Two miles, ten killers, one brisk 7pm walk. Declan McHugh, author of Bloody London, leads you through Old Bailey court history and East End streets, with real case details plus hands-on profiling quizzes. I especially like how the stops feel like a story hunt, and how the tour slips in a lighter horror-movie moment without losing the dark mood.

The main catch is the brisk pace. You cover about 2 miles in roughly two hours, so if you move slowly, get cold or winded fast, or hate being tested with questions, it may not feel comfortable. Since it runs in all weather, bring proper outerwear and build in extra buffer time for Underground delays.

Key highlights to look for

• Declan McHugh’s true-crime storytelling: author of Bloody London, guiding you through one tight evening with big case details.
• Old Bailey as the spine of the night: multiple serial-killer trials connected through London’s Central Criminal Court.
• More than Jack the Ripper: you spend real time on cases and locations beyond the usual loop.
• Interactive profiling and quizzes: from movie votes to high-stakes questions about suspects.
• Unusual stops in the legal and back-street London: Church of St Bartholomew’s, Holy Sepulchre, St Dunstan in the West, and more.
• A proper end at Princess Louise pub: Victorian decor and a final story that can change how you feel about walking in.

Why this London serial killer walk feels different from the usual “Jack the Ripper” loop

This is not a casual history stroll. It is a fast, guided, true-crime walk that treats famous sites like they are chapters in an investigation, then keeps pushing into lesser-known corners of London’s dark past.

What makes it work is the balance: you get courts, churches, alleys, and back-street settings, but the guide also builds in audience interaction. Declan McHugh uses profiling questions, movie voting, and story twists so you are not just standing and listening.

You also learn to connect places to patterns. Instead of piling up names, the walk repeatedly points out similarities across cases and why certain details matter. That’s the key takeaway for me: you come away thinking like a reader of evidence, not like a tourist ticking off landmarks.

Church of St. Bartholomew the Great to Holy Sepulchre: the tour starts with crimes tied to everyday London

The night opens at the Church of St Bartholomew the Great, where Declan lays out a serial-killer story that starts with a murder of a 6-year-old girl, then returns years later with another child victim. He then connects the two cases by looking at the overlap, including the way the later crime links to Barbican Station. It’s an unsettling way to start, because the location feels ordinary until you hear how it sits in the timeline.

From there, you move to Holy Sepulchre London. This stop focuses on the economics and opportunism around the dead, with grave-robbing and serial killing woven into the story. The pitch here is not just horror for horror’s sake. Declan points at how institutions and attitudes can enable brutality, even when the crimes are hidden behind respectability.

If you are hoping for purely “spooky atmosphere,” you might feel the early stops lean more toward history and motive than pure jump-scare vibes. Still, that groundwork makes the later court drama land harder.

Old Bailey and the Central Criminal Court: where trials shaped terror for years

Old Bailey is the giant in the room. This is London’s Central Criminal Court, and the walk uses it like a narrative anchor, not just a building photo stop.

Declan highlights multiple serial-killer trials connected to the Old Bailey. One case gets attention for a grim twist: a killer appears twice, and the first set of events includes an innocent man being sent to his death before the same killer later confesses to multiple murders of women. Another part of the Old Bailey story covers a killer who murdered 13 women and caused terror for over five years.

Then the tour broadens again. Declan later brings in more serial killers whose trials were there, including one linked to murders of 15 boys and men, and another described as possibly the most dangerous woman in the world. Even if you only know Jack the Ripper, this section expands your mental map of what “serial killer” looked like in the UK beyond the headlines.

One practical downside: Old Bailey discussions can feel heavy, because courtroom stories are dense and you’re standing outdoors. If you get overwhelmed easily by legal detail, take it as a reminder that this is a crime-focused walk, not a light sightseeing alternative.

Printer Street to Red Lion Court: the lighter moments and the Victorian oddities

After the court-focused momentum, the tour deliberately changes rhythm.

Printer Street is a breather, but it’s still tied to the theme. Declan asks for votes on the scariest horror movies of all time, then shares top-ten results collected over 23 years of his tour. The fact that one film topped the recommendations with 2,000 men while no women voted for it adds a very human, very odd sidebar that keeps the mood from turning grim. Declan also shares his own personal recommendation, a cult classic about 60 years old that is free to watch on YouTube.

Then you head to Red Lion Court, a quieter but creepier stop with a Victorian serial killer story described as lesser-known and twist-heavy. The killer is said to have murdered on two continents and lived in the area. This is the kind of storytelling stop where the location matters, because the yard and passage feel like they could belong to a forgotten subplot of London life.

The tour also ends this Red Lion Court section with a question that, in Declan’s framing, very few people get right. That question style comes back again later, so if you like being involved, this is a sign you’re in the right place.

East End back streets beyond the headlines: Hare Place, Portugal Street, and St Dunstan in the West

If you only picture London crime history as big-name cases, you will get a correction here.

