Chris Van Hayden

Chris Van Hayden

Hi there,

Thinking about visiting London? I can't wait to show you around this magnificent city.
I find myself roaming around the capital and always wondering at its dynamism, culture, people and I love sharing its secrets with my guests. I can help you get the most out of your visit, wether you want a general overview of its iconic sites and venues, head to its popular shopping districts, eat out in style or explore London's cultural wealth: its museums, galleries and heritage.

I have much experience working with children as an educator and guide and can ensure all members of the family will enjoy their stay. I believe my job as a guide is to give my guests the best time possible and leave London wanting to come back for more!
My other job as a guitarist and music teacher informs my tours about London's rich music heritage, from the Baroque period to date.

I specialise in Art History, History, Music heritage, local history heritage in all areas of the capital. If you are a Londoner interested in local heritage visit my website and sign up to my newsletter: www.chrisvanhayden.uk

About myself:

After completing a degree in History and Art History I signed up for the BB course recently qualifying in 2020. I am fluent and qualified to guide in English, Spanish and Italian. I am specialised in art history and history, and can take clients to other cities including: Bath, Oxford, Windsor, Canterbury, Salisbury (Stonehenge), Stratford Upon Avon and more.

I also run regular local heritage walks in the suburbs.
Just before the turn of the century I was commissioned as an Air Force pilot aviator in El Salvador and the US. I  frequently run tours at the Churchill War Rooms, Chartwell and other related sites.
Back in London I embarked on a career as a guitarist, author and illustrator for children.

I have been heavily involved in music education running my own School of Rock in South London, working with children and young musicians. I published in 2015 a children's fiction novel on iTunes: The Rock Adventures of Rocky Rocks, which I also illustrated and wrote music for.

I am a keen sportsman having won the last two years in a row at Henley Masters Regatta, rowing with my club Putney Town Rowing Club a Masters C quadruple scull.

Languages

ItalianSpanishEnglish

Top 5 Specialities

The City of London Tour

National Gallery Tour

Westminster Abbey Tour

St Paul’s Cathedral Tour

British Museum Tour

Guide Calendar Last Update: 1st of December, 2024

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    Blog Posts

    William Buckland - The Dinosaur Dean - at Westminster Abbey in London

    Working as a Blue Badge Tourist Guide in I often show my guests – especially if they have young children - the bust of the William Buckland in the south aisle of Westminster Abbey. He may hardly be a household name but Buckland is memorialised for his appointment as Dean of the Abbey in 1845 and his work as an early palaeontologist and undergroundologist (geologist). He excelled at two of the new sciences that would enthral Britain in the nineteenth century.

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    History of the Old London Bridge, the Original Bridge Over the River Thames

    One of the most striking and admired structures throughout the history of the City of London is its medieval inhabited stone bridge. Bridges with houses were relatively common in medieval Europe; examples include Bath’s Pulteney Bridge, which is still open for business. However, the old London Bridge, aka the Bridge, as it was commonly known, was the most populous of them all. It is calculated that its 140 houses housed 800 people in the fourteenth century, and the Bridge’s population averaged 500.

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    The Battersea Power Station – One Of London’s Great Landmarks

    One of London’s iconic buildings, the Battersea Power Station has gone from being an engineering marvel to a symbol of industrial dilapidation and is now home to one of the capital’s most prestigious redevelopment schemes. Gossip news may reveal a stream of high profile celebrities moving in but chief amongst its tenants will be Apple, which will use six floors of the station’s former Boiler House, as its main London HQ.

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    See all blog posts posted by Chris Van Hayden