Top England Audio Guides - page 21

Cornwall’s rugged coastline has shaped St Ives for millennia, transforming it from ancient Celtic settlement, to bustling fishing port, to world-renowned artistic center. On this coastal walking tour, you’ll explore the winding streets and sheltered coves that tell the story of its remarkable transformation. You’ll discover how pilchard fishing once powered the economy, learn about the smuggling networks that flourished along these shores, and understand how the unique Atlantic light drew artists from across the world. The tour starts at St Ives railway station above Porthminster Beach. You’ll weave through ancient lanes too narrow for cars, and past cottages where fishermen once dried their nets on the walls. The tour ends at the iconic Tate St Ives gallery overlooking Porthmeor Beach, where you’ll hear how this fishing town became an artistic colony that transformed British art.

York isn’t just England’s most historic city – it’s officially Europe’s most haunted. On this spine-chilling self-guided walking tour, you’ll discover the dark underbelly of a place where 2,000 years of history have created the perfect conditions for supernatural activity. As you walk, you’ll hear about poltergeists, spectral monks, murdered children, and other entities that refused to leave when their mortal lives ended. You'll hear about the home to St. Mary’s Abbey, where the ghostly silhouette of a faceless monk still stalks the ruins. You’ll weave through York’s atmospheric streets, passing haunted pubs where objects move of their own accord and temperatures drop without explanation. Along the way, you’ll hear spine-tingling tales of the sinister Barghest (a demonic black dog whose appearance foretells death) and the violent poltergeist that terrorizes unsuspecting shoppers at The Body Shop.

This walking tour explores Birmingham’s musical heritage, tracing how heavy metal and diverse genres emerged from its industrial heart. Starting at Ozzy the Bull, you’ll journey through sixty years of rock history. Key Highlights: Visit The Crown, where Black Sabbath debuted, and sites hosting icons like Nirvana and The Clash. Discover how local artists birthed grindcore and global anthems while navigating political lawsuits and societal discontent. Browse tenured record stores and see the Black Sabbath Bench. Uncover the Brummie roots of Fleetwood Mac and how factory life shaped the "metal" sound.

Plymouth’s maritime history stretches back centuries, and the Barbican district will give you a glimpse into its storied past. On this self-guided audio tour, you’ll explore the historic heart of a city that launched voyages of both discovery and conquest. You’ll also find out how Plymouth’s strategic location shaped not just British history but world events – from the sailing of the Mayflower to Napoleon’s final defeat. The tour starts at the iconic Mayflower Steps Memorial where, in September 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers departed on their momentous journey to the New World. Along the way, you’ll discover how this bustling port connected England to global trade networks, and played a crucial role in the development of Britain’s naval power. The tour ends back near the Mayflower Museum, where you can hear more of the story of the famous voyage that forever linked Plymouth to American history.

Bristol‘s Old Market is at the centre of the city’s story, from its time as a medieval trade destination, to the vibrant cultural hub it is today. On this walking tour, you‘ll explore Bristol‘s oldest neighbourhood and find out what makes this area unique. You’ll pass coaching inns, hidden priest holes, independent breweries and music venues, each with their own fascinating layers of history and culture. The tour starts at Castle Bridge, where you‘ll hear about Bristol‘s Anglo-Saxon origins and how the city got its name. You‘ll walk through Castle Park, find remnants of Bristol Castle‘s curtain wall, and discover how this once-mighty fortress shaped the surrounding area. In the Old Market itself, you’ll see where trading has taken place for almost a thousand years.

Walking the walls that encircle Canterbury is one of the most exciting historical experiences in England. Attacked on at least seven occasions by invaders, from the Danes to the Nazis, the walls have been used to protect residents for over 1,700 years. On this self-guided walking tour, you'll follow Canterbury‘s historic city walls and dive into the city‘s story of violence, cruelty, fire, and destruction – but also extraordinary hope and progress. You‘ll discover the gruesome fate of Archbishop Simon Sudbury, who paid for the wall with his head. I‘ll show you the statues of King Ethelbert and Queen Bertha, who famously converted pagan England to Roman Christianity. You‘ll also hear about the Canterbury Blitz of 1942, when German bombers devastated the medieval city. The tour ends at the Westgate Bridge where you‘ll see the enigmatic Alluvia, the haunting underwater sculpture inspired by Millais‘ Ophelia and linked to Judge Sir James Hales‘ 1554 suicide.

