London Serial Killers – The Blood and Tears Walk

London’s Blood and Tears Walk turns the City and Holborn into a crime file. Over roughly two hours, Declan McHugh leads you past courts, churches, alleys, and old streets while telling stories about ten serial killers, including Jack the Ripper and several far less familiar names. The route covers about 2 miles at a brisk pace, so this is a walking tour first and a talk second.

I like two things right away: the route reaches corners of London most sightseeing walks skip, and the program is more than a Jack the Ripper retelling. I also like the mix of grim stories, profiling questions, and one lighter stop about horror films. The main caution is clear: this is not a gentle stroll, and the subject matter is graphic and unsettling.

Key points to know before you book

• Ten serial killers in two hours: Expect a fast-moving program with many stories rather than one case explored at great length.
• Declan McHugh leads the walk: He is the author of Bloody London and uses questions, audience interaction, and story-telling throughout.
• The route covers about 3.2 kilometers: The pace can be demanding, especially in summer, rain, or crowded evening conditions.
• Jack the Ripper is only one section: You also hear about killers linked to the Old Bailey, Victorian London, and crimes across two continents.
• A genuinely eerie setting: A narrow alley near St. Dunstan in the West includes a psychic experiment and a murder story.
• The finish is atmospheric: The walk ends near the Princess Louise, a famous Victorian pub close to Holborn Underground station.

What the Blood and Tears Walk is really like

This is a dark-history walking tour built around Declan’s delivery. You move from place to place, stop for a focused story, then continue through central London. The stops are short, usually between five and fifteen minutes, so you need to enjoy a steady stream of detail.

The route begins near Barbican and ends around Holborn. Along the way, the streets provide the backdrop, but the main attraction is the guide’s account of the crimes. You are not simply looking at plaques or buildings. Declan asks you to assess suspects, remember clues, and think about how investigators and courts handled murder in earlier periods.

That interactive approach will suit you if you like being part of a conversation. It may not suit you if you prefer a quiet guide who speaks without asking the group to respond. One poor experience centered on the guide’s questioning style and felt too much like a classroom. That is a useful warning. The questions are meant as entertainment, but the format will not please everyone.

The tour is offered in English and begins at 7 p.m. It operates in all weather, so bring suitable clothing. London’s evening rain can make the walk less comfortable, and summer departures may still have plenty of daylight. Darkness adds atmosphere, but it is not required for the stories to work.

Barbican and St. Bartholomew’s: an opening case

The first stop, St. Bartholomew the Great, introduces an uncaught serial killer. The case begins with the murder of a six-year-old girl and continues seven years later with the killing of a seven-year-old girl inside Barbican Station.

Declan focuses on the similarities between the two cases and builds a profile of the suspected killer. This is a strong opening because it sets the tone without beginning with the most famous name in British crime. You quickly understand that the walk will look at patterns, behavior, and missed clues, not just repeat familiar headlines.

The church itself gives the first stop a weighty setting, though admission is not included because no ticket is needed. Expect about eight minutes here, then a quick move onward. If you want time for photographs, you need to ask during the walk rather than assume the group will pause.

Holy Sepulchre London and the business of bodies

At Holy Sepulchre London, the topic shifts from murder to the sinister economics surrounding the dead. Declan discusses grave-robbing, serial killing, and the role of doctors at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.

This short five-minute stop adds useful social context. Crime does not happen in isolation, and the demand for bodies to support medical study created ugly incentives. The story also shows how vulnerable poor people were in a period when medical education needed cadavers and ordinary families had few protections.

The stop is brief, but it helps explain why London’s crime history includes more than individual villains. Institutions, money, medicine, and class all enter the story.

The Old Bailey and four major court cases

The Old Bailey is the route’s strongest setting for legal history. This is the Central Criminal Court, one of the world’s best-known criminal courts, and several of the killers discussed on the walk were tried here.

