWORD ALLEY

"The scene was Mr. Cruncher's private lodging in Hanging-sword-alley, Whitefriars: the time, half-past seven of the clock on a windy March morning, Anno Domini seventeen hundred and eighty. (Mr. Cruncher himself always spoke of the year of our Lord as Anna Dominoes: apparently under the impression that the Christian era dated from the invention of a popular game, by a lady who had bestowed her name upon it.) Mr. Cruncher's apartments were not in a savoury neighbourhood, and were but two in number, even if a closet with a single pane of glass in it might be counted as one. But they were very decently kept. Early as it was, on the windy March morning, the room in which he lay abed was already scrubbed throughout; and between the cups and saucers arranged for breakfast, and the lumbering deal table, a very clean white cloth was spread..."

As Hanging Sword Alley opens up into a wide court, turn left, pass through Hood Court, and turn right along Fleet Street. Just before the bus stop, pause outside the Sainsbury's Local shop, on the wall of which is a blue plaque marking the site of the offices of:-

BRADBURY AND EVANS

Founded by and named for William Bradbury (1799[1]-1869) and Frederick Mullett Evans (1804[2]-1870) in 1830, Bradbury and Evans were printers for the first ten years of their existence, in which capacity they undertook work for Chapman and Hall, the publishers of Dickens early works.

In 1841, they purchased Punch magazine, and, in so doing, became publishers in their own right.

In 1844, Dickens broke with his original publishers, Chapman and Hall, and decamped to Bradbury and Evans who were then his publishers for the next fifteen years.

But, in 1857, following his separation from his wife, Catherine, Dickens asked that they publish a statement he had written in defence of his actions towards Catherine in Punch. Bradbury and Evans refused to do so, arguing that personal marital issues had no place in a satirical magazine.

Dickens was furious at what he saw as their betrayal of him, and he duly wrote to Frederick Evans to tell him that he could have no truck with someone who had been so "false" to him under the greatest wrong he had ever known.

From that point on he began winding down his association with Bradbury and Evans, breaking with them completely in 1859, after which he returned to Chapman and Hall.

he never spoke to Bradbury again, and vowed that he would, likewise, never have anything more to do with Evans.

Unfortunately, his eldest son, Charley, had become romantically involved with Evans's daughter, Bessie. When the two married a few years later, Dickens point blank refused to attend because the reception would be held at Evans's house.

Bradbury and Evans were also the publishers of William Makepeace Thackeray. From January 1847, they published his Vanity Fair in the periodical format that Dickens had popularised.

The Plaque For Bradbury And Evans.

Continue to the traffic lights at the end of Fleet Street, go left and cross Fleet Street, keep straight ahead on the other side, passing to the right of the M &S Simply Food Shop, and go next left into St Bride's Lane.

At it's top, go right along Shoe Lane and keep ahead to the point where it becomes St Andrew's Street.

Construction work is currently making this section of the walk a bit of a nightmare to negotiate, but soldier on - it will be worth it!

On arrival at St Andrew's Street, go right over the road and veer left into the continuation of Shoe Lane, which passes under the red bridge ahead.

THE SITE OF FAGIN'S LAIR

To the right of this grimy, shabby thoroughfare once stood Field Lane, which is where Fagin's den was located in Oliver Twist .

It was swept away by the Holborn Valley improvement when Holborn Viaduct, the world's first flyover, which crosses over Shoe lane, was built in the late 1860's.

Field Lane As It Was When Dickens Wrote Oliver Twist.

At the end of Shoe lane, turn right along Charterhouse Street, and walk up to the traffic lights. Pause and look across at the church tower of St Andrew's Holborn:-

ST ANDREW'S CHURCH

Bill Sikes and Oliver Twist pause to look up at the clock of the church, just as you are doing, as they set out to rob the house at Chertsey.

Taking a time-check on the clock, Sikes says to Oliver, "it's hard upon seven! You must step out."

The Church Of St Andrew's, Holborn.

With your back to the church, cross over Charterhouse Street towards the Nat West Bank. Go left on the other side, cross over Hatton Garden, and veer left, to keep ahead along Holborn.

Keep walking until you arrive at the soaring red brick pile of the Prudential Building.

