London Serial Killers – The Blood and Tears Walk

This is not a standard Jack the Ripper stroll. Over about two hours, Declan McHugh leads you through streets near Barbican, the Old Bailey, Fleet Street, and Holborn while telling stories about ten serial killers, including several most visitors will not know.

I like the way the walk uses real locations rather than treating London as a backdrop. I also like the mix of grim case histories, audience questions, profiling challenges, and one unexpected horror-film interlude. The main drawback is clear: you walk about two miles at a fairly brisk pace, and the subject matter is graphic and unsettling.

Key things to know before booking

• Ten killers, not just Jack the Ripper: The tour covers a wide range of cases from London’s past.
• Declan McHugh leads the walk: He is the author of Bloody London and builds the tour around storytelling and audience participation.
• Expect a fast two miles: You need a moderate fitness level and should add extra time for Underground delays before the 7 pm start.
• The creepiest stop is a narrow alley: At St. Dunstan in the West, the group takes part in a murder-scene psychic experiment.
• Ages 12 and up only: Children aged 12 to 14 must attend with an adult.
• The ending is at the Princess Louise: This grand Victorian pub is close to Holborn Underground station, though the final story may make you hesitate before going inside.

A dark history walk through an overlooked part of London

The Blood and Tears Walk begins at Underground Ltd on Aldersgate Street, near Barbican, at 7 pm. From there, it moves through streets that many sightseeing itineraries skip. You see churches, courts, alleyways, and old corners of the City while hearing how crime, medicine, poverty, and the justice system shaped these cases.

The route covers about 3.2 kilometers. That distance is manageable for many people, but this is not a slow photo walk. Declan has ten stories to tell in roughly two hours, so the group keeps moving between stops.

That pace affects the experience in two ways. It gives the tour energy and allows you to cover a surprising amount of ground. At the same time, it leaves little room for lingering, photographs, or long pauses. If you want a relaxed walk with time to study buildings, this is not the best choice.

The tour is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. The price is about $27.74 per person, which I consider fair for a two-hour guided walk led by the author of Bloody London. You are paying for researched storytelling and a distinctive route rather than admission to attractions. Every stop listed has free admission, so the value depends almost entirely on Declan’s presentation.

St. Bartholomew the Great and the first unsettling case

The opening stop is the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great. Here, Declan tells the sad story of an uncaught serial killer whose first known victim was a six-year-old girl. Seven years later, a seven-year-old girl was murdered inside Barbican Station.

The point is not simply to name the victims or recount the crimes. Declan compares the two cases and discusses the killer’s behavior, asking you to think about patterns and the process of profiling. It gives the tour an interactive start rather than a lecture that you passively receive.

The stop lasts about eight minutes. That is enough time for the basic story and the comparison, but not enough for an extended discussion. You should expect a focused account, not a full investigation into every detail.

Holy Sepulchre London and the business of death

At Holy Sepulchre London, the subject shifts to the grim economics of dead bodies. Declan connects grave-robbing, serial killing, and the demand for bodies in medical education.

The nearby St. Bartholomew’s Hospital is part of the context. Doctors were willing to obtain bodies from people at the bottom of society, which created a market where the dead could be treated as valuable property.

This short, five-minute stop adds social history to the crime stories. It helps explain the conditions that allowed certain crimes to take place. If you come only for famous names and sensational details, this section may feel like a detour. I think it gives the walk useful depth because it shows that murder does not happen in isolation from the institutions around it.

The Old Bailey and four cases tied to one court

The Central Criminal Court, better known as the Old Bailey, is one of the route’s most important locations. Declan discusses two serial killers whose trials took place here, then returns later to two more cases connected with the same court.

The first story concerns 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 combination of false accusation, courtroom drama, and delayed confession gives the stop a strong legal angle.

The second case involves a killer who murdered 13 women and caused fear for more than five years. Later in the walk, you hear about one killer who murdered 15 boys and men, along with a woman described as possibly the most dangerous woman in the world.

The Old Bailey stop lasts about eight minutes, while the two additional cases receive their own treatment at Portugal Street. This structure works well because the court remains a thread running through several stories instead of becoming a single information-heavy stop.

