Castles · Tour

Marching Down The Mall: Changing of the Guard with a Historian

Most people watch the Changing of the Guard from behind a railing. On this walk you move with it: alongside the King's Guards and the ceremonial band as they come down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, close enough to hear the drill and the music rather than glimpse them. The tour is led by a historian and was designed with a former Guardsman, which shows in where you stand and when. It starts in Trafalgar Square, which has a direct link to the origins of the ceremony, and takes in the point that marks the centre of London, why Nelson matters, and what became of the cannons captured from the French. St James's Palace follows, where the Guards come off duty, so you see the other side of the handover. Wellington Barracks is where the whole thing begins and ends, and the walk is there for the new Guard coming on duty. It finishes outside Clarence House, the home of the King and Queen, a couple of minutes from Buckingham Palace, with a last sight of the Guards and the band, and usually the Horse Guards as well. From there, Green Park and St James's Park stations are a short walk, or about 15 minutes on foot to Trafalgar Square or Parliament Square. You can also stay for photographs at the palace gates, or walk back to Trafalgar Square with the guide. Meet ten minutes before the start. Your guide holds a red Fantastic Walks flag and wears a Fantastic Walks rucksack. If you are late, head along The Mall to Friary Court, St James's Palace.