January 2024 News
New Year and New Tours. Ye Olde England Tours is spreading its wings again to bring you a whole new region of tours to a beautiful part of the country that most foreign visitors get to see. The East Midlands, namely the County of Rutland (said to be the new Cotswolds (but nicer and easier to visit). With a gorgeous county full of picturesque villages, ancient market towns, pubs and general foodie-heaven qualities, castles, ruins and the largest man-made reservoir it’s not to be missed. Nearby we will also be opening tours in beautiful Stamford, possibly the most beautiful and complete Georgian town in the U.K. Burghley House, famed around the world for its horse trials is just a mile or two away and the majestic Peterborough Cathedral amongst other things shouldn’t be missed.
How about a visit to the beautiful city of Lincoln with its famous medieval bridge, heritage city centre topped by its own splendid Cathedral and castle?
Perhaps the most famous city in the East Midlands is that of Nottingham with its huge old market, underground city of caves, castle and of course the tales and sights of the worlds most famous outlaw, Robin Hood.
November 2021
This month has been our busiest month since the Covid pandemic arrived though still quiet by the usual standards.
We also have a new virtual video in our Virtual Video Tours section and this one covers the beautiful Roman city of St Albans with its Roman remains and ruins, ancient churches and clock towers, medieval streets, gorgeous Abbey-Cathedral and even a Holy Well with a connection not just with St Alban but with King Arthur too. What more could anyone want from a virtual tour?
We also have a new autumnal virtual video tour of Historic London and Westminster which visits all those famous sights such as Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square… the list is endless.
We have some new day tours from London, these ones include some by high-speed intercity trains. Ancient York with its picturesque Shambles and Viking heritage is like no-where else on Earth. We also have a tour to another Roman City though this one once known for its heavy industry and Georgian splendour with Newcastle Upon Tyne. Now famed for its iconic bridges and quayside, wonderful broad streets and the Angel of the North, the most viewed daily piece of art in Europe. If you haven’t seen the TV detective show Vera which is set in the city then you might one day hear of the football team, Newcastle United which has just been purchased by Saudi Royalty and so instantly becoming the richest sports club in the world… maybe ‘we’ might win something at long last!
July 2021
There is no better time to explore London with us. The buzz on the streets is returning but it’s still far from the usual maddening crowds one would normally expect in peak summer. We’ve all ready provided some great 5-star reviewed tours to new visitors and some returning ones too.
We have so many tours to choose from and most of them are on themes or areas of London, no-one else really covers at all.
On a hot day like today (30 degrees C / 90 F), we can get away from the heat in many ways. Obviously the River Thames is the place to be with our River Thames Walking Tour but other tours that wander along different parts of the river are our Lambeth Walk Tour, The Globe to Mayflower Walk and a good section of our Charles Dickens Walking Tour too.
For something totally different then why not try our Canal Walking Tour, there is plenty of time for a cool drink at Little Venice or maybe end with some live music at Granary Square.
Other places that come in to their own in the hot summer are our wonderful parks. We have various tours that take in some of our great Royal Parks; obviously the Royal London Walking Tour and also our War Memorials Tour too. If you like to mix your shady garden squares with fountains and literature then our Bloomsbury Literature Walk is for you. Or why not take in a few dozen secret gardens in the old City of London with our #1 rated authentic London experience (by Viator/Trip Advisor) with our Secret, Sacred Gardens tour.
There are few better times of the year to try our Hampstead tour than in summer with its beautiful streets and lush heath along with more than a few pubs and cafes but if all this walking around is too much in the heat then why not try our Historic Pubs tour and enjoy a nice refreshing drinks in not just unique surroundings but ones with fascinating and unique histories too.
February 2021
As we edge out of a winter we will never forget, we know that everyone is dreaming of both holidays and days out… even us at Ye Olde England Tours especially with almost 20% of the UK population now vaccinated.
As has always been the case, all of our tours can be booked directly with no pre-payment required for 95% of them and if you are unable to travel for any reason whatsoever, then there are no charges and if you have pre-paid then you will be fully refunded.
We refunded absolutely everyone in the Spring of 2020 and others later in the year who were unable to spend a day with us and you have my promise that this will still be the case in 2021. In fact it’s always been our policy since we started back in 2013; it’s just one of the countless reasons for all our 5-star reviews.
Obviously some car-based tours to indoor locations are to a degree decided upon by the relevant attraction but many are out in the open air and almost all operated throughout much of 2020 albeit with social distancing and protective measures.
If you’re coming to London for a day, a weekend or a holiday then we have a whole plethora of safe walking-tours. I have Asthma and been largely shielding and for my own peace of mind and good-health, no-one is more careful than me… the vast majority of our tours even in London are in open areas and several you might not even see another tourist or even local so if you want to get off the beaten-track even in London there let us know and we can go through our tours with you or create a totally personalised walking tour for you at no extra cost.