When British industry expanded rapidly during the Industrial Revolution, port cities scrambled to keep up with demand. Salford Quays became one of the ports to fill that gap, playing a pivotal role in Manchester‘s transformation into the vibrant city it is today. On this self-guided audio tour through Salford Quays, I‘ll tell you its captivating story of growth, decline, and rejuvenation. During the walk, I‘ll show you important sites like Victoria Warehouse, an enduring relic of history, as well as fellow survivors of time, the Old Dock Office, and the Port‘s Gate. Along the way, you‘ll hear about Lowry’s connection to the city, and ITV Studios, where Coronation Street is recorded. After venturing through Mariner‘s Canal, the walk ends at Media City, a mixed-use property development that helped to usher in a fresh era of industry and creativity for Salford Quays.

Journey into Manchester’s recent past and see how the city has rebuilt itself, sometimes literally, from the ashes. This self-guided audio tour takes you through the city center, Spinningfields, and Castlefield where you’ll hear key stories about Manchester’s journey from industrial relic to modern metropolis. Your tour begins in front of Mackie Mayor food hall in the NOMA district, where dangerous slums have been replaced by ground-breakingly modern buildings like the National Football Museum. As you wind your way through the city centre, seeing the wonderful Mancunian mix of old and new, you’ll learn about the factory owner who wanted a worker’s revolution, Manchester’s most terrifying days and nights, the scruffy statue of Abraham Lincoln, and what happened to the Hacienda night club. On the way to the Midland hotel where your tour ends, I’ll show you a perfectly adequate Manchester Cathedral, and a theatre hidden inside the Royal Exchange Building.

Touring the City of London with a guide is a great way to introduce yourself to the city, but it can be tricky to find a budget-friendly option. With this self-guided mobile app audio tour, you can enjoy sightseeing in a private group on your own terms for a lower cost. Offline access to the app also allows you to use it whenever you want, regardless of your Wi-Fi connection.

Chester’s medieval streets witnessed real witch trials and barrel-dunkings centuries ago, but today they’re home to a different kind of magic. On this self-guided audio tour, you’ll follow the enchanted adventures from Evelyn Winter’s children’s book The Chester Witches, where thirteen-year-old Winona Wren and her spell-casting Granny transform the city’s dark history into whimsical storytelling wonderment. You’ll start at Chester High Cross, where four medieval streets converge, and follow an enchanted barrel’s chaotic path down Eastgate Street. You’ll pass beneath the iconic Eastgate Clock, wind through the Roman Amphitheatre, and discover how a mischievous barrel once flattened the mayor’s podium and sent enchanted flapjacks into song. You’ll continue along The Groves riverside promenade where Granny Wren’s magical market boat once bobbed, and to Billy Hobby’s Well, where maidens wished for husbands.

Chester is a Roman-walled wonderland, where every corner has a captivating tale to tell. On this self-guided audio tour through its cobbled streets, you’ll discover the real history behind the places in the story of The Blessington Dolls. Get ready for some wacky, wonderful stories you won’t hear anywhere else! Whether you’re a kid with a wild imagination or an adult who’s young at heart, this enchanting journey is designed for all ages to enjoy. Your amazing adventure begins at the Chester Visitor Information Centre where you can grab a souvenir, like a copy of Smelly Stories of Giants, Goblins, and Nincompoops, a fun-filled book packed with tales of Chester’s wacky past. After that, it's off to the Chester High Cross, which has been standing in front of St Peter’s Church since its restoration in 1975, close to its original 14th-century location. Who knows what secrets it might reveal?

Fowey has earned its living from the sea for over a thousand years. On this self guided audio tour, you’ll discover how this Cornish harbour town prospered through trade, survived brutal attacks, and developed a talent for brandy smuggling. The tour starts at the Bodinnick Ferry near Caffa Mill Car Park, where China clay was loaded onto ships bound for the world. You’ll walk along Fore Street’s historic merchant quarter, and along the Town Quay where deep water still allows cruise ships to anchor. Along the way, you’ll find out how the River Fowey connected inland Cornwall to global trade routes, and why controlling this waterway meant controlling wealth and power. The tour ends at St Catherine’s Castle, a fortress built by Henry VIII to ensure this strategic harbour would never fall again.

