London Westminster walking tour

This scavenger hunt has a difficulty level of MODERATE.

Buy either an individual or group ticket. Your group should be between 2 and 6 people. In fact, children are welcome.

After purchase, to begin your London Westminster tour, direct yourself to the Parliament Square Garden, London SW1P 3JX, United Kingdom.

Once there, stand outside and log in to this website to begin your hunt. You’ll also need a fully charged smartphone connected to the Internet (LTE or 4G with a data plan; Wi-Fi isn’t available throughout). Instructions will be supplied on-screen, along with directions, challenges, and some historical information.

Ancient History

This area, including London’s Covent Garden, was inhabited in 4800 BCE, as structures have been unearthed through archaeology.

The Roman Empire settled the area around 100 CE and called it Londinium. This lasted until the 5th century.

Then the Vikings initially assaulted the coastlines and settled in northeastern England until the 11th century.

The city evolved in every sense (architecture, governance, religion, and more) from then on. The population grew rapidly through the centuries, despite losing ⅓ during the Black Death in the mid-14th century.

Westminster History

King Edward (the Confessor) began the construction of an abbey here in the mid-11th century. The foundations of this abbey are still visible today. He also built a palace to house the seat of Government.

This drew power and wealth out of the City of London (old Londinium).

It was in the 16th century that both Westminster and the City of London connected – that is, there were no longer fields between them as housing expanded. At the same time, growth also connected with Marylebone and Kensington.

Today Westminster includes the neighbourhoods of Soho, Mayfair, St James’s, Strand, Pimlico, Belgravia, and Hyde Park.