St Paul’s Cathedral
Religious Tours in London and Great Britain with a Christian tour guide
Right from the very beginning of my career as a guide, Christianity Tours have been an important and enjoyable part of my work. I have a heart for doing these tours because cathedrals and churches are often presented as if they are museums, with little reference to the Christian faith. My tours present them from a Christian perspective, relating the building to its place in our Christian history and explaining the Christian meaning of the art and architecture of the building. I found that many Christians are interested to know more about the history of Christianity and that inspired some walking tours and then I added some tours in our great museums including a tour of Christian art in the National Gallery and a British Museum tour about archeological discoveries related to the Bible. Below there is information about tours in London, day trips from London and some extended tours.
Right from the very beginning of my career as a guide, Christianity Tours have been an important and enjoyable part of my work. I have a heart for doing these tours because cathedrals and churches are often presented as if they are museums, with little reference to the Christian faith. My tours present them from a Christian perspective, relating the building to its place in our Christian history and explaining the Christian meaning of the art and architecture of the building. I found that many Christians are interested to know more about the history of Christianity and that inspired some walking tours and then I added some tours in our great museums including a tour of Christian art in the National Gallery and a British Museum tour about archeological discoveries related to the Bible. Below there is information about tours in London, day trips from London and some extended tours.
Hymns and Hymn Writers Walk See places associated with famous hymn writers and hear the stories behind their hymns. A 2,5 hour walk in the City of London or a full day tour in Westminster and the City which can end with Evensong at Westminster Abbey or St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Bible in the British Museum A journey through mostly Old Testament history looking at how archeological discoveries help us to understand passages in the Bible.
Monks and Monasteries Tour A half day walking tour exploring medieval monasticism and looking for the remains of the monasteries.
Victoria and Albert Museum Christianity Tour See how the fine and decorative arts have been used to the glory of God. Sculpture, painting, metalwork, textiles, church furnishings presented in the context of Christian history.
Christian Art In The National GalleryA guided tour looking at some of the great Christian art in London’s famous National Gallery. Enjoy the Christian message in the paintings and learn a bit about the history of art along the way.
Biblical Manuscripts In The British LibraryVisit the British Library to see ancient biblical manuscripts including the Codex Sinaiticus which includes the oldest, surviving, complete manuscript of the New Testament in Greek, dating from the 4th century.
Great Cathedrals of LondonChoose a St Paul’s Cathedral guided tour or a Westminster Abbey guided tour. These tours have a Christian perspective, putting the cathedral into the context of the history of Christianity in England and focusing on the Christian symbolism of the architecture and adornment of the building.
St Mary Magdalene Paddington One of London’s most beautiful Victorian gothic revival churches. Learn more about the meaning of the architecture and symbolism of the art in the church, its place in Victorian social history and in the history of Christianity and the story of its recent restoration. A special access private tour.
- London’s Best churches tour Visit 5 churches chosen for their different architectural styles and their special place in our Christian heritage. Full day tour.
- Puritans, Pilgrim Fathers and Non Conformists. Walk in Rotherhithe, The City of London and Southwark on this full day tour. In Rotherhithe we will see the Mayflower Inn where the Mayflower was moored before it sailed to join the Speedwell at Southampton and the church where Christopher Jones was buried and has a memorial statue. In the City of London we will visit St Bride’s Church which is associated with Edward Winslow one of the leaders of the Pilgrim Fathers and other settlers and Bunhill fields the burial place of John Bunyan author of Pilgrim’s Progress and of the great Puritan preachers John Owen and Thomas Goodwin and the hymn writer Isaac Watts.
History of Christianity Walk Roman and Anglo Saxon beginnings, medieval monasteries, the Reformation, the Puritans and non conformists, 18th,19th and 20th century revivals. John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, Miles Coverdale, the Wesleys, George Whitefield and more.
Walking through Anglo Catholic London Visit 3 Victorian Gothic Revival Churches and learn about the Anglo Catholic tradition and its history.
City Churches Walk
There are thirty eight churches within the City of London and they are the ‘jewels in the crown’ of the City’s architecture contrasting with the modern tall buildings. We will go inside several churches with different styles of architecture and also explore the churches’ Christian witness down the years and their role today.
Wren City Churches Walk
Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt fifty one churches after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and twenty three of these survive today. We will go inside several of the churches, be inspired by the architecture and discover Wren’s contribution to the development of Reformation Church architecture in England.