Welcome to the Secret Oxford Walking tour, where you’ll take roads less travelled and see some of the city’s surprising features, along with its highlights. On this walking tour of the city, you’ll tread in the footsteps of some of Oxford’s most famous names, while sound effects and music enhance the sense of being transported back over a thousand years. Starting from Oxford Railway Station, you’ll hear about the city’s Anglo-Saxon origins whilst making your way through modern streets to its peaceful canal. I’ll share stories about dramatic escapes from Oxford Castle, clashes with Vikings, and how residents have fought for their independence over the centuries.

Seeing London’s South Bank with a private guide can be the ideal way to explore a new city, but it isn’t always kind to your wallet. With this self-guided audio tour, all you need to do is purchase a budget-friendly mobile app to enjoy city landmarks on your own terms. Stroll from London Bridge to the Tate Modern, listening to a producer share the long entertainment history of the area.

Behind Bibury’s picturesque stone cottages are hidden histories and fascinating tales waiting to be told. On this self-guided audio tour through the village’s ancient streets, you’ll find traces of the Celtic tribes, Roman settlers, medieval weavers, and even Japanese royalty who have left their mark. Starting and ending in the car park near Bibury Trout Farm, you’ll make your way through the village. You’ll wander past iconic landmarks like Arlington Row – the weavers’ cottages from the 1300s that Henry Ford tried (and failed) to relocate to America. You’ll see St Mary’s Church with its Norman architecture and mysterious sundials, and learn why Emperor Hirohito called his visit to this village “one of the happiest periods” of his life. Along the way, you’ll hear stories passed down through generations.

Follow in the footsteps of Charles Dickens and Samuel Pepys—and discover a side of London that many visitors overlook—on this self-led audio walking tour of Wapping and the Docklands. Upon booking, download the app, and set off whenever works best for you. This part of London is known for its seafaring associations and sordid past, and discover more when spying Tower Bridge, visiting a pub once frequented by pirates, and more.

Wells is England's smallest city, but it packs in more than a millennium of history, intrigue, and quirky traditions. On this self-guided audio tour, you'll pass all the city’s main sights and hear the most colourful stories attached to each. The tour starts at the Wells Tourist Office on the Market Place, where stallholders have been trading since the 12th century. You’ll see the Bishop's Palace and meet the swans who live on the moat and are trained to ring a bell when they want food. You'll then pass picturesque spots linked to Wells Cathedral, such as Penniless Porch and Cathedral Green, stopping outside the magnificent West Front to hear its story. Finally, you’ll make your way back to the Market Place, hearing tales of three periods in the history of Wells, from the drama of the Civil War and the bloody Monmouth Rebellion to the over-zealous May-day merrymaking in the 1600s.

West Cornwall has more history per mile than almost anywhere else in Britain. On this self-guided audio driving tour, you’ll trace the deep roots of Kernow, a Celtic kingdom with its own language, legends, and hard-won identity. You’ll make your way through coastal villages, prehistoric monuments, and the ruins of an industry that once powered the world. The tour starts at Penzance – a working port that gave the world both a famous opera and Humphry Davy, the scientist who discovered laughing gas and its possible use as an anaesthetic. You’ll drive through Poldark country at Porthgwarra Cove and arrive at Land’s End, where legend says a drowned kingdom called Lyonesse once stretched toward the Isles of Scilly. The tour ends at Lanyon Quoit, a Neolithic chambered tomb on the open West Penwith moorland, with wide views across the peninsula.

Dartmoor’s granite was forged 280 million years ago. On this audio driving tour, you’ll trace 10,000 years of human history across one of Britain’s most extraordinary landscapes, from Bronze Age settlements to Napoleonic prison walls. The tour starts at the Haytor Dartmoor National Park Visitor Centre, where you can climb one of Dartmoor’s most iconic granite tors before setting off. You’ll wind south through the villages of Widecombe in the Moor and Ponsworthy, their very names encoding the Old English and Latin of early settlers. From Merrivale’s Bronze Age hut circles and stone rows, to the ancient oak woodland of Wistman’s Wood and the twin granite rings of Grey Wethers, you’ll encounter a landscape that was once densely settled and then gradually abandoned as the climate turned colder. The last stop before heading back up to Haytor is at the House of Marbles in Bovey Tracey, a working glass and marble studio housed in the original Victorian pottery buildings.

