London Wall
two thousand years standing among the glass
Surviving chunks of the Roman and medieval wall that once ringed the City, free to find tucked between modern office towers.
Free to visit · City of London · Tower Hill · EC3N 4DJ
Opening: Always open
The Romans wrapped their city of Londinium in a great defensive wall around 200 AD, and astonishingly, lumps of it still survive, free to find, wedged between the office towers of the modern City. The finest stretch stands right by Tower Hill station, where you can see the Roman ragstone courses at the bottom and the medieval rebuilding above.
Following the line of the old wall makes a brilliant free self-guided walk, from Tower Hill up through the Barbican, where more sections survive among the postwar towers, past a statue of the emperor Trajan and the ghostly outlines of the old city gates remembered in street names like Aldgate and Ludgate.
Getting there: Best sections near Tower Hill station and around the Barbican and Museum of London.
Best time to go: A quiet weekend when the City is empty and you can trace the wall in peace.
Insider tip: Start at the Tower Hill section, the tallest surviving piece, then follow the marked Wall Walk north toward the Barbican. The replica statue of Emperor Trajan stands right beside the Tower Hill stretch.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide