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Discovery Walks of London - Richard Jones

My Background
My name is Richard Jones and I am a London resident and tour guide.

I was born in Stoke-On-Trent in the Midlands of the United Kingdom but moved to London in 1977. The City has been my home ever since. In 1982 I began devising and offering walking tours of London and have since written several books about the City, which I love with a passion.

My Travels
I have also written several books on Britain and Ireland ( on Ghosts, Legends and Mystical locations) and a Walking Tour Guide to Edinburgh, a City that I am almost as passionate about as London.

My Favourite Places in Britain and Ireland
One of my favourite trips is through Kilmartin Glen in Argyll Scotland. There are over 350 ancient monuments scattered across this landscape - 150 of them being prehistoric. Amongst them is the Fort of Dunadd, once the capital of the Kingdom of Dalriada, which dates back to around 500AD.

Another favourite is Knocknarea ("Hill of the Moon" in County Sligo, Ireland. The domed tomb that surmounts the hill dates from around 3000BC and is made up of thousands of tiny boulders heaped together to form a tomb.

Edinburgh is one of my all time favourite Cities and I would urge any visitor there to be sure to take the bus out to the village of Colinton and take a wander along the Water of Leith Walkway. Edinburgh is surrounded by some wonderful countryside, so it's a pity that the majority of visitors remain routed in its centre.

I am very fond of the Island of Iona, and on one occasion I took the boat over to the Island and found myself standing next to a somewhat dour looking chap who just happened to be Gordon Brown!

Favourite London Landmarks
I love exploring the Tower of London (I like to get there as early as possible to try and beat the crowds although this is becoming more difficult every year.) I would urge any visitor to London to take the time to explore the Inns of Court. The Sir John Soane House in Lincoln's Inn Fields is also a must. To experience a different side of London I would urge you to take the Northern Line out to Hampstead and walk its streets and venture out on to its Heath.

Top Tip For Walking In London
Always look up. Many people don't pay a great deal of attention beyond the ground (first) floor of a building. Yet if you look up you can often see just how beautiful and intricate many of London's older buildings are. Exquisite stonework, little statues or details etched into that stonework can be a joy to discover.