December 2020
For everyone who is looking for something to do in the London area during Christmas and New Year, we will be operating our walking tours as indeed we have throughout the year. As these are private tours and London is all but deserted, social distancing is not a problem!
Our second 360 degree virtual video tour is now out. This one based on our Crimes & Punishment Tour and unsurprisingly titled Great Crimes and Punishments. It covers areas in the famous East End of London; the stomping ground for the infamous Krays, and notorious Jack The Ripper and much more before we cross over to South of the River Thames and explore another famously insalubrious area around Dickensian Southwark and Borough, visits to the most notorious prison and that spot where heads were placed on spikes on London bridge plus lots of other things too!
November 2020
Our big news this month is the launch of our 360 degree virtual video tours which may well be a world first, certainly a London and UK first. In fact our plans were so revolutionary we were given support by the British Federation of Small Businesses who sponsored £3,000 of advertising across newspapers and websites belonging to the Daily Mail, Sunday Mail, Metro and i newspapers throughout October.
And now our first tour is out and we’ve already had four very happy purchasers in the first few days.
All you have to do is click on the link below
Our first tour is based on our unique Bloomsbury Literature Tour and explores the beautiful streets and parks of this quiet corner of London in all its autumnal splendour. And because it is a 360 degree tour, you can scroll around the screen and see in almost any direction as we walk around and feel as if you are there.
It’s perfect for anyone wanting to spend 70 minutes in London on a guided tour from the comfort of your own home and at just £11 it’s cheaper even than getting a taxi there.
In the coming weeks we will have similar tours exploring the famous sights of Westminster and for something all together different, the notorious East End. Both have been filmed and I’m just work on the voice-overs and putting them all together.
September 2020
Though things are far from normal we’re pleased to announce a number of certifications that we have been awarded this month.
First of all our Green Tourism Grading went very well and we are have been successfully certified at a strong Silver Level as to being a Green Tourism operator.
This means that we naturally are kind to the planet are ethical in our business practices and support independent businesses, suppliers and operators. Lots of much bigger companies spend a lot of money and don’t get the award even when they want it but being eco-friendly is our very ethos.
Secondly we have been Certified that We’re Good To Go! by Visit England and Visit Scotland which means we have been verified as to have taken measures to ensure that we are safe to operate under the present circumstances and protect our staff and customers.
So take a tour with us for socially distant experience you’ll never forget!
August 2020 – 50% Autumn Sale
The Coronavirus epidemic has hit us hard as you might have guessed and we are not eligible to receive any government assistance.
For the duration of the 2020 from 1st September, all our London walking tours are at 50% off the listed price.
Almost all of our tours take place in quiet areas and they are even quieter these days. We hope locals and visitors alike will help support us and our local suppliers during these difficult times.
Simply Quote Reference 50% Sale when booking. All sale-bookings must be for dates in 2020.
July 2020
Press Release for Download Ye Olde England Tours Green Tourism
June 2020
It may not mean much to everyone else but Ye Olde England Tours is honoured to have been chosen over 6,000 other small business entrants to receive £3,000 free newspaper and online advertising in the Mail. Metro and i newspapers.
Picked by the respected Federation of Small Businesses, who particularly wanted to help worthy applicants with a good product, people and plan for the future.
It’s great to be entrusted with opportunity to kick things off again later this year. Obviously they wouldn’t waste their money and if you book with us, then you won’t be wasting yours either! Keep an eye out for our Ads in some of Britains biggest publications including the worlds most popular commercial news website, the Daily Mail.
April 2020
Wherever you are, we at Ye Olde England Tours hope you are safe and well. We realise that many have been forced to cancel their spring and early summer holidays. We ourselves haven’t been allowed out of our homes for the last month or so.
One of our guides has suffered and recovered from the Coronavirus though tragically his wife did not make it.
Whenever the time comes to consider booking your next annual vacation or even a long weekend do consider Ye Olde England Tours. Not only have we got hundreds of 5-star reviews but all our tours are private to you and your family.
We make it our mission to show people a side of London and the U.K. that others never get to see. We almost exclusively make use of and support local traders and over half of our tours are carbon neutral. Even in busy London some of tours go to places where you might not see another tourist or even another person.
When you book with us you can be assured of being treated like Royalty as without you, we have nothing and now more than ever local businesses like Ye Olde England Tours need your bookings. Your money doesn’t go towards bonuses, stock-prices and flashy perks; it pays for our food, our homes, our families.
We look forward to meeting friends, old and new one day soon. Until then, all the best.
December 2019
Instead of buying another belonging this Christmas that will soon be discarded, treat someone to an experience that money can’t buy and won’t ever be forgotten 
We’re 5 star rated on all the big travel sites or you can find us at www.yeoldeenglandtours.co.uk Have a look, send us an email to yeoldeenglandtours@gmail.com and we’ll get you a nice gift certificate before Christmas for the tour of your choice.