The first case involves a man who appeared at the Old Bailey twice. He helped send an innocent man to his death before later admitting to multiple murders of women. That account raises difficult questions about false testimony, justice, and how investigators decide whom to believe.

A second case concerns a killer who murdered 13 women and spread fear for more than five years. The stop lasts about eight minutes, but the material reaches beyond the crimes themselves. You hear about the atmosphere of fear and the court process that followed.

Two more killers return later in the tour. One murdered 15 boys and men. The other is presented as a possible candidate for the most dangerous woman in the world. Saving those cases for Portugal Street gives the walk a sense of continuation, although the number of names can become hard to track. I would take mental notes or plan to buy Declan’s book if you want to remember every case.

Printer Street and a pause for horror films

Printer Street provides the walk’s lighter break. Declan asks the group to name the scariest horror films, then shares the top ten results gathered over 23 years of the tour.

This section lasts around six minutes and gives your mind a rest from real violence. It also reveals how people respond to fictional horror compared with actual crime. One unusual film in the long-running top ten has been recommended by 2,000 men and no women, according to Declan’s tally. He also recommends a 60-year-old cult horror film that can be watched free on YouTube.

The film section may sound like a detour, but it serves a practical purpose. Two hours of murder stories could become oppressive. The change of subject keeps the evening from turning into a grim lecture, and the audience participation is easy even if you are not a film expert.

Red Lion Court and a killer from two continents

Red Lion Court brings one of the more cinematic stories on the route. Declan tells the account of a little-known Victorian serial killer who lived here and murdered on two continents.

This is a ten-minute stop, long enough for a story with twists and a final question. Declan presents it as the sort of true case that seems made for a film, yet has never been filmed. The question at the end asks you to draw a conclusion from the evidence you have just heard.

I like this structure because it makes you listen closely. You are not only waiting for the next shocking fact. You are trying to work out the answer. That said, the interactive style depends on your mood. If you would rather stand quietly and take photographs, this part may feel more demanding than a standard sightseeing walk.

Hare Place and Declan’s Jack the Ripper theory

Jack the Ripper arrives at Hare Place, just off Fleet Street. Rather than offering a general tour of Whitechapel, Declan explains why he believes a particular man was the killer. That suspect receives an entire chapter in Bloody London.

The fifteen-minute section is one of the longest on the route. Declan asks you to use profiling skills and consider the case from his point of view. There is also a difficult question, described as the hardest on the tour. Only about one person in 500 is said to answer it correctly.

You should treat this as a theory, not a settled fact. The appeal is hearing the evidence behind a specific suspect and deciding how convincing you find it. If you already know the standard Jack the Ripper material, this focused argument may offer something new. If you are tired of Ripper tours, remember that this is only one part of a much wider program.

St. Dunstan in the West and the creepiest passage

The atmosphere changes sharply at St. Dunstan in the West. The group enters a narrow, dingy, isolated alley described as one of the most unsettling places on the route.

Here, Declan conducts a psychic experiment around a murder scene and tells the story of two devious serial killers who operated in the area. This ten-minute stop relies heavily on setting. The alley, evening light, and confined space do much of the work.

The warning is worth taking seriously: this is not a pleasant stop. People who enjoy haunted places and old crime scenes may find it memorable. If you dislike enclosed, dark, or emotionally heavy settings, you may prefer to wait nearby. The walk does not pretend that every moment will be comfortable.

Royal Courts of Justice and a surprise section

The Royal Courts of Justice brings another five-minute stop, though the details are deliberately kept back. Declan describes it as your section, suggesting an audience-led or unexpected part of the program.

That mystery can be fun, but it also means you cannot judge this stop by the written outline alone. Expect another shift in pace and subject rather than a long explanation of the building. The courts also help connect the walking route to the legal themes introduced at the Old Bailey.

Portugal Street and two more killers

Portugal Street returns to the two killers mentioned earlier. One murdered 15 boys and men. The other is described as possibly the most dangerous woman in the world.

