The Tour
Peter Ackroyd’s is an authentic voice of London. Through his novels, histories and other writings, he has tuned in to the rhythms of the city. This tour experiences through his words the visionary monsters he locates in the East End.
Through his monsters Ackroyd illustrates his convictions about London. In their dark menace they reflect both its timelessness and its horror.
Pyramid Tomb at St Anne Limehouse
On this tour we follow the riverside, taking in Limehouse and Ratcliffe and ending in Shadwell.
As we go, we hear through site-specific readoings how Peter Ackroyd has embedded monstrous creatures in the historic East End.
We’ll learn about the murderous churchbuilding campaign of Nicholas Dyer. And what about the mysterious vagrant known as The Architect?
Also we consider Ackroyd’s relocation of the laboratory of Victor Frankenstein to the Limehouse riverfront.
Narrow Street Limehouse
The tour though is dominated by the Limehouse Golem’s 1880 killing spree.
We finish at the church of St George in the East, with the Golem’s gruesome inspiration to re-enact the Ratcliffe Highway murders of 1811.
The tour features site-specific readings from three novels – Hawksmoor, The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein and Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem.
NB There is an amount of violent description on this tour – do consider this when booking.
If you like this …
You can find my other literary tours HERE
You can find my other East End tours HERE
Details – Peter Ackroyd’s Monstrous East End
Please go to What’s On? to see whether this tour is currently on offer, and for booking details
REMEMBER that these details are NOT for the virtual version of this tour!
MEET: In front of Limehouse Town Hall, 646 Commercial Road E14 7HA (nearest stations Limehouse DLR and c2c; Westferry DLR).
Duration: Two hours (approximately)
Finish: St George in the East, near Shadwell Overground and DLR Stations
If you have any questions about this walk, please contact me
Pictures sourced from Wikimedia Commons
