HobNob Tours
Exclusive Private Walking Tours

 

Would you love a separate tour of both the St James' and Westminster areas but simply don't have the time to do both?  If that is the case, why don't you book this tour which showcases the highlights of both areas in about 3 hours.

​

If you read the detail of one of the other tours displayed on this website called St James', 'London's Royal Village', you will be able to see the detail of that tour.  On this, more condensed version, we still see the two royal palaces, St James' and Buckingham,  where so many significant events in the lives of the royals have taken place; we still wander beside, or through, Green Park and St James' Park and we still see some of the ancient and exclusive shops which have flourished for centuries.  But instead of finishing the St James' tour, we head off towards Westminster to see the iconic sites which surround Parliament Square.

 

First up is Westminster Abbey, when a thousand years ago, a king called Edward the Confessor decided to build a countryside home and next to it a huge church to ensure he went to heaven!  The church became an abbey which still stands today, albeit with a few changes!  The next stop is Deans Yard, one of the quietest spots in the centre of town en route to College Green to hear the fascinating history of the Houses of Parliament and its neighbour, Westminster Hall.  Together with the Abbey, these three iconic buildings surround Parliament Square.  

​

From there, Banqueting House is a short walk along Whitehall where, had we been standing there 375 years ago, we would have witnessed the execution of Charles I following the Civil War.  Immediately opposite are the Horse Guards buildings where there's a chance to see the box men with their horses guarding the gates to the official entry point to Buckingham and St James' palaces, symbolic only nowadays!   Walking through the archway of the Horse Guards buildings we arrive at a parade ground like no other where two ancient ceremonies take place, the daily Changing of the Guard and the Trooping of the Colour which is an annual event.  Exactly what is trooped and what are the colours, you will find out on this Hobnob tour!

​

Finally, walking via The Mall, the ceremonial route leading to Buckingham Palace, we arrive in Trafalgar Square where our tour will end beside Nelsons Column taking pride of place in London's largest square.

​

Apart from seeing so many iconic buildings, this tour emphasizes how history is often about the 'what ifs'!  If it wasn’t for Edward the Confessor getting fed up of the rats, dirt and vice of the City of London, we wouldn't have Westminster Abbey or the Houses of Parliament – think of that; no bell ringing on New Year’s Eve!  And if George IV hadn’t moved the Royal Mews to Buckingham Palace, we wouldn’t have Trafalgar Square with Nelson on top of his column and the lions at his feet. 

 

There are so many questions to be answered.  What legacy did William Rufus, the son of William the Conqueror who invaded Britain in 1066, leave behind?  Which king was tried for treason in Westminster Hall?  Which birds have lived on the ornamental lake in St James’ Park since the 1660s and which regiments have guarded the monarch from the same date?  You’ll find answers to all of these questions and more on this fascinating tour.  Don't miss it!

 

This tour starts about halfway along the Colonnade of the Ritz Hotel on Piccadilly beside a sign on the wall which reads 'Ritz Club'.  If it is scheduled on the day of your tour and you would like to, we could time the start to fit in with the Changing of the Guard ceremony.  This is pageantry at its very best and we view parts of the proceedings from two or three different places so it is quite fun moving quickly from one to the other to catch the action!  Just a warning, though, even if the ceremony is scheduled to go ahead, there's no guarantee it will!  It can get cancelled at a moments notice!

​

​

​

​

 

​