London Serial Killers – The Blood and Tears Walk

London has a dark side worth walking. The Blood and Tears Walk turns two miles of central London into a series of grim, carefully researched stories led by Declan McHugh, author of Bloody London. I like the unusual route, which reaches places most sightseeing walks skip, and the interactive storytelling, which includes profiling questions and a spooky experiment in a narrow alley. The main drawback is the brisk pace, especially in rain, summer heat, or if you need frequent stops.

This is not just a Jack the Ripper walk. The two-hour route covers ten serial killers, courtroom history, grave-robbing, horror films, and local details around Fleet Street and Holborn. At $27.74 per person, it offers a lot of focused entertainment for an evening in London, but the subject matter is graphic and the guide’s direct teaching style will not suit everyone.

The Walk in Brief: Ten Killers and Two Miles

The tour begins at 7:00 pm near Barbican and finishes at the Princess Louise pub on High Holborn. You walk about 2 miles, or 3.2 kilometers, through mostly flat streets, stopping often while Declan tells each story.

The route is designed to cover a large amount of material in a short time. That is part of its appeal, but it also explains the pace. You are not strolling slowly from one attraction to the next. You need to stay with the group, listen while standing, and be ready to move on when the story ends.

Key points to know:

• Author-led storytelling: Declan McHugh, author of Bloody London, guides the walk and signs copies of the book at the end.
• Ten serial killers: The route covers both famous and little-known cases, including Jack the Ripper and killers whose trials took place at the Old Bailey.
• Interactive format: You may be asked to profile a suspect, identify a crucial detail, vote on horror films, or take part in a psychic experiment.
• Unusual London route: Stops include St. Bartholomew the Great, Red Lion Court, Hare Place, St. Dunstan in the West, and Portugal Street.
• Evening atmosphere: The 7:00 pm start can bring darkness and a stronger sense of place, particularly in the colder months.
• Physical demands: The walk operates in all weather, covers 3.2 kilometers, and keeps a reasonably fast pace.

Starting at St. Bartholomew the Great

The first stop is the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, near the Barbican. Here, Declan tells the sad story of an uncaught killer linked to the murders of two young girls, seven years apart.

The story focuses on similarities between the cases and how a suspect can be profiled from patterns rather than a single piece of evidence. Starting with this case sets the tone immediately: the tour is less about famous landmarks and more about how ordinary places can hold disturbing stories.

You only spend about eight minutes here, so do not expect time to explore the church itself. The building serves as a setting for the story rather than a formal church visit. Arrive ready to listen, not for an architectural tour.

Grave-Robbing Beside Holy Sepulchre London

At Holy Sepulchre London, the subject shifts from murder to the grim trade in human bodies. Declan explains how grave-robbing and medical training once intersected, including the role of doctors at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.

This short five-minute stop gives useful context for the city’s darker medical past. It also broadens the walk beyond serial killers. You begin to see how poverty, medicine, crime, and the value placed on dead bodies could overlap in old London.

The stop is brief, so the story moves quickly. If you enjoy social history and the uncomfortable mechanics behind old crimes, this may be one of the more interesting sections. If you came only for notorious murderers, it may feel like a short detour.

Four Killers Connected to the Old Bailey

The Old Bailey is one of the tour’s strongest settings. This is the Central Criminal Court, and the walk uses it to connect several serial killers with the British justice system.

One case concerns a man who appeared at the court twice, helped send an innocent man to his death, and later confessed to murdering several women. Another concerns a killer who murdered thirteen women and created fear for more than five years.

You return to the Old Bailey’s world later through two additional cases. One killer murdered fifteen boys and men. The other is presented as perhaps the most dangerous woman in the world.

The attraction here is not entry into the court. Admission is not included, and the stop takes place outside. The value comes from hearing how the trials, accusations, confessions, and public fear fit into London’s legal story.

A Six-Minute Horror Film Breather

At Printer Street, the mood briefly lightens. Declan asks the group to vote on the scariest horror films, then reveals the top ten choices collected over twenty-three years of the walk.

This section gives your mind a break from murder cases. It also shows how the tour uses audience participation to keep the evening from becoming relentlessly grim. One unusual detail concerns a film recommended by 2,000 men but not a single woman. Declan also gives his own recommendation for a sixty-year-old cult classic available free on YouTube.