We have everyone from students to lone backpackers to ex-Presidents and media stars and people of all professions and interests.
We were even chosen by the BBCs Comic Relief to do a very special Sherlock Tour for the prize-winners and actual actors too!
March 2019
Last week on a rather cold March afternoon, I was honoured to be invited to record a piece for international television on the achievements and legacy of Sir Winston Churchill. Boon one of our tours, perhaps the Churchill tour and find out why we are in demand!
January 2019
Ye Olde England Tours is expanding and we need additional guides!
We are looking for Freelance guides for both walking tours in London and car-based day trips from London to destinations generally in S.E. England.
Full training is provided along with generous rates of pay.
Experience is not essential but being friendly and trust-worthy is.
Contact us today and discover what it’s like to love your job!
February 2018
As well as being 5 star rated on Trip Advisor where we have have 80 5-star reviews, we also have a smiliar number on Viator and Get Your Guide. This month we have been awarded the Get Your Guide Top Partner Award 2018 with an average rating of over 4.8 out of 5 stars.
Thank-you to all our customers for our great reviews. We treasure each and every one of them and we hope go to show that we treat every one of our tours and guests like a King or Queen for the day.
January 2018
Ye Olde England Tours are proud to be entered into the first annual Hertfordshire Tourism Awards. As well as our famous London and southern counties tours, we also do many great tours to our home, in the home counties. From Harry Potter to Hatfield House, Knebworth to St Albans and all the secret treasures in between. We can take you there and with a much higher satisfaction level than all the above world renowned attractions.
We treat each and every tour like it is the most important thing in the world because to us, it is and you are. It’s not how big you are, it’s how good you are that counts!
Certificate of Excellence
For the third year in a row. Ye Olde England Tours has been recognised by Trip Advisor… this time with the 2017 Certificate of Excellence! Thank-you to all our guests for helping us make dreams come true, yours and ours!
Filming Trip to France and consultant to The CWGC (March 2017)
Last weekend I was delighted to be invited by the Comminwealth War Graves Commission to travel to the WW1 Western Front to present a short history related documentary that may even end up on the BBC. When not touring I write books and one that was published was Lest We Forget which relates to WW1. It’s obviously a great honour to be recognised in this way and I was more than happy to help research and present the film.
I put together the following little video on YouTube….
https://youtu.be/EcvIrRJA6VQ
Obviously 99% of our tours relate to London, England and the U.K. though we also do a 3 day tour to the Western Front in Belgium and France too. You can see a little of what you’d see on our video below. So why not book with us for a friendly, private, unhurried tour by a real expert.
https://youtu.be/0xqf–whiNI
See our WW1 Ypres and The Somme tour page for details.
We’re on YouTube! (February 2017)
Ye Olde England Tours now has our very own YouTube Channel. Here we hope to post short videos featuring some of the big sights and hidden locations around London and the UK. Subscribe to keep up to date!
Ye Olde England Tours Are Featured In Harrods Magazine! (January 2017)
We are honoured to be featured in the latest edition of Halcyon, the official magazine of Harrods Aviation who are as prestigious in the travel world as the Knightsbridge Store is in the world of shopping.
Halcyon wanted their travellers to do something special but a bit different in London and so wrote a feature on Sherlock Holmes which I helped advise them with. It’s great for us to be mentioned in such a prestigious publication. If you’d like to do a special Sherlock location tour too, then check out our Sherlock tour page.
More New Faces Join The Team (December 2016)
We happy to announce that we can welcome two new faces to Ye Olde England Tours. Alison Lewin joined us in October and has already been out and about to Bath, Stonehenge and a few beautiful country houses having brought with her many years of running guided tours for prestigious tour groups in the UK and overseas.
Also joining us is Kevin Pearman. Kevin immediately made a big impact by getting a 5* review on his very first tour and a dozen trips further on, he is definitely proving to be a big hit with our guests.
You can read more about our team here.
Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence (October 2016)
We’re delighted to be once again awarded the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence!
Welcome Aboard Erin Tilley! (September 2016)
It is now almost 3 years I started Ye Olde England Tours with the aim of providing a professional, friendly and totally personalised series of tours. Originally there were just 5 tours to choose from and now have 39 (with some new ones about to launch). 250 tours and many thousands of miles driven and footsteps walked later, it is time to make a big move.
As well as providing unique and high-quality tours for my very special tourists and giving me a way to pass on my love and enthusiasm for London, England and in fact the entire U.K.; I always try to give special experiences and let my tourists see the sights in a way that the big coach operators and multinationals can’t hope to reach.
