This is probably the last time I will be organising a PEPYS’ LONDON Tour, as Simon and I have done it a few times now, so if you haven’t joined us for this one yet, or would like a reminder, please do join us for an early autumn afternoon walk through history! We’d love to see you!

The second half of the 17th century saw some of the most tumultuous events in British history. One extraordinary man witnessed the turmoil and recorded much of it in his famous diaries … that man was SAMUEL PEPYS.

Our walking tour, led by Simon Whitehouse, takes us from the Tower of London (in which Pepys was imprisoned briefly) through Restoration London to the oldest wine house in the City, which predates the Great Fire of London and where Pepys himself may well have enjoyed a drink or two.

With his well- thumbed ‘Diaries’ to hand, Simon will take us to visit Pepys’ ‘own church’ where he and his wife, Elisabeth, are buried and we’ll hear about Pepys’ remarkable life as we wander through medieval alleys significant to his life and where the plague and fire raged. We’ll hear about Pepys’ contemporaries, including Sir Isaac Newton and Sir Christopher Wren, and about his passions and weaknesses – which could explain why he wrote his diary in code!

As Simon guides us through the familiar streets of Pepys’ London, we also learn about fashions, politics and religion and discover how Pepys rose to the position of Chief Secretary to the Admiralty as London rose phoenix-like from the ashes of the Great Fire to become one of the greatest cities in the world today.

We end our tour at the oldest wine house in the city, an ancient listed building that pre-dates the Fire of London and from where it is thought smugglers used a tunnel to smuggle goods to and from the river. Pepys would have enjoyed a drink with friends at the wine house, and appropriately this is where we finish the tour, taking a look in the cellar where we can still see the entrance to the smugglers’ tunnel.

You are most welcome to stay for a drink or cup of tea/coffee at the pub after the tour, I’m sure some of us will be doing so!

Image credit: Main image & street image – Sue Stamp/Diaries and portrait of Pepys by John Hayls (1666) – wikicommons images