This seven-minute section works as a late reminder of the tour’s scale. By this point, you have encountered cases from different periods, social settings, and parts of Britain’s criminal past. The cost of that range is that some stories receive only a few minutes.

If you want a single case studied in great depth, choose a specialist tour instead. If you like making connections between cases, the variety is a major strength.

Ending at the Princess Louise

The final stop is the Princess Louise pub on High Holborn, known for its Victorian interior. The tour ends with one last story about a well-known British serial killer and a particularly horrible piece of behavior that Declan says is absent from the usual books and documentaries.

He says the detail came from the head of forensics involved in the case, who once joined the tour. That claim adds an unusual personal link to the story, though the material remains part of a spoken tour rather than a museum display or formal archive presentation.

Afterward, Declan sells signed copies of Bloody London for £10 in cash or through PayPal. The pub is about 60 seconds from Holborn Underground station, on the Central and Piccadilly lines. You can continue your evening there, though the final story may make the cheerful Victorian interior feel slightly less inviting.

Pace, group size, and practical planning

The advertised price is $27.74 per person. For a two-hour guided walk covering ten killers and several legal and social-history themes, I consider that fair value if you enjoy true crime. You are paying for Declan’s research and presentation rather than entry to attractions, since the listed stops have no admission charge.

The group may be as large as 45 people, while a single booking can contain up to 20. A larger group can make it harder to hear, especially on a busy street, so stay close to Declan and listen for instructions about where to stand.

The route covers 3.2 kilometers at a reasonably quick pace. Add at least 20 minutes to your journey time because London Underground delays are common, and arriving late could mean missing the opening case. Start at Underground Ltd on Aldersgate Street, near Barbican.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. The minimum age is strictly 12, with ages 12 to 14 classed as children and 15 and above classed as adults. Service animals are allowed. The walk is not recommended if you have significant mobility or health issues, and the pace may be difficult for some people in their seventies.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund. The activity may also be canceled if its minimum number is not reached.

Who should book the Blood and Tears Walk?

I would choose this tour if you enjoy true crime, British legal history, horror films, and a guide who wants audience participation. It is especially useful if you have already seen the standard London sights and want an evening in less familiar streets.

You should also enjoy spoken story-telling. The buildings matter, but the experience depends on Declan’s delivery. His style is energetic, direct, and sometimes teacher-like. That wins over many people, while others find the repeated questions or firm corrections irritating.

I would skip it if you want a slow walk, plenty of photo time, or a gentle introduction to London. I would also avoid it if graphic murder stories affect you strongly. The route is flat, but flat does not mean easy when the group keeps moving for two hours.

Should you book it?

Book the Blood and Tears Walk if you want a brisk, unusual London night out built around ten real crime stories rather than one famous case. The strongest reasons to go are Declan’s focused Jack the Ripper theory, the Old Bailey material, the lesser-known killers, and the unsettling alley near St. Dunstan in the West.

Skip it if you need a relaxed pace or dislike being asked questions in a group. Bring waterproof clothing, arrive early, allow extra Underground time, and expect the evening to be more intense than a standard history walk. For the right audience, $27.74 buys a memorable look at London’s darker side and a route you would be unlikely to create on your own.

FAQ

How long does the Blood and Tears Walk last?

The walk lasts approximately two hours.

How far does the tour cover?

The route covers about 2 miles, or 3.2 kilometers.

What time does the tour start?

The tour starts at 7 p.m.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at Underground Ltd on Aldersgate Street, near 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 away.

Who leads the tour?

The tour is led by Declan McHugh, author of Bloody London.

Is Jack the Ripper the main focus?

Jack the Ripper is one section of the walk. The full tour covers ten serial killers, including several cases unrelated to Jack the Ripper.

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.

Does the tour operate in bad weather?

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

Is the tour suitable for people with mobility or health issues?

The route is brisk and covers about 3.2 kilometers. The experience is not recommended for people with significant mobility or health issues, and it may not suit anyone who cannot walk quickly for two hours.