Plague and fire: a walking tour of Samuel Pepys's London
Thursday 9 August 2018 3.30 - 5.30pm
Meet outside the Citizen M Hotel, Trinity Square, by Tower Hill tube station, London EC3N 4DJ.
£36. Includes a glass of wine, beer or soft drink at the end of our tour.
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One extraordinary man was eye-witness to some of London’s most tumultuous events. Join our guided walking tour through Restoration London with Samuel Pepys and his famous diaries as our inspiration.
With the Civil War and the Restoration of Charles II, the 17th century saw some of the most extraordinary times in London’s history. Beginning at Pepys "own church", St Olave’s, where he and his wife Elizabeth are buried, our walk takes us into medieval alleys where we learn about how the plague killed tens of thousands and how, in 1666, the Great Fire raged throughout the city.
We discover the stories of several of Pepys’ contemporaries, including the philosopher Robert Hooke, mathematician, astronomer and physicist Sir Isaac Newton, and the architect Sir Christopher Wren. As the tour progresses we begin to build a picture of the events, politics, fashions and religion that shaped London as it rose phoenix-like from the ashes to become the international city of culture and commerce that it is today.
We end the tour with a drink at an historic tavern near The Monument, where Pepys may well have once enjoyed a glass or two himself.
The tour starts near the Citizen M Hotel, which is happy for you to use its facilities for tea and coffee should you wish to go there in advance of the tour.
This event will also be held on 23 August 2018.