Slow Horses Locations – TV Walking Tour in London

London gives Slow Horses an ideal stage: concrete walkways, old financial streets, anonymous offices, and corners where a spy can disappear into the crowd. This two-hour walk follows the show through the City, beginning at Blake’s grave and ending at Leadenhall Market, with the real-life inspiration for Slough House along the way.

I like two things in particular. The small group size keeps the walk personal, and Susannah brings both the television series and Mick Herron’s books into the conversation. I also like the extra London and espionage background, which gives the locations more meaning than a simple film-site checklist.

The main consideration is the walking. You cover about three miles, and the meeting point at Greggs on City Road can take a little care to find, especially if you rely on Apple Maps. The tour is a good fit for anyone comfortable walking through central London for two hours.

• Blake’s grave begins the story, serving as one of Jackson Lamb’s team meeting places.
• Barbican Highwalk and Aldersgate provide the setting for much of the show’s Slough House world.
• The real Slough House inspiration offers a direct link between fiction and modern London.
• Susannah connects the show, books, espionage, and city history rather than focusing only on filming spots.
• Bank Junction and the Royal Exchange Building add important City locations to the route.
• Leadenhall Market ends the walk, giving you an easy place to eat afterward.

Why this Slow Horses walk works in London

This is not a bus tour where you point a camera at a building and move on. You walk through the areas used to create the world of Slow Horses, then hear how the fictional setting connects with the real streets around it.

That matters because the show’s appeal is tied to place. Jackson Lamb and his disgraced MI5 team do not operate in a glamorous spy world. Their London is made of office blocks, public walkways, old commercial buildings, and streets that can look ordinary until you know what happened there.

The route also works for fans of the books. Susannah discusses the television series alongside the novels, helping you notice where the screen version follows Mick Herron’s ideas and where the locations add another layer. You do not need to have read every book, but the more familiar you are with the series, the more details you will recognize.

I would think of this as a fan tour with a solid London walking tour underneath it. The show gives the route its purpose, while the city background keeps it useful for anyone who wants more than a string of filming locations.

Starting at Blake’s grave on City Road

The walk begins outside Greggs at 91 City Road, London EC1Y 1BD. The precise meeting point is listed as GreggsU1, so give yourself a few minutes to get your bearings before the start.

That small detail matters. One participant had trouble with the extra numbers in Apple Maps, so I would use the full street address and check the location before setting out. The tour is offered in English, and confirmation arrives when you book.

From there, the group heads to Blake’s grave. It is an atmospheric first stop because the grave functions in the show as one of the meeting places for Jackson Lamb’s team of spies. The setting helps establish the tour’s basic idea: familiar London places can carry a second identity on screen.

You get time here to place the grave within the story before moving toward the fictional Slough House. The stop is free, as are the other places on the route, so the cost is for the guide and the experience of linking them together rather than for entry to paid attractions.

Seeing the Barbican through the show

The longest section of the walk takes place around the Barbican and Aldersgate. The listed time here is about 45 minutes, which gives Susannah room to explain how the area appears in Slow Horses and to point out details you could easily miss alone.

The Barbican is especially well suited to the show’s mood. Its walkways and surrounding buildings create a setting that feels separate from street level, even though you are still in central London. The tour uses the Barbican Highwalk as a way to explore that screen world and to connect the fictional Slough House neighborhood with the actual City.

I like this part because it is not only about spotting a doorway. You get a chance to understand how the surrounding streets and walkways support the story. Susannah also adds pieces of London history as you go, so the area becomes more than a backdrop for spies who have been pushed aside by MI5.

The group limit of 15 is useful here. A large crowd would make it harder to hear or gather around a particular location. With a smaller group, you can stay close to the guide and ask about the show, the books, or the buildings around you.

Expect plenty of standing while the guide explains each place. There is no admission charge, but this is still an active walking experience, not a seated talk.

Finding the real inspiration for Slough House

One of the most useful stops is outside the real-life building that inspired the fictional Slough House. In the story, Slough House is where MI5 careers go to die. Seeing the real location gives that idea a physical address.

This is the sort of detail that makes a fan tour worthwhile. You are not only visiting somewhere that appeared on television. You are learning how an actual London building helped shape the fictional headquarters of Jackson Lamb’s unwanted team.

The stop also gives Susannah a chance to discuss the difference between the books, the television series, and real espionage. One of the best parts of the experience is this movement between fiction and fact. You hear about the imagined spy operation, then get some background on the real world that helped inform it.

That balance is important. A tour made up only of plot trivia can feel thin if you are not an intense fan. Here, the London setting and espionage context give the conversation broader interest.

Bank Junction and the Royal Exchange Building

The route continues toward Bank Junction and the Royal Exchange Building. These locations bring the walk into one of the City’s key areas and add another set of recognizable locations from the show.

Bank Junction is tied to important scenes in Slow Horses, so it is a strong place to discuss how the series uses central London. The area is visually different from the Barbican, and the shift helps you see the range of locations used to create the show’s version of the city.

The Royal Exchange Building adds another architectural marker to the route. You will hear about its connection to the series while also getting more city history from Susannah. The tour does not require you to enter the building, and there are no admission tickets included or needed for these outdoor stops.

This section is useful if you want a wider sense of London geography. Instead of treating each location as an isolated point, the walk shows how the places connect on foot. You begin near City Road, pass through the Barbican and Aldersgate area, then move toward the financial district.