You may enjoy this pause if you like horror cinema. If you want a tightly focused true-crime walk, it is the most obvious side trip. Still, the six-minute length keeps it from taking over the evening.

The Victorian Killer of Red Lion Court

Red Lion Court brings one of the walk’s more cinematic stories. Declan describes a little-known Victorian serial killer who murdered on two continents and lived in London.

The case includes several twists and ends with a question based on the facts you have just heard. That question is part of the tour’s regular style. You are not expected to have studied criminal psychology before arriving, but you are invited to form a judgment from the evidence.

I like this approach because it turns a lecture into a group exercise. You have to pay attention, remember details, and consider how a person’s choices might reveal a pattern. Some people enjoy that involvement. Others may find the questions too much like a classroom exercise, particularly if they prefer simply to listen.

Jack the Ripper at Hare Place

Jack the Ripper appears at Hare Place, just off Fleet Street. This is not a standard overview of the Whitechapel murders. Declan presents his own suspect and explains why he believes this man was Jack the Ripper.

The stop lasts about fifteen minutes, making it one of the longer sections. It includes details from a full chapter in Bloody London and asks you to test your own ability to profile a suspect.

There is also a particularly difficult question here. Only about one person in five hundred is said to answer it correctly. That claim adds a competitive edge, though you should treat it as part of the entertainment rather than a formal test.

The best reason to value this section is its focus on argument. Instead of repeating every familiar Ripper theory, Declan lays out why he favors one suspect. You can agree, disagree, or leave with a stronger sense of how evidence and speculation are mixed in famous unsolved cases.

The Alley at St. Dunstan in the West

St. Dunstan in the West may provide the tour’s strongest atmosphere. The group enters a narrow, dingy, isolated alley that Declan describes as one of the creepiest places on the route.

Here, he conducts a psychic experiment around a murder scene and discusses two serial killers who operated in the area. The stop is intended to make you notice the physical setting, not just absorb names and dates. In darkness, the confined space can feel especially uncomfortable.

This is also where the tour’s content warning matters most. The atmosphere may unsettle you, and the stories are not gentle. If you dislike dark enclosed spaces, intense murder accounts, or staged paranormal elements, this stop may be unpleasant rather than fun.

The Royal Courts of Justice Gets Personal

At the Royal Courts of Justice, Declan shifts the focus toward the group. The precise activity is kept as a surprise, but it is described as interesting and sometimes startling.

Because the stop lasts only about five minutes, do not expect a full explanation of the building’s legal history. The courthouse provides a setting for another audience-focused moment, adding variety after the alley and the earlier court stories.

This is a good example of how the walk works best when you take part. The experience is not built around monuments or formal presentations. Declan asks you to respond, think, and occasionally take a small risk by offering an answer.

Portugal Street and the Final Court Cases

Portugal Street brings back the two killers first introduced through the Old Bailey. One murdered fifteen boys and men. The other is described as potentially the most dangerous woman in the world.

This return to earlier material helps tie the route together. You are not simply hearing ten unrelated cases in random order. Some stories are introduced at one point, then completed later when the route reaches a connected location.

The subject matter is serious, and the tour moves through several cases in a short time. If you prefer detailed treatment of one crime, a two-hour walk covering ten killers may feel too compressed. If you like variety and want an overview of London’s criminal past, the broad range is a strength.

Finishing at the Princess Louise Pub

The walk ends at the Princess Louise, a Victorian pub on High Holborn known for its period decoration. It is a fitting place to finish a nighttime walk, though Declan gives you one final disturbing story before you go inside.

The last case involves a well-known British serial killer and a particularly horrible action that, according to Declan, has not received much attention in books or documentaries. He says the detail came from the head of forensics involved in the case, who later joined the walk.

That final story may make you hesitate before settling into the pub. This is a clever closing choice, since the familiar comfort of a historic pub contrasts sharply with what you have just heard.

Declan sells signed copies of Bloody London for $10 cash or PayPal, adding a personal message in each book. Buying it is optional, but it could be useful if you want to revisit the cases after the walk.

How Declan McHugh Guides the Evening

Declan’s greatest strength is his command of the material. He has led the walk for many years, and his storytelling includes facts, theories, local history, jokes, film references, and questions for the group.

