podtour
Westminster: Parliament, the Abbey and Big Ben
You start on Westminster Bridge, where a poet saw a city without its smoke and whose sonnet carries a different date, then carry on beneath Big Ben, which is really a bell with a crack in it.
Whitehall and Trafalgar Square: Kings, Regicides and Admirals: audio walk in London
From the pelican park to Trafalgar: the morning England beheaded its king, the turncoat diplomat who gave his name to Downing Street, a bronze king hidden by a brazier, the cross of a Castilian queen, and Trafalgar seen from the San Juan Nepomuceno.
What this walk is about
You start by the lake where Charles II kept Russian pelicans and Balearic cranes, and pass the back of Downing Street, named after a diplomat who changed sides and sold out his old friends. On Horse Guards Parade you follow Charles I on the morning of 30 January 1649: an extra shirt so the cold wouldn't look like fear, a clock given away, and the drums. Before that, this was the tiltyard where Elizabeth I watched tournaments. Outside the Banqueting House you hear the groan of the crowd as a 17-year-old boy heard it, and how a laundress burned the whole palace down. Then the original Scotland Yard, the statue of the king that outlived his republic, hidden by a brazier, the cross of Eleanor of Castile and the regicides executed where it stood. In Trafalgar Square, Nelson above and, below, Captain Churruca, who had his flag nailed to the mast. You finish in front of a row of columns recycled from a demolished palace.
- Start
- Pelicans from Astrakhan and a crane with a wooden leg
- Finish
- Gaslight and the columns of Carlton House
- Who it is for
- A walk for History and politics lovers. A walk for anyone curious about royalty without the postcard.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level. The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
Pelicans from Astrakhan and a crane with a wooden leg
- 2
Downing, the chaplain who hunted his colonel
- 3
An extra shirt
- 4
The queen's tournament for twelve pence
- 5
The sound from the crowd
- 6
The laundress and the fire at Whitehall
- 7
Scotland in Whitehall
- 8
The king's statue hidden by a metalworker
- 9
A Castilian queen's cross and the regicides
- 10
The column and its matching lions
- 11
The captain of the San Juan Nepomuceno
- 12
Gaslight and the columns of Carlton House
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
London, before you go
London makes more sense an area at a time than as one vast walk. Neighbourhoods change pace within a few streets; the sky may change while you find the next one.
More walks nearby
Covent Garden and the Strand: Theatres, a Market and Scandals
You start in Seven Dials, the star of seven streets whose column vanished in 1773, and not for the reason you'll hear, in the old neighbourhood of gallows ballads; on Rose Street, a poet was beaten up over a poem he hadn't written.
Soho: Refugees, Musicians and the Cholera Pump
You start in Soho Square, with the statue of a king who spent sixty years in a garden on the outskirts, and the church of the French refugees who filled the neighbourhood.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.