Bloomsbury Walking Tour: Hidden London & Georgian Shadows
Maxine's Walking Tours
Step beyond the guidebooks into Bloomsbury’s leafy Georgian squares, elegant townhouses, and hidden cobbled mews as you uncover the stories of the rich, the poor, the forgotten, and the Victorian philanthropists who tried to change their world. On this walking tour, you’ll hear tales of royal scandal, abandoned children, a world‑famous children’s hospital, and literary legends including J. M. Barrie and Charles Dickens. Discover where George III was treated for his “madness,” see the former home of Virginia Woolf, and visit the church where Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath were married, once known as the church of the chimney sweeps. You’ll also meet an unscrupulous property developer with a very strange name and step inside a grand hotel with remarkable links to the Titanic. Every stop reveals a different layer of Bloomsbury, from Georgian elegance to hidden histories and extraordinary human stories.
Departure Point
- Please arrive 10-15 mins before the tour starts. Please look for me outside the station, I will wearing a guide badge and holding an iPad.
Return Details
- The Brunswick Centre is a 5 min walk from Russel Square station and many bus routes, there is also a lovely array of shops and restaurants.
Duration
1 hour and 45 minutes
Languages Available
- Human tour guide - English
Points of Interest
Stop At: Russell Square Hotel
11 Bernard Street, England WC1N 1LN
Our first stop is at the Fitzroy Hotel, formally the Russell Hotel. Learn all about this beautiful Victorian building and it's stories linking it to the Titanic.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Marchmont Street
Marchmont Street, England
Set amongst Georgian terraces and independent shops and cafés, with an array of blue plaques overhead, stare down at the pavement and you’ll discover hidden trinkets symbolising the tokens mothers once left behind when handing their babies over to the Foundling Hospital.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Foundling Museum
40 Brunswick Square, London
Hear the story of how, in 1739, Thomas Coram—a sea captain and philanthropist—obtained a Royal Charter and established the Foundling Hospital for abandoned children living on the streets.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Queen Square
Queen Square, London, England WC1N
Queen Square was laid out in the 1700s and was built for the rich and powerful. Learn how all the residential buildings slowly turned into hospitals and how it ties into the madness of King George III
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Lambs Conduit Street, Camden, London
Lambs Conduit Street, London
Lamb’s Conduit Street is described as a charming, pedestrian‑friendly historic street dating back to Tudor times, renowned for its Georgian architecture, independent boutiques, and village‑like atmosphere.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Doughty Mews
Doughty Mews, England WC1N 2PG
Today, Doughty Mews is a picturesque, cobbled lane lined with million‑pound townhouses, but it began life as housing for the horses and servants of the wealthy families who lived on the neighbouring street.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Coram's Fields
93 Guilford Street, London
In 1739, Thomas Coram obtained a royal charter and established a hospital for abandoned children who were living in the streets as their mothers were unable to care for them.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Brunswick Square Gardens
B504, Bloomsbury, London
Hear how this square got its name, and learn all about the famous residents who lived around the square and a scandalous court case that involved the King!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Horse Hospital
Colonnade, Bloomsbury, London
Known at The Colonnade: dating back to the 19th century, learn about The Horse Hospital a stabling for cab drivers sick horses.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
Guilford Street, England WC1N 3BH
Hear the heartbreaking story of how the hospital was founded by Charles West who was appalled by the child mortality in the Victorian era and its links to Peter Pan
Duration: 5 minutes
Additional Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Guide
Voucher Info
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
The tour identified in this promotion is made available through Viator. Groupon is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Maxine's Walking Tours in connection with this deal. Please contact Groupon customer service for all inquiries related to this offer. Inquiries placed to Viator will be directed back to Groupon.
This offer is not eligible for promo codes.