I’ve been more successful than I could ever have dreamed and over 2016, I’ve been turning down almost as many bookings as I’ve accepted which I hate doing. I don’t like disappointing people making their holiday plans and obviously from a purely business point of view it is a nice problem to have but still a problem as I can only do 1 tour at a time.
For the last few months I’ve been searching for someone who can help me so that I can offer the best tours possible to the most visitors I can. Obviously, it was important to find the right person and it took a lot of searching to find someone flexible, talented, people-friendly and with more than a bit of know-how about tours and all things London/British history and culture.
I’m delighted to say that I can announce the search is over and I can announce that the wonderful Erin Tilley will now be taking some tours on a part-time basis (at least for now!!). It means I don’t have to be double-booked so much and in peak periods work every day under the sun. Also though, it makes Ye Olde England Tours twice as good as before and let’s face it… with over sixty 5-star reviews, we weren’t too shoddy to begin with.
In keeping with the ethical way I run my life, my business and treat customers, I’m so thrilled to be welcome Erin onboard. Touring is a great way to make a living and not be stuck in the usual 9-5 job and I’m sure Erin will love it as much as I do and that all our tourists will love Erin too!
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There’s always lots to do in London, and the U.K. here are some great ideas we want to share with you!
Spring is in the air!
Spring is nearly here, and it is one of the best times to visit London and explore England. There are comparatively fewer tourists even at the hotspots, recently on a tour we visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and the site manager said there were only 200-300 people there all day when in peak season there could be easily over 5,000.
Many of the places we visit hold special attractions for out of season visits and with the weather improving, the lambs in the fields and the flowers and trees coming out then this is the time to start planning a special day out.
For a short period only, anyone books a day tour with us will be offered a discounted walking tour of London.
450th Shakespeare Anniversary.
This week sees the beginning of a year long special Shakespeare celebration and if you like all things Shakespeare or simply want to visit a peaceful and beautiful small English town that just happens to be the home of the greatest literary writer then why not visit Stratford Upon Avon.
This week I had the pleasure of taking Wendy from South Africa on a number of tours. We explored London, and we visited the tremendous Warwick Castle with its scary dungeons, birds of prey and views of several counties from the top of the tower. However nowhere was better than Stratford Upon Avon.
The weather was warm and sunny even on the last day of April, so we took our time walking around this pretty town. There are 5 Shakespeare-related houses in and around Stratford Upon Avon, each one different in their own way and each with beautiful old traditional gardens full of formal flower beds, roses and expansive lawns.
One of the pleasures of visiting Stratford Upon Avon is simply walking down the pretty little streets, full of interesting old shops and cafes which as Wendy and I can confirm, served the most delicious goods.
As well as the Shakespearean houses there is the original period home of John Harvard, founder of Harvard University in the USA and if you can tear yourself away from the beautiful streets and buildings then it’s always worth the effort to walk along the picturesque river through the park as the swans and boats go by until you reach Trinity Church which is, of course, the final resting place of William Shakespeare. When we visited there this week, the inside of the church was festooned with floral bouquets and wreaths for our favourite writer but of course, the church is beautiful in its own right.
Instead of a rushed coach tour, why not take the time to enjoy all that Stratford Upon Avon has to offer with a private guided tour by Ye Olde England Tours.
Shout-out to Milwaukee!
A big thank-you to Pramana, Arianna and Annie who I have spent the last 9 days with in and around London. They were absolutely fantastic people to show around and I enjoyed my time with you tremendously. We spent 8 days in and around London, seeing not just the big tourist sights but also visiting some of the great markets, shops, pubs and restaurants that London has to offer plus a trip out to beautiful Cambridge. Greenwich seemed to make a lasting impression whilst Annie loved our special Sherlock and Sci-Fi day where we went round to all the Sherlock sights from the books to the current TV show as well as a trip to Forbidden Planet!
The weather held out for us mostly, and they were kind enough to bring me a large bag of goodies from Milwaukee so when they left I surprised them with one of my books and a bag full of various Cadbury Chocolates.
It was great meeting you all and sharing such good memories. I hope to have another Bubble-Milk one day soon!
Christmas Seasonal Days Out
If you’re in England now or planning a winter visit to the United Kingdom then why not have a seasonal day out with us. There are numerous and memorable Christmas Markets throughout the South East of England with arts and crafts from around the U.K. and Europe. Many of these are in beautiful old market towns and cities or even in some of the historical attractions that we visit throughout the year.
Rochester at ChristmasFor something really seasonal, why not have a day tour to Windsor old town and, of course, see Windsor Castle too. Another very good idea is to visit Rochester in Kent, just east of London. Most of our modern Christmas traditions come from the Victorians and one man, in particular, Charles Dickens. You can’t have Christmas without the tales of Scrooge and The Christmas Carol. Rochester has many Charles Dickens related sights as well as a castle and a beautiful Cathedral. Visit the main shopping street and you’ll think you stepped back in time.
Stephen Liddell 