Printer Street provides a needed change of mood

Printer Street offers a short break from the murders. Declan asks the group to consider the scariest horror films and shares a top-ten list based on votes collected over 23 years of running the tour.

This part is deliberately lighter. One unusual detail is that a film made the top ten despite being recommended by 2,000 men and not a single woman. Declan also gives a personal recommendation for a 60-year-old cult horror film that is free to watch on YouTube.

The six-minute interlude may not appeal to everyone. If you want nothing but true crime, you may see it as a distraction. I think it helps control the mood. Two hours of murder stories could become exhausting, and the film discussion gives the group a chance to participate without making light of the actual victims.

Red Lion Court and a killer who crossed continents

At Red Lion Court, Declan tells the story of a little-known Victorian serial killer who murdered on two continents and lived in London. He presents the case as a dramatic sequence with several twists, then ends with a question based on what you have just heard.

The story has the shape of a film, yet no movie has been made about it. That detail gives this stop a sense of discovery without relying on the usual famous names.

This is a ten-minute stop, one of the longer sections on the route. It gives Declan room to develop the case instead of rushing through a list of dates and victims. The final question also shows how the walk uses participation as part of its format. You are expected to listen closely and make connections.

Hare Place puts Jack the Ripper in a different frame

Jack the Ripper appears at Hare Place, just off Fleet Street. Rather than offering only the familiar Whitechapel story, Declan visits the place where his own suspect lived and explains why he believes this man was the killer.

That approach will suit you if you already know the standard Ripper material and want to hear a specific theory argued in detail. It may be less satisfying if you prefer the mystery to remain open or dislike guides presenting a personal suspect as the leading answer.

Declan also asks the group to profile the suspect. The section includes the hardest question on the tour, with a place on the walk’s Roll of Honour for anyone who gets it right. The claim is that only one person in 500 succeeds, so do not expect an easy quiz.

This is the longest stop at about 15 minutes. It is also the point where the tour most clearly becomes a shared game of deduction. You do not need prior expertise, but you do need to pay attention.

St. Dunstan in the West is the atmospheric high point

At St. Dunstan in the West, the group enters a narrow, dingy, isolated alley. Declan describes it as one of the creepiest places on the route, and the setting does much of the work. This is not a polished attraction with lighting and props. It is an uncomfortable urban space encountered after dark.

The group conducts a psychic experiment based on a murder scene. You also hear about two devious serial killers who operated in the area. The stop lasts about ten minutes.

This is where the experience shifts from historical storytelling to atmosphere. You may find the alley genuinely disturbing, especially during the darker months. The tour information warns that even tough adults have been shaken by the setting, so this is not a gentle ghost walk.

The psychic experiment is also interactive in a direct way. You are asked to react to the place, not simply listen to Declan describe it. If you dislike enclosed or gloomy spaces, keep that in mind before booking.

Royal Courts of Justice and Portugal Street complete the legal thread

The Royal Courts of Justice brings another interactive section, though Declan keeps its exact subject as a surprise. The stop lasts about five minutes and is designed to involve you rather than simply give you another case summary.

At Portugal Street, the tour returns to the two killers connected with trials at the Old Bailey. One murdered 15 boys and men. The other is presented as possibly the most dangerous woman in the world.

Together, these stops reinforce one of the tour’s strengths: it is not built around a single celebrity criminal. You hear about several cases, some familiar and some obscure, and the route links them to London’s courts and streets.

The tradeoff is density. Ten serial killers in two hours means the stories cannot all receive equal treatment. You will leave with a broad set of leads, but you may want to read more afterward if one case catches your attention.

Princess Louise offers a memorable final stop

The walk ends at the Princess Louise pub at 208 High Holborn, a short distance from Holborn Underground station on the Central and Piccadilly lines. The pub is known for its Victorian decor, which would normally make it a pleasant place to finish an evening.

But Declan saves one final detail about a well-known British serial killer. He says the information came directly from the head of forensics involved in the case and is not included in the usual books and documentaries about that killer.

