- Where?
- Dr. Johnson’s House, 17 Gough Square (off Fleet Street), The City
- When?
- Usually the first Saturday and third Friday of each month
- 2 PM to 3.15 PM
- Price?
- £12 · See cityoflondonguides.com
- There's no need to book in advance, just meet the guide outside Dr Johnson's House
- Parking:
- Nearby car parks
- Buses:
- 4, 8, 11, 15, 17, 23, 25, 26, 45, 46, 76, 172, 242, 341
- Bus fares
- Trains:
- The closest station is Temple Circle District
- Other nearby stations: Blackfriars and Chancery Lane
- Train fares
Samuel Johnson is best known for writing the first English dictionary, but Londoners also know him for his Georgian townhouse that still stands in Gough Square. He used to live round the back of Fleet Street and would have strolled down the Strand towards Westminster whilst chatting with his biographer, James Boswell.
Now you can follow in their footsteps and explore the streets that he called home.
There are two different walks to try, and they alternate every month.
The first walk is called Dr Johnson's Fleet Street and focuses on the little courtyards and alleys off Fleet Street. The tour will include Gough Square (where he lived), Temple Church, Temple Bar and Fleet Street itself.
The second walk is called Dr Johnson's City and explores a much wider area including the Fleet Valley, Ludgate Hill and St Paul's Churchyard.
Note: Even though it's not included in the price, you can't go on one of these walks and not visit Dr. Johnson's House. It's still standing in a little secluded court and has a cat statue out the front (Johnson famously had a cat called Hodges, which was awarded a statue outside his house instead of Johnson himself!). We recommend that you visit the house first, because this tour doesn't go inside it. Then you'll be able to get a much better idea of his life and career.
You might fancy having a drink in his local pub as well... Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese at 145 Fleet Street, just sixty seconds from Dr Johnson's House. The great man was said to be a regular in this 17th-century wood-panelled pub, so now you've got a good excuse to raise a glass to him before you go (you can pretend you're doing research). Tradition states that his favourite seat was on the ground floor to the right of the fireplace.
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