John Wesley Walk
Walk in the footsteps of John Wesley, founder of Methodism and his brother Charles in the area of London they knew so well. Highlights will include Charterhouse where he went to school, the sites of John and Charles’s conversion experiences, Wesley’s Chapel and House. We will hear about Wesley’s life and his dedication to his work for the Lord. The tour can include an interior visit to Wesley’s Chapel and house and we will see the small room he used for his quiet times of prayer which is known as the “Powerhouse of Methodism”. A visit to Bunhill Field’s Cemetery will be included to see Susanna Wesley’s grave and also the grave of John Bunyan.
Anglican History Walk How did the different traditions in Anglicanism come about? We trace the history, St Augustine of Canterbury and St Mellitus, the medieval church, the Reformation, Cranmer and the Prayer Book, the Caroline Divines, the Civil War and the Restoration, 19th century Evangelical and Anglo Catholic revivals.
There are thirty eight churches within the City of London and they are the ‘jewels in the crown’ of the City’s architecture contrasting with the modern tall buildings. We will go inside several churches with different styles of architecture and also explore the churches’ Christian witness down the years and their role today.
Wren City Churches Walk
Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt fifty one churches after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and twenty three of these survive today. We will go inside several of the churches, be inspired by the architecture and discover Wren’s contribution to the development of Reformation Church architecture in England.
John Wesley Walk
Walk in the footsteps of John Wesley, founder of Methodism and his brother Charles in the area of London they knew so well. Highlights will include Charterhouse where he went to school, the sites of John and Charles’s conversion experiences, Wesley’s Chapel and House. We will hear about Wesley’s life and his dedication to his work for the Lord. The tour can include an interior visit to Wesley’s Chapel and house and we will see the small room he used for his quiet times of prayer which is known as the “Powerhouse of Methodism”. A visit to Bunhill Field’s Cemetery will be included to see Susanna Wesley’s grave and also the grave of John Bunyan.
Anglican History Walk How did the different traditions in Anglicanism come about? We trace the history, St Augustine of Canterbury and St Mellitus, the medieval church, the Reformation, Cranmer and the Prayer Book, the Caroline Divines, the Civil War and the Restoration, 19th century Evangelical and Anglo Catholic revivals.
St Stephen Walbrook City of London
All Souls Langham Place
John Wesley, The Huguenots and a Very Special Church
Take this walk in Islington and Spitalfields and see John Wesley’s Chapel and house. Then we visit Bunhill fields graveyard to see the graves of Susanna Wesley and John Bunyan. Then in Spitalfields we will see the house where Susanna Wesley was born and we learn about the Huguenots, French protestants who fled persecution in Roman Catholic France and settled here. We end the tour with a look inside Christ Church Spitalfields the architectural masterpiece of Nicholas Hawksmoor. The church stood derelict for 40 years, it is an amazing story of restoration not just of the building but also of the Christian community
Take this walk in Islington and Spitalfields and see John Wesley’s Chapel and house. Then we visit Bunhill fields graveyard to see the graves of Susanna Wesley and John Bunyan. Then in Spitalfields we will see the house where Susanna Wesley was born and we learn about the Huguenots, French protestants who fled persecution in Roman Catholic France and settled here. We end the tour with a look inside Christ Church Spitalfields the architectural masterpiece of Nicholas Hawksmoor. The church stood derelict for 40 years, it is an amazing story of restoration not just of the building but also of the Christian community
Reformation Tour in the City of London
A walk all about the Reformation and its legacy. See sights associated with the reformers and the struggle to get the Bible translated into English.
London Churches In Marylebone And Mayfair Walk.
Enjoy some special churches in the Marylebone and Mayfair area each with different architecture and worship traditions. Also visit Handel’s house where Messiah was composed.
London Churches In Marylebone And Mayfair Walk.
Enjoy some special churches in the Marylebone and Mayfair area each with different architecture and worship traditions. Also visit Handel’s house where Messiah was composed.
Christian Tours On Day Trips From London And Extended Tours
Please click on the links to see some sample itineraries for extended tours and below on this page are suggestions for day tours from London. Local guided may be used in some places.
Please click on the links to see some sample itineraries for extended tours and below on this page are suggestions for day tours from London. Local guided may be used in some places.
- Hymns and Hymn Writers
- Christianity Tour Through England
- A Christian Journey Through England And Scotland.
