London Serial Killers – The Blood and Tears Walk

London’s darkest stories unfold in places you might otherwise hurry past: a churchyard, a courthouse, a narrow alley, and a quiet street near Fleet Street. The Blood and Tears Walk focuses on serial killers beyond Jack the Ripper, linking grim crimes to real London locations and the courts where some of the cases were heard.

I like the unusual route, which covers corners of the City and Holborn that most sightseeing walks skip. I also like the interactive approach, from profiling questions to a horror-film poll and a psychic experiment in a particularly unsettling alley. The main caution is pace: you walk about 2 miles, or 3.2 kilometers, in roughly two hours, often briskly.

Key points to know before booking

• Ten serial killer stories in two hours: The walk covers a wide range of cases, with Jack the Ripper as only one part of the evening.
• Led by Declan McHugh: The guide is the author of Bloody London and brings his own theory about the identity of Jack the Ripper.
• A genuinely interactive format: You may be asked to profile killers, identify a key clue, vote on horror films, and take part in a psychic experiment.
• A route through lesser-seen London: Stops include St. Bartholomew the Great, the Old Bailey, Fleet Street, and several small courts and alleys.
• Brisk and outdoors in all weather: Wear suitable clothing, arrive early, and allow extra Underground travel time.
• Best for mature true-crime fans: The minimum age is 12, and the subject matter includes murder, grave-robbing, and disturbing behavior.

Why this London crime walk feels different

Many London crime tours lean heavily on Jack the Ripper. This one gives him about 15 minutes, then moves through nine other stories involving murderers from different periods and backgrounds. That wider scope gives you a better sense of how crime, medicine, policing, courts, and public fear shaped the city.

Declan McHugh leads the walk. He wrote Bloody London, and the tour reflects that author-led approach. He does not simply point at a building and recite a short fact. He builds a case, asks you to think about motive and evidence, and adds side notes about London history.

The style will suit you if you enjoy a strong storyteller who keeps the group involved. Several parts ask for an answer, a judgment, or a reaction rather than requiring you to listen silently for two hours. That can make the evening lively, though one person may find the schoolroom-style questions too forceful. The tone is enthusiastic and sometimes theatrical, with humor used to stop the material becoming relentlessly bleak.

At $27.74 per person, the price is fair for a two-hour guided walk in central London. You are paying for a researched presentation, live entertainment, and access to places you could visit on your own without understanding their connection to crime. The value is strongest if you want stories and interpretation, not just a stroll past landmarks.

Starting beside St. Bartholomew the Great

The meeting point is at Underground Ltd on Aldersgate Street, near Barbican, with a 7:00 pm start. Plan to arrive early. The guide specifically advises adding 20 minutes to your Underground journey because of frequent train delays, and that is sound advice if you do not want to begin the evening running through London streets.

The first stop is the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great. Here, Declan tells the story of an uncaught killer who murdered a six-year-old girl, then, seven years later, killed a seven-year-old girl inside Barbican Station. The focus is on the similarities between the crimes and the profile of the person responsible.

This opening sets the tone quickly. It is not a gentle introduction to London’s past, and families should think carefully about the subject matter even though children aged 12 to 14 are permitted when accompanied by an adult. The church itself gives the story a sense of place, but admission to the interior is not part of the tour.

Grave-robbing beside Holy Sepulchre London

A short walk brings you to Holy Sepulchre London for a five-minute stop about the grim economics of dead bodies. The subject is grave-robbing and the relationship between body snatching, medical training, and serial killing.

This is one of the more useful historical links in the walk. It moves beyond the identity of individual murderers and looks at the world that allowed bodies to become valuable commodities. The reference to doctors at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital gives the story a local connection and shows how medicine could intersect with criminal activity.

The stop is brief, so do not expect a full history of medical dissection in London. Instead, treat it as a sharp piece of context before the tour turns toward the Old Bailey.

Four killers connected to the Old Bailey

The Old Bailey, officially the Central Criminal Court, is one of the most important legal buildings on the route. Declan tells you about two serial killers who faced trial there, then returns to the court later when discussing two more.

The first case involves a killer who appeared at the Old Bailey twice. He helped send an innocent man to his death before later confessing to multiple murders of women. That story raises difficult questions about false testimony, legal failure, and the damage caused when authorities believe the wrong person.

