Piccadilly

Walking through London is a delight at any time. Combine a stroll with some of the capital's finest buildings, most fashionable shops, grand facades, processional routes, history, royalty and life and you have a winner every time. This walk should only take about an hour. It starts at Trafalgar Square and finishes at Piccadilly Circus not far away.

You can reach Trafalgar Square by taking the Bakerloo or Northern Lines to Charing Cross. Take the exit marked Trafalgar Square and start by Nelson's Column. The walk begins by crossing to Admiralty Arch and strolling down The Mall to the Duke of Your's Steps on the right. From this point we enter St James's. We pass London's great clubs such as the Reform. We see some of the best Nash architecture, like the two magnificent Carlton House terraces.

We pass down Pall Mall to St James's Palace, built out of red brick by Henry VIII and home of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. In St James's St we admire some of London's finest and most venerable shops, such as Berry Bros and Rudd, Lock's Hatters and Lobb - all survivors of the 18th century. Beside Berry Bros is an archway leading to London's smallest square, pictured on the right. A little gem, sel;dom found by the tourists passing by the Palace.

A much more grand and bigger square is St James's, home of courtiers and prime ministers. From this point we walk up to Jermyn St where well heeled men can equip themselves with clothing and accessories at suitably elevated prices. You can also enjoy being pampered with one of the world's most expensive shaves.

The walk finally passes along Piccadilly, named after a brand of stiff collar worn at court, and sold by a certain tailor who made a fortune out of the fashion, as well as having the entire street named after his collars. We finish amidst the bright lights and bustle of Piccadilly Circus where you can take the Piccadilly Line or Bakerloo Line (zone 1) to your starting point.