Turn right through its gates and cross to the tiny porch on the opposite side:-

THE SITE OF FURNIVAL'S INN

The Prudential Building stands on the site of Furnival's Inn, where Dickens lived from 1834 to 1837.

During this time he began Pickwick Papers the work that set him on the road to literary fame.

Furnivals's Inn As It Was When Dickens Lived There.

A TRAGIC START TO PICKWICK

The book was actually the idea of Robert Seymour (1798–1836), one of the most popular comic illustrators of the 1830s. In the autumn of 1835, he approached the publishers Chapman and Hall with a series of sketches he had drawn depicting the mishaps of a group of comical cockneys known as the "Nimrod Club".

The publishers, who had asked several authors to write the captions without success, contacted the young journalist Charles Dickens, who was starting to make a name for himself with his Sketches.

From the outset Dickens was determined to keep overall control of the project, which was re-named Pickwick Papers , much to Seymour's consternation.

On 17th April, 1836, Dickens invited Seymour to "take a glass of grog’ at his lodgings in Furnival's Inn." The meeting, the only time the two men actually met, was tense, as Dickens demanded that Seymour change one of his illustrations. Dickens tried to be conciliatory, but Seymour, having suggested that a younger and more adaptable artist might "suit Mr Dickens better", cut the meeting short and left.

A few days later, having worked on the new designs as requested, he left a note of apology to "the best and dearest of wives", went into his garden shed, and shot himself through the heart.

Dickens moved quickly to recover from the blow of Seymour's death and set about finding a new illustrator. Among those who expressed an interest was William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–63), who would later become Dickens's chief rival amongst the Victorian literati. However, the job went to Hablot Browne (1815–82) who, having adopted the pseudonym "Phiz" to match Dickens's "Boz", remained Dickens's principal illustrator for the next 23 years.

Whilst living here Dickens married Catherine Hogarth and when Pickwick Papers proved a great success he was able to move to a large house that befitted his new-found wealth and status.

A somewhat raddled looking bust of Charles Dickens gazes dolefully out from a perspex case.

The Bust Of Charles Dickens.

Return to Holborn, turn right and keep ahead over Gray's Inn Road and keep ahead along High Holborn.

Continue, passing the Cittie of Yorke Pub, which, if open, is well worth stopping off at for a libation and to enjoy its truly Dickensian ambience.

A little way past the pub, turn right into Fulwood Place, and keep ahead to pass through the gate at its far end, and step into another of London's Inns of Court, Gray's Inn.

A DEPRESSING INSTITUTION

To the modern eye this is a delightful piece of bygone London, but Dickens was particularly unimpressed by it.

"Indeed", he wrote in The Uncommercial Traveller, "I look upon Gray's Inn...as one of the most depressing institutions in brick and mortar, known to the children of men."

Either there has been a great deal of change since he wrote those words, or else the drudgery of the 18 months he spent working as a clerk here clouded his judgment! But, more of that later.

Gray's Inn.

Turn right once you have passed through the gate, keep ahead through the covered passage, and, on its other side, pause to admire:-

GRAY'S INN SQUARE

In Pickwick Papers , Mr Pickwick hurries to the square early one morning to consult with the lawyer Mr. Perker. Describing the scene in Gray's Inn Square, Dickens wrote:-

"It still wanted ten minutes to the hour when he had ascended the staircase on which Perker's chambers were. The clerks had not arrived yet, and he beguiled the time by looking out of the staircase window. The healthy light of a fine October morning made even the dingy old houses brighten up a little; some of the dusty windows actually looking almost cheerful as the sun's rays gleamed upon them. Clerk after clerk hastened into the square by one or other of the entrances, and looking up at the Hall clock, accelerated or decreased his rate of walking according to the time at which his office hours nominally commenced; the half-past nine o'clock people suddenly becoming very brisk, and the ten o'clock gentlemen falling into a pace of most aristocratic slowness. The clock struck ten, and clerks poured in faster than ever, each one in a greater perspiration than his predecessor. The noise of unlocking and opening doors echoed and re-echoed on every side; heads appeared as if by magic in every window; the porters took up their stations for the day; the slipshod laundresses hurried off; the postman ran from house to house; and the whole legal hive was in a bustle."

Gray's Inn Square As Dickens Would Have Known It.

Turn right, and keep ahead through the covered passageway and cross South Square, to pause outside Number 1 South Square, which was once:-

THE OFFICE OF ELLIS AND BLACKMORE

In 1827, Ellis and Blackmore, Solicitors, occupied "a poor old set of chambers of three rooms.." in this building.

It was here that Charles Dickens came to work in May 1827.

In those days it was No 5 Holborn Square, and it is the only building in the immediate vicinity to have survived the bombs of World War II.

So little has changed that you can just picture the "good looking and clever" young boy, his "healthy pink – almost glowing" complexion, expressive eyes and beautiful brown hair, worn long, as was then the fashion..." stepping across its threshold on his first day of employment.

Evidently the office comic, Dickens used to delight his fellow clerks with his talent for mimicry, whilst his knowledge of London, even at the age of 15, was both impressive and unrivalled.

One of his amusements was to drop cherry stones from the second floor offices onto the hats of passers-by below. Should anyone complain he would confront them "with so much gravity and with such an air of innocence, that they went away.."

The Office Where Young Dickens Worked.

With your back to Number 1, backtrack across South Square and pass to the left of:-

GRAY'S INN HALL

As with the majority of the buildings in the vicinity, the dining hall of Gray's in underwent a great deal of restoration as a result of bomb damage in the Second World War. However, the restoration was tastefully done and, in consequence, you would hardly know that this wasn't the entire original building as it was when it was constructed in the first half of the 16th century.

The hall has many literary connections, chief amongst them being the fact that it was, reputedly, the venue for the first performance of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors in 1594.

Go through the covered passage to the left of the hall, then turn first left through the covered passageway and pass by the beautiful Gardens of Gray's Inn on your right.

A little past the gardens, turn right and keep ahead to Raymond Buildings, making your way as far as number one.

ELLIS AND BLACKMORE AGAIN

Ellis and Blackmore moved to number one (rebuilt after World War 2 bomb damage) in December 1827 and Dickens remained with them until November 1828.

The desk at which he worked is preserved in the Dickens House Museum, to which you will shortly be making your way.

It was whilst working here that Dickens began to learn shorthand and, by 1829, he had become a shorthand writer in Doctor's Commons.

But his experiences at Ellis and Blackmore would resurface time and again in his fiction. Indeed, in the firm's petty cash book, now preserved in America, can be found such names as Weller, Bardell and Rudge, all of which he would use later in his novels.

Keep ahead through the gate, turn right along Theobald's Road and, a little way along, cross it (with extreme caution) using the central reservation.

Veer right on the other side, then go left into John Street.

Cross to its right side and keep ahead into Doughty Street.

Keep ahead until, on the right, you come to:-

THE CHARLES DICKENS MUSEUM

48 Doughty St, London WC1N 2LX.

Opening Times: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, last admission 4pm.

THREE FRUITFULL YEARS

Dickens moved to this fine old Georgian house - which is now the Charles Dickens Museum - in March 1837, just as he was starting to find success as an author.

Whilst living here, he finished Pickwick Papers , wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby and began work on Barnaby Rudge .

By the time he moved out, in December 1839, he was famous throughout the world.

His daughters Mary and Kate were born here, and it was whilst living here that he cemented his life long friendship with John Forster.

It was the largest house he had lived in so far, and his domestic situation was, for a time, idyllic.

The Charles Dickens Museum, Doughty Street.

THE DEATH OF MARY HOGARTH

But, on 7th May, 1837 the idyll was shattered in a way that would affect him personally and professionally for the rest of his life.

His beloved sister-in-law, Mary Hogarth, collapsed in the early hours of the morning – doctors later diagnosed heart failure – and she died that afternoon in Dickens's arms.

The distraught Dickens removed a ring from her finger and wore it for the rest of his life. "Thank God she died in my arms," he said shortly after her death, "and the very last words she whispered were of me."

Instead Dickens and Catherine went to the wilder reaches of Hampstead to recover from the shock of their loss.

Mary Hogarth.

THE IMPACT OF HER DEATH

Professionally, the immediate effect of her death on him was that he was unable to write the next installments of Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist .

But, in the years ahead, Mary Hogarth would be reincarnated time and again in his novels, becoming the all too perfect heroines such as Rose Maylie in Oliver Twist , Florence Dombey in Dombey and Son , Agnes Wickfield in David Copperfield , Lucy Manette in A Tale of Two Cities and, most famously, Little Nell, the unbelievably saccharine heroine of The Old Curiosity Shop .