The second concerns a murderer who killed 13 women and caused fear for more than five years. The stop lasts only eight minutes, so the emphasis is on the most striking elements of each case rather than a full courtroom narrative.

Later, at Portugal Street, you hear about a killer who murdered 15 boys and men, along with a woman described during the tour as perhaps the most dangerous woman in the world. Grouping several cases around the Central Criminal Court helps you connect the crimes to the machinery of justice, rather than treating them as isolated horror stories.

A horror-film pause on Printer Street

Printer Street provides the evening’s lighter break. Declan asks the group to vote on the scariest horror films, then reveals the top ten choices collected over 23 years of the tour.

This six-minute interlude works as a reset. The subject has been grim, and a conversation about movies lets you breathe before the next Victorian crime story. There is also an amusingly odd detail in the voting history: one film was recommended by 2,000 men but not a single woman.

Declan adds a personal recommendation for a 60-year-old cult horror film that is available free on YouTube. You do not need to be a horror expert to enjoy this part, but it will appeal most if you like comparing fictional scares with real crime.

A forgotten killer on Red Lion Court

At Red Lion Court, you hear the story of a little-known Victorian serial killer who murdered on two continents and lived in London. The guide presents it as a dramatic true story with several turns, then finishes with a question that very few people answer correctly.

This is a good example of the tour’s appeal beyond famous names. If you already know the standard Jack the Ripper material, the lesser-known cases may be the strongest reason to book. The stories are chosen for their unusual details and surprising outcomes, not only for their place in popular culture.

The stop lasts about ten minutes. Since the tour covers a large amount of material in a short period, you should expect a headline account rather than an academic lecture. Declan’s Bloody London book is available for $10 cash or PayPal at the end, with a personal message in each signed copy, if you want more detail afterward.

Jack the Ripper near Fleet Street

At Hare Place, just off Fleet Street, the tour turns to Jack the Ripper. This is not a standard walk to Whitechapel murder sites. Instead, Declan takes you to the place where his own suspect lived and explains why he believes this man was the killer.

That distinction matters. You are hearing a specific argument, not a claim that the mystery has been settled. Declan’s theory receives a full chapter in Bloody London, and the presentation asks you to judge the evidence and profile the suspect yourself.

This section also contains the hardest question of the evening. According to the tour information, only about one person in 500 gets it right. That challenge may be fun if you enjoy puzzles and forensic reasoning, but it could feel like pressure if you prefer a quiet, conventional history walk.

The alley at St. Dunstan in the West

The stop at St. Dunstan in the West is designed for atmosphere. You enter a narrow, dingy, isolated alley and hear about two devious serial killers who operated nearby. The guide also conducts a psychic experiment based on a murder scene.

This is likely to be the most theatrical part of the evening. The tour warns that the place can feel especially unpleasant in darkness and during the colder months. The setting, rather than a grand building or famous monument, does much of the work.

Keep your expectations sensible. A psychic experiment is entertainment, not proof of supernatural ability or a substitute for evidence. Still, it gives the group something active to do and may be memorable if you enjoy spooky settings. If enclosed, gloomy spaces make you uncomfortable, this is the point most likely to test you.

Your turn at the Royal Courts of Justice

At the Royal Courts of Justice, the format becomes deliberately mysterious. Declan calls this your section but does not explain the activity in advance.

The lack of detail is intentional, so there is not much to prepare. Expect another interactive moment rather than a long architectural talk. The courts provide an impressive setting for a conversation about justice, punishment, and the public fascination with murder cases.

Because the walk moves quickly, you may not have time to study every building in detail. If photography matters to you, simply ask for a moment after the guide finishes speaking at a stop. The tour instructions specifically say that photos are fine when requested.

Portugal Street and the final courtroom cases

Portugal Street brings back the two cases introduced earlier at the Old Bailey. One concerns the killer of 15 boys and men. The other involves the woman described as possibly the most dangerous woman in the world.

Repeating the connection is useful because it ties the route together. You are not hearing ten unrelated anecdotes. The courts, streets, hospitals, and living quarters form a loose map of how these crimes intersected with London.

