A group of  London Blue Badge Tourist Guides have created a website World War One Walks and a marketing programme to attract people who are interested in learning more about the Great War through walking tours. They have committed to building this initiative across the whole country and for the full five years of centenary commemorations.

15 walks have already been scheduled or run in central and suburban London, Windsor and Manchester. Now they are keen to expand the programme nationally so that more people will benefit. The walks are public events that are attracting business from local residents, corporate and travel trade, as well as schools and universities. Currently only English language walks are offered  but foreign-language tours are possible and the group intends to promote the growing range of walks to schools and other organisations as private tours.

Examples of current walks include:

Central London:

Whitehall At War – Embankment to Westminster Abbey

“Zeppelin!” Terror Over London – Holborn to Liverpool Street

Suffragettes and the Women’s War – Westminster Tube to Buckingham Palace

Last Journey of the Unknown Warrior – Victoria Station to Westminster Abbey

The Lion’s Roar – Green Park to Marlborough House via the Hyde Park Corner Commonwealth war memorials  

Suburban London:

Finchley Goes To War

Shepherds Bush’s Armageddon

Michael Collins and Ireland’s Great War Agony (Hammersmith)

Manchester:

Manchester’s Great War

Manchester’s Southern Cemetery Armed Forces Tour

Windsor:

Windsor at War

For more information about these historical walks offered by Blue Badge Tourist Guides, check out the website for World War One Walks.

Manchester WW1 Walk, led by John Alker, outside the Manchester Regiment Chapel of Manchester Cathedral which contains a memorial to war poet Wilfrid Owen who was a 2nd lieutenant in the regiment. Photo: ©Sue Grimditch.<!–

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