The Suffragettes of London

Explore the Holborn area of London with this self-guided walking tour, based on the story of the militant women’s rights movement.

The story begins in 1906, when Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters move from Manchester to London. The four women are co-founders of WSPU – Women’s Social and Political Union – and they are fed up with women being treated as second class citizens.

At this point, the women’s rights movement in the UK had been at a standstill for 40 years. Politicians kept making promises about granting women the right to vote, but nothing seemed to happen. WSPU takes on a new slogan: “Deeds, not words” and gets to work. Their militant activism includes radical actions such as public protests, arson, and bombings.

Step into the story

The Suffragettes of London audio tour invites you to an interesting walk through Holborn, which was the epicenter of the London suffrage movement. Your digital guide is a historian, who will show you the way and tell you the story of what happened.

Examine unique old photos and listen to the story while you walk between the locations where it all took place.

Use the StoryTourist app

To walk this tour, download the user-friendly StoryTourist app. The app is equipped with a map, GPS and a digital guide which makes sure you walk in the right direction. Once you have purchased the tour it is yours to keep. You can use it at any time and as many times as you wish.

Through the app, you can interact with photographs and illustrations of the people involved. The app shows you what the lives of the suffragettes were like and how their actions impacted women’s rights.

The only thing you need to be able to step into the story is a smartphone with headphones. Travel back in time and experience an important part of history in with us!

This StoryTour is written by Maria Lundin Osvalds.

How this tour works

Your smartphone is your guide on this tour! Once you have purchased a tour, this is what you do:

Download the StoryTourist app from Apple App Store or Google Play, while connected to Wi-Fi.
Log into the app using the same email address you filled in when purchasing the tour. You will create your password the first time you log into the app. The tour you have purchased will be ready to download in the tour library once you have logged in. Make sure you are still connected to Wi-Fi while downloading the tour.
Go to the starting point of the tour, open the app, put your headphones on and head out on your StoryTour adventure!

Important information

This is a location based experience. You have to be at the tour starting point in London, UK, to start this walking tour.
Once the tour is downloaded to your phone, you can use it offline.
There is a map, GPS and a digital guide in the app, making sure that you’ll walk the right way.
This tour is available in English.
Once you have purchased the tour, it is your to keep. You can use it whenever you want and as many times as you would like. You can start, pause and end the tour whenever you would like.
This tour is pet friendly – feel free to bring your dog on this walk!
Public transport is available close to both the tour start point and end point.
This tour is not accessible to wheelchair users due to stairs.
We recommend this tour from ages 9 and up, due to mentions of violence.

What to bring

Your smartphone, with the StoryTourist app and the tour you purchased already downloaded.
Headphones, for the best possible listening experience
Make sure that your smartphone battery is fully charged. If you know that your phone has poor battery capacity, it can be a good idea to bring a powerbank as well.

Lincoln's Inn Fields

The tour starts here, on the corner of the park, by the fountain.

Clement's Inn

Visit the location where WSPU had their first headquarters.

The British Library of Political and Economic Science

Make a stop here to take a look at some interesting photos.

St Clement's Press

Visit the location where the suffragette movement printed their popular magazines.

Lincoln's Inn House

Make a stop outside the building where WSPU moved their headquarters to.

Peacock Theatre

This is where the London Opera used to be located - the venue where the suffragettes held rallies and events.

St Clement Danes Church

This is close to where the suffragettes arranged a census boycott campaign.

The Royal Courts of Justice

The tour ends outside the architecturally impressive Royal Courts of Justice.

Locations you'll visit on this tour

Lincoln's Inn Fields
Clement's Inn
The British Library of Political and Economic Science
Peacock Theatre
St Clement Danes Church
The Royal Courts of Justice

A violent fight for the women's right to vote