Trafalgar Square circular

London Walk

Maps

Walk Route Description

This walk includes many points of interest many of which are not on the usual 'tourist trail'. The walk can be commenced at any point on the route but Trafalgar Square does offer a convenient starting place.

Trafalgar Square is usually busy with tourists and initial orientation can be confusing for a newcomer. To make sure you start correctly stand at the foot of Nelson's Column with your back to the plinth and look towards Big Ben. Turn left and cross onto the north side of the Strand. Continue along this major London street soon passing Charing Cross Station on your right. Reaching the Adelphi Theatre (the first of many London theatres passed on this walk) cross to the south side of the Strand and continue past the Savoy Hotel where you may just get a glimpse of someone rich and famous!

Cross over the approach road to Waterloo Bridge and continue along the Strand to reach the church of St. Clement Danes located on a traffic island. Now the central church of the Royal Air Force there are statues of Lord Dowding, victor of the Battle of Britain, and Sir Arthur (Bomber) Harris, Marshall of the RAF outside its western front. Shortly after this church on your right is the original Twinings tea shop with a rather nice frontage with the Royal Courts of Justice opposite. A short way further on is the Temple Bar Memorial and it here where the Strand becomes Fleet Street and you enter the square mile of the City of London.

Just after Temple Bar cross to the north side of Fleet Street and then turn left down Chancery Lane. On your left are some of the many historic buildings that form Lincoln's Inn which provide the professional home for the practicing bar. Continue north to reach High Holborn. Turn left and then left again down an alley named Great Turnstile. Go straight ahead to enter the pleasant square of Lincoln's Inn Fields with the Victorian Gothic Great Hall on your left.

Turn right and walk along the south side of the square continuing into Sardinia Street to reach Kingsway. You need to cross this busy road and head slightly left into Kemble Street which leads you to Covent Garden with the Royal Opera House on your right as you cross Bow Street. Covent Garden is always busy with many shops and street performers to keep you busy.

Walk through the old market hall to reach a forecourt. Turn right and then left into King Street. Continue along New Row and cross St Martin's Lane into St. Martin's Court. Cross over Charing Cross Road into Bear Street to reach Leicster Square the 'cinema capital' of London. Cross Leicester Square to reach Wardour Street. Turn right and then left into Gerrard Street which is the heart of Chinatown. The sights, sounds and smells are in complete contrast to streets visited earlier on this walk and provide an interesting but brief view of the orient.

Near the end of Gerrard Street turn left into Gerrard Place to reach Shaftesbury Avenue. Turn left and continue to Piccadilly Circus with its iconic statue of Eros. Care is needed with navigation here but you need to continue south on Haymarket and then left into Pall Mall East to reach Traflagar Square. Although this is the end of the walk some time spent exploring the Square is recommended especially if you did not linger before starting this walk.

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