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Bankside

Darkside

London's Bankside is changing fast. This former working class district was once dominated by the smelly industries of tanning, brewing, vinegar distilling and boiler-making. Today this is a chic and rather more fragrant neighbourhood. It has some of the best food in London. But it still retains a bit of grit in the oyster. Turn away from the tourist crowds and unearth its secret history and hidden corners.

Underneath Bankside's upmarket but decidedly bohemian exterior is a chaotic history of raunch and rebellion. Exploring the seedier side of the Bankside story is always revealing - with its brothels, bishops, burnings, burials and beheadings.

Twice (although centuries apart) the neighbourhood was at the heart of events which threatened the very existence of the state. Find out just how the term 'drag queen' was coined right here in Bankside and discover the darkest secrets of the best little whorehouse in 17th century London.

We will explore ghost signs and ghost factories, graveyards and frost fares. We can begin or end our adventures in Borough Market for some of London's best street food. Alternatively we could enjoy a proper Portuguese meal, with top-class seasonal ingredients, in the brilliant historic setting of a former factory.