Port Isaac is one of Cornwall's most photographed fishing villages, and it's easy to see why television came calling. On this self-guided audio tour, you'll follow in the footsteps of the famously grumpy Dr. Martin Ellingham through the real streets of Portwenn, discovering how this working harbour village became one of Britain's best-loved TV locations. The tour starts near the South West Coast Path entrance, where you'll head down Fore Street Hill into the heart of the village. Along the way, you'll spot Louisa's various houses from different series, Mrs Tishell's pharmacy, which relocated several times across the show's 10 series, and the Victorian schoolhouse where Louisa taught, with its sweeping views across the harbour to the Doc's surgery beyond. The tour ends at Fern Cottage, the iconic surgery exterior that launched a thousand photographs – a private residence, so you'll want to stay on the road, but unmistakable from the moment you see it.

The British Museum holds more than 8 million objects spanning every inhabited continent and nearly every era of human history. On this self-guided audio tour, you'll move through the museum's most celebrated galleries, from Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to Anglo-Saxon England and Classical Greece. You'll also discover how seemingly unrelated objects are connected across space and time. The tour starts in the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, Norman Foster's spectacular glass-roofed atrium. From there, you'll explore the Enlightenment Gallery, where the museum's origins are tied to an Irish physician's collection of 71,000 objects bankrolled by Jamaican sugar plantations. You'll encounter the mummified remains of Henutmehyt, a wealthy Egyptian priestess buried with enough food for one final meal. The tour ends in the Parthenon Galleries, home to sculptures prised from the Acropolis by Lord Elgin – beautiful, contested, and still at the centre of one of archaeology's great debates.

This self-guided audio walking tour through London is hosted by the legendary Stephen Fry and was developed with the QI Elves, the brilliant research team behind the hit BBC comedy panel show QI. This immersive audio experience uncovers the bizarre facts, hidden oddities, and fascinating secrets behind the city's most famous landmarks. Over the next hour, Stephen’s narration will guide you through the quirky history hiding in plain sight, from Shakespearean curses to legendary pranks. Starting at St. Paul’s Cathedral, you'll wander down Peter’s Hill, cross the Millennium Bridge, and explore Bankside. You'll pass the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe, dive into vibrant Borough Market, cross London Bridge, and finish at the mysterious London Stone. Along the way, your audio guide reveals which icon the Suffragettes nearly bombed with a wristwatch and how John Cleese pranked Michael Palin. Download to your smartphone and explore entirely at your own pace!

This self-guided audio tour through Westminster is hosted by the legendary Stephen Fry and was developed with the QI Elves, the research team behind the hit BBC show QI. This immersive walking tour uncovers the bizarre facts and hidden secrets behind London's most famous landmarks. Over the next hour, Stephen’s narration guides you through the quirky history hiding in plain sight. Starting at Westminster Pier, your audio guide leads you toward Trafalgar Square. Pass the Houses of Parliament to hear about odd traditions like free snortable tobacco for MPs. Along the way, you'll learn how Westminster Abbey staff jealously used a flawed waxwork of Lord Nelson to lure tourists from St. Paul's, and discover the architectural secrets of Downing Street, the Cenotaph, and the iconic K2 telephone boxes. Finish at Cleopatra’s Needle after exploring Nelson's Column. Download to your smartphone and explore at your own pace!

London, 1666: plague-ravaged, war-drained, and bone dry. Join historian Dan Snow on this self-guided walking tour to track the Great Fire from a baker's forgotten oven to the smouldering ruins of a transformed city. Starting on Pudding Lane, you'll walk south through the streets where catastrophe unfolded, discovering how four days of fire reshaped London forever. On this 75-minute tour, you'll: * Stand inside Leadenhall Market, built over the ruins of Roman London's basilica * Walk St Michael's Alley and understand how narrow medieval lanes acted as vertical chimneys * Visit the Guildhall, the only secular stone building in the City predating 1666 * Learn why King Charles II personally overrode his Lord Mayor to save London