- Wesley tour of England 2
Day Trips From London
Canterbury
Canterbury is where Christianity gained a firm foothold on English soil 1,400 years ago with the arrival of St Augustine. We visit the fine cathedral which was the site of Thomas Becket’s martyrdom in 1170 and holds a unique place in the Church of England. It is still today the seat of its senior archbishop and the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. We can also visit the ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey which was founded by St Augustine in 598 AD and St Martin’s Church which is the oldest church in the English speaking world still used for worship.
Wells Cathedral and Bath
A visit to the World Heritage city of Bath, famous for its 18th Georgian architecture, (this is the period in Bath’s history described in the novels of Jane Austen). A walking tour will be included and a guided tour of Bath Abbey and there will be one or two other references to Christian history as well. Then we travel through the beautiful Somerset countryside to the city of Wells for a guided tour of the Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece, which is famous for the light and space of its interior and the striking west front of its exterior. Hire of a vehicle and driver is required for this itinerary.
Cambridge And Ely Cathedral
Cambridge was a major centre for the reformation in England and was a haven for its early preachers and leaders including William Tyndale, Miles Coverdale, John Rogers and Thomas Bilney. Enjoy a walking tour focusing on Cambridge’s Christian heritage. Visits to St John’s College where William Wilberforce was a student, Emmanuel College associated with the Puritans and of course to the famous Kings College chapel can be included and CS Lewis will get a mention as well. Cambridge can be visited by train or, with hire of a vehicle, a visit to Ely can be included as well with a guided tour of Ely Cathedral which is one of England’s most beautiful cathedrals with powerful Christian symbolism in the architecture and incorporated art works.
Canterbury is where Christianity gained a firm foothold on English soil 1,400 years ago with the arrival of St Augustine. We visit the fine cathedral which was the site of Thomas Becket’s martyrdom in 1170 and holds a unique place in the Church of England. It is still today the seat of its senior archbishop and the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. We can also visit the ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey which was founded by St Augustine in 598 AD and St Martin’s Church which is the oldest church in the English speaking world still used for worship.
Wells Cathedral and Bath
A visit to the World Heritage city of Bath, famous for its 18th Georgian architecture, (this is the period in Bath’s history described in the novels of Jane Austen). A walking tour will be included and a guided tour of Bath Abbey and there will be one or two other references to Christian history as well. Then we travel through the beautiful Somerset countryside to the city of Wells for a guided tour of the Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece, which is famous for the light and space of its interior and the striking west front of its exterior. Hire of a vehicle and driver is required for this itinerary.
Cambridge And Ely Cathedral
Cambridge was a major centre for the reformation in England and was a haven for its early preachers and leaders including William Tyndale, Miles Coverdale, John Rogers and Thomas Bilney. Enjoy a walking tour focusing on Cambridge’s Christian heritage. Visits to St John’s College where William Wilberforce was a student, Emmanuel College associated with the Puritans and of course to the famous Kings College chapel can be included and CS Lewis will get a mention as well. Cambridge can be visited by train or, with hire of a vehicle, a visit to Ely can be included as well with a guided tour of Ely Cathedral which is one of England’s most beautiful cathedrals with powerful Christian symbolism in the architecture and incorporated art works.
Canterbury Cathedral
Oxford
Discover the Christian heritage of Oxford on a walking tour, the Oxford martyrs Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, John Wycliffe who was master of Balliol College and started the struggle for the reformation in Oxford, John Wesley who started the Holy Club whilst a fellow at Lincoln College which led to the formation of the Methodist Church and CS Lewis who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia in Oxford and was a fellow at Magdalene College. Visits to Christchurch, the college with a chapel which is also the smallest cathedral in England and or to Magdalene College or Balliol College can be included. A visit to Oxford can be combined with the Cotswolds if we hire a vehicle, Oxford on its own is possible by train. A visit to the Kilns, the former home of CS Lewis is also possible.
Cotswolds And William Tyndale.
Enjoy God’s creation as we drive through the beautiful scenery of the Cotswolds. We visit the dramatic William Tyndale memorial at North Nibley believed to be close to his birthplace and we will visit Burford and its parish church. On the wall of this church is an inscription from Tyndale’s Bible and we will hear the story of how it got there. We will also include a stop in the pretty Cotswolds village of Tetbury. Hire of a vehicle and driver is necessary for this tour.
Discover the Christian heritage of Oxford on a walking tour, the Oxford martyrs Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, John Wycliffe who was master of Balliol College and started the struggle for the reformation in Oxford, John Wesley who started the Holy Club whilst a fellow at Lincoln College which led to the formation of the Methodist Church and CS Lewis who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia in Oxford and was a fellow at Magdalene College. Visits to Christchurch, the college with a chapel which is also the smallest cathedral in England and or to Magdalene College or Balliol College can be included. A visit to Oxford can be combined with the Cotswolds if we hire a vehicle, Oxford on its own is possible by train. A visit to the Kilns, the former home of CS Lewis is also possible.
