This walk is packed with the best of London: great views, famous churches, ancient pubs and even a fantastic patisserie. John Curtin guides you along the capital’s historic streets
There’s a sense of theatre on this walk, which takes in the Actors’ Church, Covent Garden, the Royal Opera House, Freemasons’ Hall and also The Inns of Court. On the way, pass Bow Street, the site of London’s first police force, and the Sir John Soane’s Museum, and visit a Templar Church. Have a delicious lunch at Paul and quench your thirst at the 17th-century pub, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.
Leave London Waterloo by Exit 5, following the signs to “Hungerford Footbridge” to cross the Thames, and enter Embankment tube station. Take the exit to Villiers Street, at the end of which you cross the Strand and follow the sign, right, to Covent Garden.
On your left pass Coutts, then the Adelphi Theatre, with its 1930s art deco foyer, before turning left on Southampton Street to Covent Garden, where there are hundreds of shops and a piazza buzzing with entertainers. To visit St Paul’s—the Actors’ Church—go to the left of the piazza and into the churchyard. Plaques here commemorate theatrical and film greats such as Noël Coward and Charlie Chaplin. With your back to the church door, walk to Bedford Street, turning right to Paul, a patisserie serving tasty baked goodies.
Returning to the piazza, follow the signs to the Royal Opera House and visit the Floral Hall, a magnificent glass conservatory. If it is closed, take the lift to the Amphitheatre Bar and Café, open Monday to Saturday, noon to 3pm, and enjoy the views from the balcony.
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