Tales of Fleet Street: ink, drink, and Knights Templar
Sorry, this walk has already happened :(
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Fleet Street is one of London's most history-packed thoroughfares, famed as the crucible of the printed word in the UK - and notorious for its drunken debauchery since Chaucer's day... Named after the River Fleet - more sewer than waterway - it was home to England's first mechanised printing press in 1500 and went on to become the bustling hub of newspaper publishing in its 20th century heyday. Its many taverns have served thirsty writers like Dickens and Pepys for centuries.
Our walk will unearth Fleet Street's most fascinating stories - the high minded and the scurrilous - and end at Temple Church, the oldest church in the City, built by the mysterious Knights Templar of Da Vinci Code fame.
Join a lovely bunch of like-minded folk for this 90-100 minute walk on which we will discover:
- the eye-popping antics of the Nineteen Thirties 'Murder Gang' of crime correspondents
- the magnificent architecture of newspaper HQs
- what the eccentric, cat-loving Dr Johnson did for the English language
- the church spire that gave us an instantly recognisable design (clue: think Bake Off showstopper...)
- a rare surviving monk's cell from pre-Reformation days
We will end up in the 17th century tavern Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese for those who fancy a rewarding pint or lunch.
Meeting details: Caffe Nero, St Paul's Underground Station EC4, take exit for the Cathedral. Walk ends a short walk from Blackfriars or Chancery Lane tubes