Execution site - Lime St
St Margaret Pattens
Lombard St with banking signs
The Lord Mayor

Samuel Pepys Walking Tour

6th September 2024

As part of the Lord Mayor’s charitable money raising efforts, Carolyn and I joined a tour around parts of the City, based on certain places mentioned in Samuel Pepys’ diaries, written continuously during the period 1660-1669. By coincidence, PM Charles Miller also joined the same trip, and Liverman Rosie Beattie joined another tour, so the Pipe Makers were well represented!

Samuel Pepys was Chief Secretary to the Navy in this era and knew most of the important people in London at the time, including the King. His diaries give a very personal view of major events such as the restoration of the King, the Plague and the Great Fire of London, along with many detailed descriptions of events in his personal life. As such, his diaries are a unique window into life in London in the 1660’s.

The current Lord Mayor arranged several tours on 6th September, being the anniversary of the last day of the Great Fire. The tours visited sites that are mentioned in Pepys’ diaries, including The Mitre, his favourite pub (sadly replaced by a newer coffee shop), places of execution and shopping and other points of interest for him, all explained with wonderful detail by a City Guide. Along the way we visited St Margaret Pattens, seeing its fine steeple and the exhibition of Pattens inside, before ending up for a drink and speech at the Mansion House

It was a very interesting and tour, highly recommended.

The Lord Mayor hopes that Samuel Pepys will become an appropriate symbol of London, given his interest in government matters, commerce, music and the other arts and therefore hopes that there will be an annual Pepys day in September each year.