As an article in The Dickensian Magazine put it in 1937, on the centenary of her death, "[Mary Hogarth] is part of the world's literature".

Her death may even have stunted his emotional growth, leaving him with an idealized image of womanhood, which must have affected his relationship with Catherine. As time and years of child bearing took their toll on Catherine Dickens, she was more and more unable to live up to his ideal.

For the rest of his life, Dickens would search for a new Mary Hogarth, and, it could be said, that the seeds of the later collapse of his marriage were sown in the room in Doughty Street where she died.

THE HOUSE SAVED FROM DEMOLITION

In 1922, The Dickens Fellowship rescued the house from demolition and, a few years later, opened it to the public.

It is now a treasure trove of relics and articles that depict his life and times and is the perfect place at which to end your tour of Dickens London.

Incidentally, if you want to have a bite to eat or a cup of tea or coffee before visiting the house, or beginning your journey home, you can enjoy the delightful little cafe at the rear of the house, with its lovely and tranquil little garden in which you can sit and relax after your morning or afternoon's exploration.

Our Charles Dickens Tour Of London Will Give You Great Expectations

Follow in the footsteps of Charles Dickens for a lovely day out with an (Oliver) Twist at every corner and plenty to unpack.

“A day in London sets me up and starts me”, wrote Charles Dickens in 1846. Old Charlie never got to experience the joys of the Central Line on a Monday rush hour, or he might have said something rather different. Still, no writer is connected so intricately with London as Dickens, and since today ( February 7 ) happens to mark what would have been his 212th birthday, we might as well celebrate him by telling you about this handy Charles Dickens tour of London.

1. Visit the Dickens Museum

Yeah, it’s an obvious start, but 48 Doughty Street is where some of his best works were written, and where he began to hit the heights of fame. Oliver Twist , The Pickwick Papers , and Nicholas Nickleby were all penned here, and it contains first editions, letters, and even his old writing desk. Hosting tours, talks, and special events, the Dickens Museum is surely worth a visit.

48 Doughty Street, WC1N 2LX.

2. Browse in The Old Curiosity Shop

Even if it wasn’t the inspiration for a Dickens novel, this place would still be fascinating. The Old Curiosity Shop was built from the timbers of old ships , and stoically weathered the Great Fire of London and the Blitz. It makes for a pretty nice present, too: Charles II reportedly gave it as a gift to one of his mistresses. It’s most recently been a shoe shop stocking some truly bizarre creations, the place is worth a visit if you’re in the Holborn area. However, the shop currently sits unused as it is temporarily closed , but it is expected to be let out as another shop. Still, it’s a good sight to tick off on your Dickens tour of London.

13-14 Portsmouth Street, Holborn, WC2A 2ES.

3. Wander around Seven Dials

Nowadays, Seven Dials is filled with tourists and theatregoers. However, back in Victorian times, the area was a notorious slum, filled with scoundrels, thieves, and prostitutes. Dickens roamed the filthy alleys of Seven Dials, writing portraits he’d put into his first major work, Sketches by Boz . The only remnant of this time is The Escapologist , a cocktail bar with a decidedly Victorian theme. Having said that, the scandalous crowd that once patronised the local taverns are nowhere to be seen. Goddamn gentrification!

4. Take a trip to Broadstairs

When you’re a Victorian author writing about poverty, crime, and the miseries of London life, you’re going to want a decent holiday. Charles got his by escaping to Broadstairs , a lovely seaside town less than two hours from London. Stay at Bleak House , the stately house in which the author wrote David Copperfield , and visit yet another museum dedicated to him. If you visit in June , the town throws a Dickens Festival , which seems like a jolly good excuse to lark about in Victorian garb. Finally, stop at Morelli’s; Dickens definitely never visited, but this ice cream parlour makes a mean sundae.

Trains to Broadstairs run regularly from Cannon Street, Victoria, and St Pancras.

5. Drink in a Victorian pub

Dickens was a noted drinker, and as a result, if a London pub can trace its history to Victorian times, it will also claim he drank there. Our roundup of London’s oldest pubs found several claiming to have played host, but the two with the strongest connections are The George in Southwark and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in Fleet Street . The former earned itself a mention in Little Dorrit , whilst the latter has a colourful history that wouldn’t be out of place in a Dickens novel. The top floor was formerly a brothel, and their resident parrot Polly was known to shout “fuck the Kaiser” when prompted. Sometimes, life really is stranger than fiction.