Keep in mind that the tour lasts about two hours, so the timing at each stop can change slightly with the group’s pace. The stated stop times add up to a full walk, with roughly 30 minutes at the opening area, 45 minutes around the Barbican, 30 minutes around the Royal Exchange and Bank Junction, and 15 minutes at Leadenhall Market.

Finishing at Leadenhall Market

The tour ends at Leadenhall Market, at Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 1LT. This is both a filming location and a practical final stop.

Leadenhall Market gives the walk a more social finish after the quieter business of tracing spy locations. You can take in the setting, then look for something to eat nearby. The market is a particularly handy ending because you do not need to work out how to reach a restaurant in another part of London immediately after the tour.

The end point also makes sense for the route. You finish near Bank and the City rather than being returned to the starting point, so plan your afternoon around that. If you have onward plans, check the route from Leadenhall Market rather than assuming you will finish back near City Road.

The final stop is listed at about 15 minutes. That is enough for a closing look and a few last questions, but it is not a long market visit built into the tour. I would treat the market as the place to continue your own exploration or get lunch after the guided walk.

What Susannah adds to the experience

The guide is a major part of this tour. Susannah brings enthusiasm for the show, familiarity with the books, and a clear interest in the London areas used along the route.

Her role is not limited to announcing filming locations. She also discusses city history and real espionage, which gives you useful context between references to Jackson Lamb and Slough House. There is even a spot-on Jackson Lamb impersonation, a small touch that fits the humor of the series without turning the walk into a performance.

The guide also keeps up with new material from the series. That is important for a show with several seasons and an active book readership. If you have watched the episodes recently, you will have plenty to ask about. If you are working through the books, you can bring those connections into the conversation too.

The strongest praise for the guide centers on her enthusiasm and command of the subject. I would expect the tone to be informal and fan-friendly, with room for questions rather than a rigid lecture.

How much walking should you expect?

The walk covers about three miles. That is manageable for most people who are used to walking around London, but it is still worth planning for.

You will move between several central areas and spend time on foot at each one. Comfortable shoes are the sensible choice. Since the experience is outdoors and the stops are free, your comfort depends more on the weather and your walking pace than on any indoor facilities.

The maximum group size is 15. That is small enough to keep the guide within earshot, but it is still a group walk, not a private tour. You should expect to follow a set route and keep moving with the group.

Most people can take part, and service animals are allowed. The tour is near public transportation, which helps at both ends, although the supplied details do not specify particular stations or step-free arrangements. If you need a precise accessibility plan, contact the provider, Square Mile Secrets, before booking.

Is the $27.62 price good value?

At $27.62 per person, the price is reasonable for a two-hour guided walk in central London, especially with a maximum of 15 participants.

You are not paying for entry to attractions, since the route uses outdoor locations with free admission. The value comes from the guide’s research, the connections between the books and the show, and the time saved locating the places on your own.

For a casual television viewer, the price may feel less attractive. You could walk through the Barbican and reach Leadenhall Market without paying, but you would not have the same explanation of Slough House’s real-life inspiration or the show’s espionage references.

For a committed Slow Horses fan, the calculation is easier. You get several connected locations in one walk, plus background that can change how you see later episodes. The small group size also helps justify the cost compared with a large, impersonal film-location outing.

The tour is commonly booked about 30 days ahead, so I would not leave it until the last minute if your London dates are fixed. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made inside that 24-hour window are not refunded or accepted.

Who should book this London TV tour?

This walk suits you best if you have watched Slow Horses and want to see how its London setting works in real life. It is also a good choice if you enjoy Mick Herron’s books and want to compare the written world with the television version.

You do not need to be an expert on espionage. The guide supplies background, and the city history gives the experience interest beyond the show. I would also recommend it to anyone who enjoys walking tours with a clear theme but still wants time spent in ordinary city streets rather than inside a museum.

It is less suitable if you dislike walking, want a private experience, or expect a full day of sightseeing. Two hours goes quickly, and the tour focuses on the selected Slow Horses locations rather than every London place connected with filming.

Fans should also allow time after the tour at Leadenhall Market. Since the walk ends there, you can turn the final stop into the beginning of a meal or another City outing.

My take on the Slow Horses Locations tour

I like this experience because it treats Slow Horses as part of London rather than as a collection of screen images. Blake’s grave, the Barbican Highwalk, the real Slough House inspiration, Bank Junction, the Royal Exchange Building, and Leadenhall Market form a clear route through the city.

The strongest reasons to book are Susannah’s mix of show and book knowledge, the added espionage and London background, and the small group limit. The chief drawback is simple: three miles of walking may be more than some people expect from a television tour.

Book it if you want location details that can make a rewatch more fun and you enjoy learning about the streets between scenes. Skip it if you want indoor attractions, a short stroll, or a complete London sightseeing tour. For fans who can comfortably walk for two hours, the $27.62 cost buys a focused and entertaining way to meet the Slough House neighborhood.

FAQ

Where does the Slow Horses walking tour start?

The tour starts at GreggsU1, 91 City Road, London EC1Y 1BD, UK.

Where does the tour end?

The walk ends at Leadenhall Market, Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 1LT, UK.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately two hours.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $27.62 per person.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 15 participants.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour is offered in English.

What location begins the walking route?

The tour begins at Blake’s grave, which is connected with meeting places for Jackson Lamb’s team in the show.

Does the tour visit the real inspiration for Slough House?

Yes. The route includes a stop outside the real-life inspiration for the fictional Slough House.

Does the tour include Leadenhall Market?

Yes. Leadenhall Market is the final stop and is also a location used in the show.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted or refunded.