This walk was created with commuters in mind, so they might avoid using public transport between Liverpool Street Station and Farringdon Station during the London 2012 Games. It is a pleasant and interesting walk and can equally be used by members of the public who wish to discover some of the older areas of the city, hidden amongst the new.
Route Developers: DfT staff Route Checker: Jennifer Sage
[1] On leaving Liverpool Street follow the signs for Old Broadgate (exit number 4). This takes you through a subway with a number of shops to pick up breakfast, lunch or a coffee. On exiting the subway, directly to your right is the Broadgate Ice Rink (A).
Optional detour: It is possible take a closer at the ice rink (via stair access). When finished, retrace your steps and continue.
[2] From the subway exit, veer to the left up the stairs / ramp to the pedestrian crossing on the corner where Eldon Street meets Blomfield Street. After the crossing continue down Blomfield Street, taking the first right into Finsbury Circus.
(B) Directly in front of you, you will find Finsbury Circus Park which is the oldest public park in London, which also has a bowling green.
Either walk through or around Finsbury Circus Park to the street on the opposite side, heading towards Moorgate tube station.
[3] Turn left onto Moorgate and continue walking along the road until the pedestrian crossing, (crossing Moorgate), where Moorgate meets the London Wall. As you walking down this road, you will pass the London Metropolitan University on your left and the Keats at the Globe pub on your right.
Moorgate was a gate (or 'postern') in the London wall, originally built by the Romans. It was replaced by a larger, newer structure in the 15th century. Even though the gate was demolished in the 1762, the name has remained in the City of London. Moorgate was also the birth place of John Keats, a poet in the English Romantic movement.
Continue walking straight ahead down London Wall, with Moor House building on your right, until you reach a public lift (on the right hand side, part of Moor House and before reaching Fore Street).
[4] Take the lift up. Turn left on exiting the lift onto St Alphage Highwalk. (Note: because of poor lighting this part of the walk may not be suitable for lone walkers during the evening).
This is just one of the raised highwalks built in the 1950/60’s, and was named after St Alphage church built in the 16th century. The church survived the great fire of London, but most was pulled down in 1923 leaving the church tower.
After The Plough (a pub) walk on the left side of the highwalk and follow the signs for the Museum of London (it is possible to see the Gherkin building in the distance directly behind you).
As you are walking along St Alphage Highwalk, you will find Michael Ayrton’s sculpture, The Minotaur, on your right, and remaining tower of the St Alphage church on your left. At various points you will see the remnants of the London wall which was built by the Romans in the late 2nd / early 3rd century.
[5] As you continue walking, St Alphage Highwalk becomes Bastion Highwalk, and you need to walk through the small shopping centre. Once in the shopping centre continue walking straight ahead until you leave the building, following signs for the Museum of London. Shortly after leaving the shops on your left you can see St Paul's Cathedral (which is dedicated to Paul the Apostle).
(D) The Museum of London was opened in 1976 and has galleries containing original artefacts, models, pictures and diagrams, with a strong emphasis on archaeological discoveries. Outside the museum is the John Wesley Conversion Place Memorial - The ‘Aldersgate Flame’. John Wesley (1703-1791) was a Church of England cleric who co-founded the Methodist movemnent with his brother Charles, and also opposed the slave trade.
[6] Walk past the Museum of London and keep walking along Nettleton Court (where you will currently find the photos from the 2011 UK Picture Awards displayed on the walls to your left). Take the second exit bridge on your left, and there are either stairs or a lift to return to ground level at the other end of the bridge.
[7] At the bottom of the stairs / lift turn right and take the first right into Aldersgate Street. Almost straight away, take the first turning on your right into Little Britain, and you will see St Botolph Church on the left hand side of the road.
(E) Part of St Botolph’s Church grounds form Postman’s Park, which is the location for George Frederic Watts' Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice, a memorial to ordinary people who died saving the lives of others. The park is named for the mailmen who sorted letters when a large post office stood just to the south of this area. Although access to the park is not via Little Britain, you can see part of the park as you walk down that street.
When you reach the next junction turn right and take the pedestrian crossing, and keep following Little Britain with St Bartholomew’s Hospital on your left hand side. Little Britain becomes a pedestrian footpath, but continue to follow it until you reach West Smithfield.
(F) As you leave Little Britain you can see the entrance to St Bartholomew’s the Great church on your right. This church is said to posses the most significant Norman interior in London.
[8] Directly opposite you in the central 'square' of the road are public toilets (full disabled access). Continue heading straight ahead along West Smithfield towards Smithfields Meat Market. As you are walking along you will pass the Butchers Hook and Cleaver pub (rated on www.beerintheevening.com and serves real ales). When you reach the end of West Smithfield, take the pedestrian crossing and walk along Grand Avenue which passes through Smithfield Market (caution, although access is restricted, look out for vehicles).
(G) Meat has been sold in Smithfield market for over 800 years making it one on the oldest markets in London.
[9] Take the pedestrian crossings once leaving the market and take the road which veers to the left, Cowcross Street, walking on the right-hand side.
Optional detour: St John’s Ambulance HQ / Museum of The Order of St John (aka St John’s Gate Museum) / Jerusalem Tavern
Take the first right from Cowcross Street onto Peter’s Lane, and turn left at the end onto St John’s Lane. Continue along St John’s Lane until you reach St John’s Ambulance Headquarters on your right and the museum’s arch directly in front of you. Before the arch, turn left, cross the road and continue down Briset Street. Take a right at the end and you will find the Jerusalem Tavern located on Britton Street (rated on www.beerintheevening.com).
To get to Farringdon Station from here, retrace your steps almost to Briset Street. Look to your right - on the opposite side of Britton Street there is an archway and footpath beneath buildings. Take this to a path junction where you turn left into a green space (steps here). Cross the green space diagonally to Benjamin Street and turn right along the road. (For a step-free route from the Jerusalem Tavern, walk along Britton Street to the junction with Albion Place/ Benjamin Street and turn right into Benjamin Street.) At the end of the road, turn left along Turnmill Street to reach Farringdon station at the next junction.
[10] For the main route, continue along Cowcross Street until you reach Farringdon Station.