That final story is intended to be especially horrible. If you planned to go straight inside for a drink, you may need a moment first. The contrast between the ornate pub and the grim account gives the tour a fittingly strange ending.

Declan also sells signed copies of Bloody London for £10, payable in cash or through PayPal. The book is optional, but it makes sense if you enjoy the walk and want more cases after leaving.

What Declan McHugh’s style means for you

Declan’s biggest strength is his command of the subject and his ability to tell a story with energy. He adds London history around the cases, uses humor carefully, and asks the group to participate through profiling questions, film votes, and reactions to the alley at St. Dunstan in the West.

That style will suit you if you like an active guide who speaks directly to the group. It may not suit you if you prefer a quiet, neutral delivery. A small number of people have found his approach too much like a schoolteacher, especially when he presses the group for answers.

The tour also includes some discussion of his book and website. This is a minor part of the two-hour walk, but if even brief promotion irritates you, it is worth knowing in advance.

Group size can vary. The booking information gives a maximum of 20 people per booking and a maximum of 45 people for the activity. A larger group may make it harder to hear or participate, so arriving early and staying near the guide is sensible.

Pace, weather, age limits, and timing

You must be at least 12 years old. Children aged 12 to 14 need an accompanying adult, while ages 15 and up are classed as adults.

The walk operates in all weather. Wear shoes suitable for about two miles on city streets and bring protection from rain. Summer evenings can remain hot for the full two hours, while winter darkness may make the alley section more intense.

The meeting point is on Aldersgate Street near Barbican. The start time is 7 pm, but you should allow at least 20 extra minutes for Underground delays. Do not plan a tight connection that gets you to the meeting point at exactly 7 pm.

You should also be honest about your walking ability. The route is fairly flat, but the pace is brisk. The experience is not recommended for people with significant mobility or health problems, and the guidance specifically advises against it for people in their 70s because of the speed and distance.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that period are not accepted for a refund.

Who should book The Blood and Tears Walk?

I would choose this for true-crime fans, horror enthusiasts, and repeat London visitors who want to see a less familiar part of the city. It is especially good for people who enjoy stories with courtroom details, suspect profiling, and unusual cases rather than only the best-known Ripper material.

Families with teenagers may also enjoy it, provided everyone is comfortable with the topic. The minimum age is 12, but the material includes murder, child victims, grave-robbing, and disturbing behavior. Parents should decide based on maturity, not simply the age rule.

I would skip it if you want a gentle evening walk, a slow photography tour, or a polished theatrical production. I would also skip it if you struggle to walk briskly for two miles, dislike audience questions, or find serial-killer stories upsetting.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want dark London history with a strong storyteller and are happy to keep moving. The price is reasonable for two hours of guided content, the route includes places you might otherwise miss, and the range of cases makes it more interesting than a single-subject Ripper walk.

Before booking, accept three conditions: the pace is quick, the subject is grim, and the experience depends heavily on Declan’s personal delivery. If those points suit you, The Blood and Tears Walk offers an unusual and memorable way to spend a London evening.

FAQ

Where does The Blood and Tears Walk start?

The tour starts at Underground Ltd on Aldersgate Street, near Barbican, London EC1A 4JA.

What time does the tour begin?

The start time is 7 pm.

How long does the walk last?

The experience lasts approximately two hours.

How far do you walk?

The route covers about two miles, or 3.2 kilometers.

Where does the tour finish?

The walk ends at the Princess Louise pub at 208 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EP. Holborn Underground station is about 60 seconds away and serves the Central and Piccadilly lines.

Is the tour suitable for children?

The minimum age is 12. Children aged 12 to 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Is the walk suitable for people with mobility issues?

The tour advises against booking if you have significant mobility or health issues because the pace is fairly brisk and the route covers about two miles.

Does the tour operate in bad weather?

Yes. The walk operates in all weather, so you should dress appropriately.

Is Jack the Ripper the only subject?

No. Jack the Ripper is one section of the walk. The tour covers stories about ten serial killers, including cases linked to the Old Bailey and other London locations.