The short seven-minute stop cannot offer every detail. What it does well is keep the pace moving and maintain the tour’s broad range. You might leave with several names to research rather than one single case explained from every angle.

Ending at the Princess Louise pub

The walk ends at the Princess Louise, a Victorian pub at 208 High Holborn, close to Holborn Underground station on the Central and Piccadilly lines. The pub is known for its Victorian interior, making it a pleasant final setting after two hours outside.

Before you relax with a drink, Declan tells one last story about a well-known British serial killer. The detail is described as something not included in the usual books and documentaries, and the source was the head of forensics involved in the case, who attended the tour.

That final anecdote is deliberately designed to leave an impression. You may hesitate before walking into the pub after hearing it, which is rather the point. Afterward, you can buy a signed copy of Bloody London for $10, paid in cash or through PayPal.

Pace, weather, and group size

The advertised duration is about two hours, and the route covers roughly 2 miles. The walking is mostly on flat ground, but the guide keeps a brisk pace so he can fit ten serial killer stories into the evening.

That pace has divided opinion. Some people find it comfortable, while others struggle to keep up, especially in bad weather or when trying to stop for photos. I would not book this if you have significant mobility or health issues, and the operator specifically advises against it for people in their 70s because of the speed and distance.

The walk operates in all weather. Wear shoes suitable for city pavement and bring rain protection. In summer, it may remain light for much of the tour and can feel hot across the full two hours. In winter, darkness adds atmosphere but also makes warm clothing more important.

Bookings can include up to 20 people, while the activity itself may have as many as 45 people. That is worth checking at booking if you strongly prefer a small group. A larger crowd can make audience interaction harder, especially in narrow streets, though Declan’s questions and speaking style are intended to keep everyone involved.

Who will enjoy the Blood and Tears Walk?

I would choose this for:

• True-crime followers who already know the famous London cases.
• Horror fans who enjoy film discussions alongside real crime.
• Visitors seeking an unusual evening activity outside the usual royal and museum circuit.
• Families with older teenagers, provided everyone is comfortable with disturbing material.
• People who enjoy a guide with a strong personal viewpoint and an interactive style.

I would choose another tour if you want a relaxed walk, long photography stops, or a gentle introduction to London history. The stories involve children, murder, grave-robbing, and brutal behavior. The humor helps vary the tone, but it does not make the subject suitable for everyone.

The tour has a 4.9 rating from 672 ratings, with 97 percent of customers recommending it. That strong response fits the experience’s clear strengths: Declan’s energy, his command of the subject, the unusual route, and the way he gets the group thinking. It also helps explain the occasional criticism. His direct questions and schoolteacher-like manner will charm some people and irritate others.

Should you book this London serial killer tour?

Book it if you want a fast-moving evening of true crime, unusual London locations, and live storytelling. The strongest parts are the lesser-known Victorian cases, the Old Bailey connections, the personal Jack the Ripper theory, and the eerie alley near St. Dunstan in the West.

Before paying, make three decisions. Are you happy walking 3.2 kilometers at a brisk pace? Can you handle graphic and unsettling material? Do you enjoy being asked questions in front of a group? If your answers are yes, $27.74 is a reasonable price for a distinctive two-hour experience.

Arrive early, allow extra Underground time, dress for the weather, and do not count on a slow stroll. For the right audience, this is a memorable way to see a less familiar side of London, with enough strange facts and open questions to keep the conversation going long after you leave the Princess Louise.

FAQ

How long is The Blood and Tears Walk?

The tour lasts approximately two hours and covers about 2 miles, or 3.2 kilometers.

What time does the tour start?

The tour starts at 7:00 pm.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at Underground Ltd, Aldersgate Street, Barbican, London EC1A 4JA.

Where does the tour end?

It ends at the Princess Louise pub at 208 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EP. Holborn Underground station is about 60 seconds from the pub.

What is the minimum age?

The minimum age is 12, and this rule is strictly enforced. Children aged 12 to 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Participants aged 15 and over are classed as adults.

Is the tour suitable for someone with mobility problems?

The tour operator advises choosing a different tour if you have mobility or significant health issues. The pace is fairly brisk, and the route covers about 2 miles.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The tour operates in all weather, so you should dress appropriately. The operator also advises allowing an extra 20 minutes for Underground travel because of possible train delays.