Step beyond the guidebooks into Bloomsbury’s leafy Georgian squares, elegant townhouses, and hidden cobbled mews as you uncover the stories of the rich, the poor, the forgotten, and the Victorian philanthropists who tried to change their world. On this walking tour, you’ll hear tales of royal scandal, abandoned children, a world‑famous children’s hospital, and literary legends including J. M. Barrie and Charles Dickens. Discover where George III was treated for his “madness,” see the former home of Virginia Woolf, and visit the church where Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath were married, once known as the church of the chimney sweeps. You’ll also meet an unscrupulous property developer with a very strange name and step inside a grand hotel with remarkable links to the Titanic. Every stop reveals a different layer of Bloomsbury, from Georgian elegance to hidden histories and extraordinary human stories.
Departure Point
- Please arrive 10-15 mins before the tour starts. Please look for me outside the station, I will wearing a guide badge and holding an iPad.
Return Details
- The Brunswick Centre is a 5 min walk from Russel Square station and many bus routes, there is also a lovely array of shops and restaurants.
Duration
1 hour and 45 minutes
Languages Available
- Human tour guide - English
Points of Interest
Stop At: Russell Square Hotel
11 Bernard Street, England WC1N 1LN
Our first stop is at the Fitzroy Hotel, formally the Russell Hotel. Learn all about this beautiful Victorian building and it's stories linking it to the Titanic.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Marchmont Street
Marchmont Street, England
Set amongst Georgian terraces and independent shops and cafés, with an array of blue plaques overhead, stare down at the pavement and you’ll discover hidden trinkets symbolising the tokens mothers once left behind when handing their babies over to the Foundling Hospital.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Foundling Museum
40 Brunswick Square, London
Hear the story of how, in 1739, Thomas Coram—a sea captain and philanthropist—obtained a Royal Charter and established the Foundling Hospital for abandoned children living on the streets.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Queen Square
Queen Square, London, England WC1N
Queen Square was laid out in the 1700s and was built for the rich and powerful. Learn how all the residential buildings slowly turned into hospitals and how it ties into the madness of King George III
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Lambs Conduit Street, Camden, London
Lambs Conduit Street, London
Lamb’s Conduit Street is described as a charming, pedestrian‑friendly historic street dating back to Tudor times, renowned for its Georgian architecture, independent boutiques, and village‑like atmosphere.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Doughty Mews
Doughty Mews, England WC1N 2PG
Today, Doughty Mews is a picturesque, cobbled lane lined with million‑pound townhouses, but it began life as housing for the horses and servants of the wealthy families who lived on the neighbouring street.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Coram's Fields
93 Guilford Street, London
In 1739, Thomas Coram obtained a royal charter and established a hospital for abandoned children who were living in the streets as their mothers were unable to care for them.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Brunswick Square Gardens
B504, Bloomsbury, London
Hear how this square got its name, and learn all about the famous residents who lived around the square and a scandalous court case that involved the King!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Horse Hospital
Colonnade, Bloomsbury, London
Known at The Colonnade: dating back to the 19th century, learn about The Horse Hospital a stabling for cab drivers sick horses.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
Guilford Street, England WC1N 3BH
Hear the heartbreaking story of how the hospital was founded by Charles West who was appalled by the child mortality in the Victorian era and its links to Peter Pan
Duration: 5 minutes
Additional Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Guide
Voucher Info
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
The tour identified in this promotion is made available through Viator. Groupon is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Maxine's Walking Tours in connection with this deal. Please contact Groupon customer service for all inquiries related to this offer. Inquiries placed to Viator will be directed back to Groupon.
This offer is not eligible for promo codes.
Need To Know Info
14-day cancellation rights do not apply; no refunds or exchanges permitted. Voucher valid only for date and time listed; may not be exchanged or redeemed for other dates. Purchaser name and phone number must be provided at checkout; this information will be shared with Viator and the tour operator for purposes of order fulfillment. Groupon promo codes may not be used for this offer. Groupon voucher Terms of Sale do not apply. See the tour operator's terms and conditions for this offer here.
Offer is not eligible for our promo codes or other discounts.