TYPE IN YOUR SEARCH AND PRESS ENTER

A Self-Guided Tour through Charles Dickens London with GPSmyCity

This completely unique itinerary of a self-guided tour through London created in collaboration with GPSmyCity.com ! GPSmyCity makes iOS and Android apps that feature self-guided tours for 470 cities around the world . The City Walks Apps are super easy to use and the perfect tool for your next city trip. I only recently discovered these apps and I think they are great!!

Are you a young professional? Are you cash poor as well as time poor? Well so am I. Trust me, neither of those are a good reason to give up on your dream of exploring the world. I always preach that the best way to travelling is to start local. It is so easy to oversee all the wonderful sites that lie right on your doorstep. We become so blind to our own surroundings. Please don’t be a couch potato! You might not have a big adventure planned for this weekend , but that is no reason to stay at home. Instead, pop on some comfortable shoes and rediscover your local surroundings. I promise you will be surprised by what you find.

DISCOVER GPSMYCITY

My favorite way to explore a new place is by walking through it. You discover parts of the area you would otherwise miss should you only travel by car or public transportation. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when you simply need to get from Point A to Point B. Walking is not always an option. But then again, I don’t like to live my life in a hurry and talking a walk is always a good way to slow your pace down. You will never be short on options for guided tours in London . You are truly spoilt for choice. I have participated in many and believe that they are a great way of getting to grips with a city. It is also a very social activity to partake in. But maybe you prefer exploring at your own pace. Or maybe your purse strings are tight and you can’t really afford a guided tour. Or maybe you have been on them all and are looking for something a little different. Instead, you could take a self-guided tour crafted by a local without having to follow a schedule or look like a sheep following a tour guide waving a silly flag so you don’t get lost. If this sounds like you, you might want to check-out GPSmyCity. GPSmyCity makes iOS and Android apps that feature self-guided tours for 470 cities around the world. Each city app comes with detailed tour route maps and powerful navigation features to guide you from one sight to the next. No need to hop on a tour bus or join a tour group; now you can explore all of the best attractions on your own, at your own pace, and at a cost that is only a fraction of what you would normally pay for a guided tour. The City Maps and Walks apps from GPSmyCity are broken into categories so you can choose to go on a shopping tour, eating tour, drinking tour, history tour, gardens tour, or more! Each city has different categories all created by locals with insider knowledge. A detailed walking route map and turn-by-turn walking directions are provided for each walk. So you can confidently “lose yourself” on your trip, but not get lost along the way. What’s great about this is it is designed to work offline without internet connection. So you don’t need to purchase mobile data plans or don’t have to worry about worry about paying roaming charges when traveling to foreign countries. This is a must have for all travelers!

A LITTLE INTRODUCTION TO CHARLES DICKENS

  Born in Portsmouth in 1812, Charles John Huffam Dickens was the second child to arrive in a big family of his father, a Naval clerk. At the age of three, Dickens traveled to London along with his family, upon which two years later they moved to Chatham in Kent. Starting circa 1840 until his death in 1870, Dickens remained the most famous and popular writer in the world. He authored some of England’s iconic literary characters. The writer spent most of his life in London enjoying an affluent middle class lifestyle. This self-guided tour took us to some of the most notable places in Dickens’ London.

1# OUR DEPARTURE POINT: HOSTEL CLINK 78

Last week I was invited to stay at hostel Clink 78 , in return for a review. As luck would have it, this fit right into our plans of following one of GPSmyCity’s self-guided tours of London – the Charles Dickens Walking Tour. Set in a two-hundred-year-old courthouse in the vibrant area of King’s Cross, Clink78 mixes elegant Victorian architecture with unique and colourful interior design. Many of the original features remain. The old magistrates’ courtrooms now house communal lounge areas, guests sit at pews in the TV room and some bedrooms occupy former cells. Staff are quick to point out that Charles Dickenson  – one of Britain’s most famous authors – once worked here as a court scribe.  