Cotswolds And William Tyndale.
Enjoy God’s creation as we drive through the beautiful scenery of the Cotswolds. We visit the dramatic William Tyndale memorial at North Nibley believed to be close to his birthplace and we will visit Burford and its parish church. On the wall of this church is an inscription from Tyndale’s Bible and we will hear the story of how it got there. We will also include a stop in the pretty Cotswolds village of Tetbury. Hire of a vehicle and driver is necessary for this tour.
Salisbury Cathedral
This tour includes a guided tour of Salisbury Cathedral which is unusual in being built in just one style, the elegantly simple Early English Gothic style. The chapter House has an outstanding Medieval carved frieze depicting scenes from Genesis and Exodus and contains one of the original copies of the Magna Carta. In the afternoon a walking tour of Salisbury can be included or with a vehicle a visit to Winchester Cathedral. Salisbury is possible by train or with hire of a vehicle.
This tour includes a guided tour of Salisbury Cathedral which is unusual in being built in just one style, the elegantly simple Early English Gothic style. The chapter House has an outstanding Medieval carved frieze depicting scenes from Genesis and Exodus and contains one of the original copies of the Magna Carta. In the afternoon a walking tour of Salisbury can be included or with a vehicle a visit to Winchester Cathedral. Salisbury is possible by train or with hire of a vehicle.
Tintern Abbey Wales
Gloucester And The Welsh Borders
We travel to Gloucester for a guided tour of the Cathedral which has some fine Norman architecture and the earliest Perpendicular Gothic architecture in England. Gloucester has also produced some gifted Christian leaders including George Whitefield and Bishop John Hooper one of the most radical protestant reformers of Queen Mary’s reign. Then we cross the Welsh borders to visit the dramatic ruins of Tintern Abbey. After a short guided tour there is time to enjoy this uplifting and peaceful place set in the midst of beautiful countryside. Tintern Abbey became a ruin after the Reformation and it has inspired famous writers and artists such as Turner and Wordsworth to use their God given talents to produce inspiring literature and art. Hire of vehicle and driver is necessary for his tour.
York
Enjoy a guided tour of York Minster. Minster means missionary church and King Edwin built the first York Minster shortly after his conversion. The present Minster is famous for its medieval stained glass and considered one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. A guided tour of the historic city of York will also be included, learn about the influence that the Romans, the Vikings, chocolate and the railways have had on this wonderful city as well as its role in the development of Christianity. York is accessible by train only on a day trip from London.
We travel to Gloucester for a guided tour of the Cathedral which has some fine Norman architecture and the earliest Perpendicular Gothic architecture in England. Gloucester has also produced some gifted Christian leaders including George Whitefield and Bishop John Hooper one of the most radical protestant reformers of Queen Mary’s reign. Then we cross the Welsh borders to visit the dramatic ruins of Tintern Abbey. After a short guided tour there is time to enjoy this uplifting and peaceful place set in the midst of beautiful countryside. Tintern Abbey became a ruin after the Reformation and it has inspired famous writers and artists such as Turner and Wordsworth to use their God given talents to produce inspiring literature and art. Hire of vehicle and driver is necessary for his tour.
York
Enjoy a guided tour of York Minster. Minster means missionary church and King Edwin built the first York Minster shortly after his conversion. The present Minster is famous for its medieval stained glass and considered one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. A guided tour of the historic city of York will also be included, learn about the influence that the Romans, the Vikings, chocolate and the railways have had on this wonderful city as well as its role in the development of Christianity. York is accessible by train only on a day trip from London.
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral’s architecture has an extraordinary and very powerful story behind it of ruin and rebuilding. Today the Cathedral has an equally remarkable ministry of reconciliation also born out of its traumatic World War II destruction and rebirth. Coventry can be visited by train or with a hire of a vehicle.It can be combined with a short visit to Stratford upon Avon if a vehicle is hired.
Coventry Cathedral’s architecture has an extraordinary and very powerful story behind it of ruin and rebuilding. Today the Cathedral has an equally remarkable ministry of reconciliation also born out of its traumatic World War II destruction and rebirth. Coventry can be visited by train or with a hire of a vehicle.It can be combined with a short visit to Stratford upon Avon if a vehicle is hired.
