Wren in the City walking tour

Join Open City for a walking tour marking 300 years since the death of the architect, scientist and polymath Christopher Wren — a man with an extraordinary and unique architectural legacy in the urban landscape of London.

To celebrate the achievements of Christopher Wren this fun and engaging walking tour led by — led by researcher Jessie French — is a fascinating and insightful wander from one corner of the Square Mile to the other, charting Wren’s role in the City’s transformation from smoldering ruin after the 1666 Great Fire to glittering, modern metropolis. We will wind our way through the City’s streets and alleyways, finishing at Wren’s masterpiece, St Paul’s Cathedral.

Passing by some of the City’s most recognisable landmarks, we will track Wren’s ideas, his inspiration and the constraints he had to deal with along the way. The tour will include amongst much else views of the impressive dome of St Stephen Walbrook, the unique Gothic spire of St Margaret Pattens and a close look at the hidden meanings behind the carvings on The Monument.

Providing a fun way for enthusiastic urbanists to explore the city, this tour will cover Wren’s unrealised plans for the city, other non-religious works such as the Temple Bar Gateway: the only surviving gateway into the City of London, and the long-lasting impact Wren has had on architecture right up to the modern day.

This Architecture of Wren in the City walking tour date is led by one of our expert guides Jessie French. Each of our tour guides will bring a unique perspective and wealth of experience to the topic.Occasional interior views are not guaranteed.