2# WESTMINSTER ABBEY – LAST RESTING PLACE OF CHARLES DICKENS

Because of our initial starting point (Clink Hostel 78), we decided to follow the tour in reverse order. This is the beauty of the self-guided tours from GPSmyCity. You can choose in which order and at what speed to visit the suggested sites. You can even skip the ones that you aren’t interested in – nobody will judge you. It is completely and entirely up to you. Our first pit-stop on the self-guided tour of Charles Dickens’ London: Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still monarchs of the Commonwealth Realms. According to a tradition first reported by Sulcard in about 1080, the Abbey was first founded in the time of Mellitus, Bishop of London, on the present site, then known as Thorn Ey (Thorn Island). The Abbey’s two western were built between 1722 and 1745 by Nicholas Hawksmoor, constructed fromPortland Stone to an early example of Gothic Revival Design. A small stone with a simple inscription marks the grave of Charles Dickens, famous English novelist, in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey. Dickens died at his house, Gad’s Hill Place, near Rochester in Kent and it was presumed that he would be buried at Rochester Cathedral. But public opinion, led by The Times newspaper, demanded that Westminster Abbey was the only place for the burial of someone of his distinction. Charles Dickens was buried on the 14th June. Only twelve mourners attended, made up of family and close friends, together with the Abbey clergy. Each year on the anniversary of Dickens’ birth a wreath is laid on the grave. To the west of Dickens lies George Frederick Handel (d.1759), the great composer, on the east author Richard Brinsley Sheridan (d.1816), on the south Richard Cumberland (d.1811) dramatist, and, later on, to the north were buried the ashes of Thomas Hardy (d.1928) and Rudyard Kipling (d.1936). Address: The Chapter Office, 20 Dean’s Yard, Westminster Abbey, London SW1P 3PA, England

3# WARREN’S BLACKING – CHARLES DICKENS’ FIRST JOB

When Dickens’ father was jailed at the Marshalsea Debtors’ Prison, his parents decided to send Charles, 12 at that time, to work at Warren’s Blacking warehouse on the Strand, producing boot polish. The job was offered by a relative, James Lamert, the warehouse’s manager, who knew about the family’s financial dire straits. Dickens’ job implied wrapping up jars of polish with paper, securing each with a string, and then attaching a printed label. He had to support himself on a weekly pay of six shillings. Dickens worked here from February to June 1824 and left – contrary to his mother’s wishes but at the insistence of his father (who  by that time had been freed) – to go to school at the Wellington House Academy for another few years. The former location of Blacking Factory is now occupied by London’s Charing Cross Station. Address: Charing Cross, Westminster, London WC2, England

4# SEVEN DIALS – A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR CHARLES DICKENS

Lying between Covent Garden and Soho is the small cobbled-street area known as Seven Dials. It’s a great place for shopping without having to pay high London prices and is also a small slice of the history of the capital. The area is made up of seven streets and yards, which were once a part of the St Giles Rookery – a slum area frequented by the poor, criminals and prostitutes. However, when Thomas Neale laid out the designs in 1690 and gave his name to a street and a yard, he had visions of turning the area into an upper-middle-class part of the city. His original drawings centred on the central part of the area, a square where six streets would converge, and here he set up a pillar bearing six sundials. Shortly before the completion of the work, a seventh street was added, but although the name Seven Dials caught on, a 7th sundial was never added to the pillar. In 1773, the Town Council removed the column, supposedly for repairs, but in truth to try to disperse the “unsavoury elements” that used the central place as a meeting point. This didn’t noticeably reduce the crime rate but gave the locals something to talk about. Seven Dials was long synonymous with poverty and crime – a black hole to most Londoners. Dickens was fascinated with the area and stormed it with pen and paper. Dickens first book (published in 1836) However, when Thomas Neale laid out the designs in 1690 and gave his name to a street and a yard, he had visions of turning the area into an upper-middle-class part of the city. His original drawings centred on the central part of the area, a square where six streets would converge, and here he set up a pillar bearing six sundials. Shortly before the completion of the work, a seventh street was added, but although the name Seven Dials caught on, a 7th sundial was never added to the pillar. In 1773, the Town Council removed the column, supposedly for repairs, but in truth to try to disperse the “unsavoury elements” that used the central place as a meeting point. This didn’t noticeably reduce the crime rate but gave the locals something to talk about. Seven Dials was long synonymous with poverty and crime – a black hole to most Londoners. Dickens was fascinated with the area and stormed it with pen and paper. Dickens first book (published in 1836)  Sketches by Boz, follows a fictional narrator, Boz, who roams the metropolis and observes its neighborhoods, people and customs. Charles Dickens detailed and lively description of Seven Dials brings the early 19th-century London vividly back to life.   Eventually, as often happens, the”unsavoury elements” lost interest in the place and moved on to more prosperous areas, where the pickings were easier. Gradually Seven Dials became a popular meeting place for students. Pubs and shops were either renovated or opened. The pillar was replaced by a copy of the original in 1988. Today the area attracts millions of tourists every year. Shops on Monmouth Street sell all sorts of luxury goods and Earlham Street’s shops specialiSe in vintage and street-style clothes.

