The Lost City – Part 1 From Aldgate to Blackfriars

Join us for a fascinating walk through the hidden layers of the City of London, exploring Roman remains, vanished rivers, medieval churches, lost markets, and historic riverside lanes. We begin at Aldgate, where our first stop is the historic The Hoop and Grapes, a pub that has been located here since the 16th century. Nearby, we visit the impressive surviving section of London’s Roman wall at Vine Street, one of the City’s newest archaeological displays. [A Visit To London's New City Wall At Vine Street - Living London History](https://livinglondonhistory.com/a-visit-to-londons-new-roman-wall-museum/) We then continue to America Square and the Tower of London, where further remnants of the Roman wall and a medieval postern gate can still be seen. Our route next takes us to All Hallows by the Tower, founded in 675AD by Barking Abbey and one of the oldest churches in London, with Saxon origins. We will take a brief look inside. The walk continues past the site of the former Mark Lane Underground station, through the atmospheric ruins of St Dunstan-in-the-East, and on to the hidden church of St Mary-at-Hill. In the old cobbled lanes nearby stands the historic hall of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen, one of the City’s ancient guilds closely tied to the River Thames. Along Lower Thames Street we encounter the site of the old Billingsgate Market and the fascinating Billingsgate Roman House and Baths, which can usually be visited on Saturdays. [Billingsgate Roman House and Baths - City of London](https://www.thecityofldn.com/directory/billingsgate-roman-house-and-baths/) We then arrive at St Magnus the Martyr, the historic church standing beside the northern approach to old London Bridge. A weathered dark wooden column traditionally believed to have originated from a Roman dock stands beside it. After crossing the modern London Bridge, we reach the site of London’s original medieval trading port. Of interest is the Steelyard near Cannon Street, where merchants of the Hanseatic League maintained their London base between the 13th and 15th centuries. [Steelyard - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steelyard) This area is also where the lost rivers Walbrook and Fleet flow into the Thames. Having passed several forgotten sites of old London, we eventually arrive at the newly created riverside park built above the construction works for London’s “Super Sewer” project. [Old super sewer building site opens as new public space on Thames - BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7mnjxzekjo) Our walk concludes at the remarkable The Blackfriar, one of London’s finest Art Nouveau pubs. [Nicholson’s Pub in London | The Blackfriar](https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/london/theblackfriarblackfriarslondon?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb-homepage#/) **Please Note** * The walk is undertaken entirely at your own risk. * We will wait 5 minutes before starting. * Once the walk has begun, I will be unable to take phone calls and messages.