At Hare Place, just off Fleet Street, Declan shifts into Jack the Ripper mode. You hear a detailed profile of a suspect he believes lived in the area, and the tour spends time explaining why he thinks that man was Jack the Ripper. The stop is built around profiling, not just myth repetition. You are asked to play along, and Declan frames this as one of the toughest questions of the night.

This is where the walk gets especially interactive. Declan says only one person out of every 500 who attends can get the question right. Whether you love the challenge or find it a bit intense, it adds a real end-of-night payoff because you remember where you got stuck, and it gives the Ripper section a sense of stakes.

Then comes St Dunstan in the West, where the tone shifts into atmosphere. You enter a narrow, dingy, isolated alley described as possibly the creepiest the guide thinks you will ever visit. The stop includes a psychic experiment and a murder-scene moment, with the suggestion that the feeling of the place can hit hard, especially in darker months. Declan does not make this a “nice place” kind of story.

If you’re sensitive to psychological tension, treat this stop like a content warning in walking form. If you are the type who likes true-crime as performance and atmosphere, you will probably love how seriously it plays the setting.

Royal Courts of Justice to the Princess Louise pub: the ending changes how you walk into a building

The Royal Courts of Justice stop is short but framed as a turning point. Declan keeps it vague on purpose, saying it is your section and that people get jaw-dropping moments. In practice, you should expect a legal-architecture and evidence-style explanation that ties the earlier serial-killer talk to what courts and power can do.

Portugal Street then returns to Old Bailey’s courtroom spine, bringing you back to two serial killers whose trials were at the Central Criminal Court. One is described as murdering 15 boys and men, while the other is again presented as possibly the most dangerous woman in the world. This repetition is not redundant. It is the tour’s way of showing how the same institutions can host very different patterns of harm.

Finally, you end at the Princess Louise pub, famous for Victorian decor. The last story is framed as so horrible and so specific that you might hesitate before walking in, and Declan says the most startling detail was told to him by the head of forensics involved in the case. He also notes the information is not something you will find in mainstream books or documentaries, which gives the ending a “last twist” feeling.

After that final story, you have the option to buy a copy of Declan’s Bloody London and get it signed with a personal message.

Price and logistics: what you get for $27.74 and how to make the evening smoother

At about $27.74 per person for roughly two hours, the value is tied to two things: depth of storytelling and how much you cover. This is a packed route through major legal landmarks and older streets, with Declan as the guide, plus a small-group format (up to 20 per booking, and capped at 45 travelers overall).

You’re also paying for interaction, not just facts. The tour includes profiling quizzes and a horror-movie vote that most sightseeing walks would skip. If you like engaging with the guide and answering questions, that interaction is part of what you’re buying.

Two planning details matter more than you’d think. First, it is about 2 miles of walking at a fairly brisk pace, so wear shoes you can move in. Second, add extra time getting there. Declan asks you to budget about 20 extra minutes due to Underground train delays, which is smart because missing the start compresses the whole evening.

Weather is another big factor. It operates in all conditions, so bring layers and expect the route to be outdoors for most of the night.

Who should book (and who should skip) the Blood and Tears Walk

Book this tour if:

• You want a true-crime walk that goes beyond Jack the Ripper and uses London’s legal sites as the backbone.
• You like interactive moments, like profiling questions and the horror-movie vote.
• You enjoy a guide who tells stories like a researcher, tying locations to case patterns.

Skip or choose carefully if:

• You struggle with fast walking. The tour covers about 2 miles in about two hours, and the pace is brisk.
• You do not like being quizzed or put on the spot. A small number of people felt the tone in questions was a bit harsh, so if that would bother you, plan accordingly.
• You are sensitive to psychological creepiness. St Dunstan in the West includes a psychic experiment and a murder-scene atmosphere.

If you’re deciding between this and a lighter London walk, think about what kind of evening you actually want. This is for horror fans and people drawn to dark history. If that is your thing, it’s an intense but memorable way to see parts of London most visitors never explore.

FAQ

FAQ

How long is the London Serial Killers – The Blood and Tears Walk?

It’s about 2 hours.

What does the tour cost?

It costs $27.74 per person.

What time does the tour start, and where does it begin?

The start time is 7:00 pm. It begins at Underground Ltd, Aldersgate St, Barbican, London EC1A 4JA.

Where does the tour end, and what’s the closest Underground station?

The walk ends at Princess Louise on High Holborn, and Holborn Underground station (Central and Piccadilly lines) is about 60 seconds away.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

What is the minimum age to join?

The minimum age is 12 years, and it is strictly enforced.

Is the tour suitable if I have mobility or health issues?

The guide notes it is fairly brisk and covers around 2 miles, and recommends considering a different tour if you have mobility or significant health issues.

Does it run in bad weather?

Yes, it operates in all weather conditions, so you should dress appropriately.