Pop into Neale’s Yard Dairy on Short’s Garden to find 50 varieties of cheese. If by now you are feeling a little peckish, head to Neale’s Yard. Here you will find an Herbal Remedy Shop and several great pubs and restaurants. We had lunch at Homeslice Pizza. this restaurant offers huge 20in pizzas topped with unusual ingredients, available whole for £20 or by the slice for £4. The short menu changes occasionally with only nine or so different topping combinations available at any given time. A 20in pizza is a massive undertaking, so share it with your partner. You can even choose two different toppings if you ask nicely. Address: Seven Dials, greater London, WC2H 9DD, England

5# LINCOLN’S INN FIELD

Lincoln’s Inn Fields is the largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, “the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in developing London”, as Sir Nikolaus Pevsner observes. In Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House, the sinister solicitor to the aristocracy Mr Tulkinghorn has his offices in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and one of its most dramatic scenes is set there. The description of his building corresponds most closely to Lindsey House. After a spell as a patent agency, Lindsey House, together with the neighbouring buildings at 57-58, which includes some features designed by Sir John Soane, has become home to the leading civil liberties barristers chambers – Garden Court Chambers. Address: Lincoln’s Inn Fields, City of London, WC2A 3ED, England

6# 48 DAUGHTY STREET – CHARLES DICKENS OLD HAUNT

A year after their marriage, Dickens and his wife Catherine moved into this three-story house on a private street in an affluent part of London. The move was made possible by the early success of “The Pickwick Papers” and his ensued fame. 48 Doughty Street was very spacious, especially compared to their tight accommodation at Furnival’s Inn. Charles Dickens and his wife lived in 48 Doughty Street for two years, from 1837 to 1839. This last standing London residence of the Dickens family escaped demolition courtesy of the Dickens Fellowship, who renovated the home and opened in its quarters the Dickens House Museum in 1925. The main rooms have retained the arrangement befitting Dicken’s period. Among the museum’s exhibits are the writer’s letters, manuscripts, first editions of his best-known novels, paintings, and furniture – including the desk he used during public readings of his work. Several days a week, visitors are allowed to physically handle the displayed items. Address: 48 Doughty Street, Camden Town, London WC1N 3LX, England

7# GRAYS INN – CHARLES DICKENS PRIVATE CLUB

Established in 1569, Grays Inn is one of four inns – the other three are Lincoln’s Inn, the Inner, and Middle Temples – where British barristers undergo training. Prior to becoming a barrister a student must join the inn, pass their exams, and dine at the inn a certain number of times. The Inn is both a professional body and a provider of office accommodation (chambers) for many barristers. It is ruled by a governing council called “Pension”, made up of the Masters of the Bench (or “Benchers”), and led by the Treasurer, who is elected to serve a one-year term. Gray’s Inn and the other three Inns of Court remain the only bodies legally allowed to call a barrister to the bar, allowing him or her to practice in England or Wales. Gray’s Inn is known for its gardens (or “Walks”), which have existed since at least 1597. Having existed for over 600 years, Gray’s Inn has a long list of notable and honorary members. Charles Dickens worked here as a clerk whilst briefly playing with the idea of pursuing a legal career. Dickens mentions Gray’s Inn in several of his novels, including David Copperfield and the Pickwick Papers. Address: Gray’s Inn Square, Greater London, WC1R 5AH, England  