Many people value his energy and ability to hold attention for the full two hours. The strongest praise centers on his storytelling, his willingness to answer questions, and his skill at mixing humor with grim subjects. One family with teenagers found that the children became engaged after the first story and continued discussing the cases later.

His style is direct and interactive. He may call on the group for a four-letter answer, ask you to profile a suspect, or invite you to describe how an alley feels. If you enjoy being involved, this keeps the walk lively.

That same style can be a drawback. Some people find the questioning too schoolteacher-like or feel that repeated reminders about the walk’s long history and the book distract from the cases. Declan also responds firmly to criticism, so you should expect a guide with a strong personality rather than a quiet, neutral narrator.

Price, Pace, and Practical Value

At $27.74, the walk is fairly priced for a two-hour guided experience in central London. You are paying for a specialized subject, a professional guide, local storytelling, and a route that reaches places you might otherwise pass without noticing.

The price is strongest if you already enjoy true crime, horror, or unusual city history. You receive ten cases and several interactive sections rather than one famous story stretched across an evening.

The value is less clear if you want a relaxed walk with plenty of photo time. The route covers about 3.2 kilometers at a brisk pace, and the group can include up to 45 people, although individual bookings are capped at 20. You may need to stand in place while listening, then move promptly to the next stop.

The meeting point is Underground Ltd on Aldersgate Street near Barbican. Allow at least twenty extra minutes for Underground delays. The tour starts at 7:00 pm, and arriving late can mean missing the opening story.

The advertised end point is listed as 125 High Holborn, while the walk finishes at the Princess Louise, 208 High Holborn. Holborn Underground station is about sixty seconds from the pub, with Central and Piccadilly line service.

Weather, Clothing, and Mobility

The walk runs in all weather. Bring suitable clothing, especially waterproof layers in wet months. Rain can reduce the enjoyment of an outdoor storytelling experience, and summer evenings may remain hot throughout the two hours.

The route is mostly flat, but flat does not mean easy for everyone. You need a moderate fitness level and the ability to keep up with a reasonably fast group. The guide specifically warns that the walk may not suit people with significant mobility or health issues and is not recommended for people in their seventies because of the pace.

Children must be at least 12 years old. Those aged 12 to 14 count as children, while ages 15 and above count as adults. Children must also be accompanied by an adult. Service animals are allowed.

Who Should Book the Blood and Tears Walk?

I would choose this walk if you:

• Like true crime, forensic stories, or horror films
• Want something beyond the usual London sightseeing circuit
• Enjoy a guide who asks questions and involves the group
• Can walk 3.2 kilometers at a steady pace
• Are comfortable with grim, sometimes upsetting subject matter
• Prefer several short cases over one long historical narrative

I would choose another activity if you want a slow evening stroll, dislike being asked questions, have difficulty walking quickly, or prefer lighter entertainment. The tour’s age limit is 12, but the content is mature and may not suit every young teenager.

The 4.9 rating from 672 customer scores and the 97 percent recommendation rate point to a consistently popular experience. Still, the lower scores reveal useful limits: pace, wet weather, the guide’s forceful manner, and occasional frustration with the interactive format.

Should You Book It?

Book it if you want London history with a grim twist and you are happy to participate. The best parts are the unusual locations, the range of cases, the Old Bailey connections, and Declan McHugh’s detailed presentation of his Jack the Ripper theory.

Skip it if you need a gentle walk or dislike graphic crime stories. Arrive early, add twenty minutes for Underground delays, wear weatherproof shoes and clothing, and expect a brisk two hours rather than a leisurely pub crawl. For true-crime fans, the price is good and the route offers a memorable look at a side of London most visitors never see.

FAQ

Where does the Blood and Tears Walk begin?

It begins at Underground Ltd on Aldersgate Street, near the Barbican, London EC1A 4JA.

What time does the tour start?

The tour starts at 7:00 pm.

How long is the walk?

The experience lasts approximately two hours and covers about 2 miles, or 3.2 kilometers.

Where does the tour finish?

It finishes at the Princess Louise pub at 208 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EP. Holborn Underground station is about sixty seconds away.

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.

Is the tour suitable for people with mobility issues?

The tour requires a moderate physical fitness level and moves at a reasonably brisk pace. It may not suit people with significant mobility or health issues.

Does the walk operate in bad weather?

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

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, provided you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the tour are not accepted for a refund.