8# STAPLE INN

You will be totally charmed by the 7-gabled roof and rather crooked black and white timber-framed façade of Staple Inn to be found on the South side of High Holborn. It is the last surviving Inn of Chancery and the earliest reference to it was in 1292 when it was a covered market called “Le Stapled Halle”. It was a wool staple building where wool was weighed and taxed. In the 13th century, when King Henry III decreed that no institutes of legal education could exist within the City of London and papal decree forbade the clergy to teach law, the lawyers  and law students gathered in the small village of Holborn, as near as possible to the Palace of Westminster and met to do business in several inns. These inns later became the four famous Inns of Court, institute of the legal profession. In 1414 lawyers and law students formed the “Grand Company of Fellows of Staple Inn”. A new hall was built in 1580 and in 1586, the Inn was established as a medieval school of primary legal training. Over the centuries, the building has been renovated many times, but always in keeping with the original design of the inn. The current Hall has beautiful stained-glass windows commemorating the Norman merchant market, the early fellows of the Inn, monarchs and judges. The ground floor is rented out to restaurants and shops, whose signage, because the building is Grade I Listed, is sober and discreet. Address: Staple Inn, Camden, WC1V, England  

9# FURNIVAL’S INN

Together with his brother Frederick, Charles Dickens resided at Furnival’s Inn from 1834 till 1837. This Inn, originally part of the Inns of Court group of buildings, accommodated law students from the 14th to the 19th centuries. After The Society of Furnival’s Inn left in 1817, the building underwent reconstruction in 1818-1820. Dickens started working on “The Pickwick Papers” whilst lodging at the Inn, where he settled out of necessity after having to repay his father’s debt in Dickens started working on “The Pickwick Papers” whilst lodging at the Inn, where he settled out of necessity after having to repay his father’s debt in order to prevent him from going back to prison. Although he lived in scanty conditions, Dicken’s was particularly prolific during this period of time. He was introduced to London’s most important literary circles and subsequently married Catherine Hogarth. Dicken’s life at Furnival’s Inn is commemorated in this place with a bust and a plaque attesting to his presence. Address: 26 Furnival Street, London EC4A 1JS, England  

10# DOCTOR’S COMMONS – NOT ONE OF CHARLES DICKENS FAVOURITE PLACES

Nearby St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the Doctors’ Commons used to house all sorts of legal and religious documents, such as marriage and divorce certificates and wills, as well as the society of ecclesiastical lawyers who handled them. Dickens dedicated a sketch to the work of the Doctors’ Commons, whilst on a trip there, that was later published in “Sketches by Boz”. The piece describes, in Dickens’ typical witty manner, the proceedings of several cases held in Dickens dedicated a sketch to the work of the Doctors’ Commons, whilst on a trip there, that was later published in “Sketches by Boz”. The piece describes, in Dickens’ typical witty manner, the proceedings of several cases held in the Court of Arches, the supreme court of the Archbishop. Contrary to the favourable interpretation of the Commons in stories of Sherlock Holmes – who found it useful for solving crimes – Dickens’ own account of this body of law is less benign and says much about Victorian society. The building doesn’t actually exist anymore and we had a little trouble finding it’s location. A plaque set on the Faraday building on the north side of Queen Victoria Street marking the site on which the now demolished Doctor’s common once stood. Address: Faraday Building, Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4BU, England Address: Staple Inn, Camden, WC1V, England  

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ABOUT KATHARINA

Katharina is the founder, editor, photographer and the main travel writer at A Life Beautifully Travelled. She created this British family travel blog in 2017 to document her adventures around the globe with her husband. Born in Munich, Germany she has since lived in Dusseldorf, Paris, Glasgow, and London. She currently resides in Yorkshire with her family.

Katharina started travelling in her early teens and has explored over 4 continents, 16 countries, and 87 cities. Growing up trilingual and having graduated from an international school, she has a strong interest in other cultures. When she isn’t gallivanting around the globe or busy in her 9-to-5 job as an architect, she can be found exploring the UK (the country she currently calls home). There isn’t much Katharina, her husband and their son Finn love more than a fun family weekend getaway.

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16 thoughts on “A Self-Guided Tour through Charles Dickens London with GPSmyCity”

Bristol using IOS please 🙂

I would choose Frankfurt on iOS 🙂

Berlin is my favorite city. I would like it for IOS

Paris would be a nice city to choose for IOS

I would choose Paris on IOS

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