
First Folio Monument, London
Tucked away on Love Lane, right where the old Saint Mary Aldermanbury churchyard once stood, you’ll find a pink granite monument built in 1896—complete with a very dignified Shakespeare bust giving you the side-eye. Officially, it's here to honor the First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays, but unofficially, it’s a big high-five to two of his old pals, Henry Condell and John Heminges. These two actors weren’t just theater buddies at The Globe—they were the ones who gathered up Shakespeare’s plays and got them printed after he died in 1616. They lived in this parish, and fittingly, are also buried here.
Now, the First Folio isn’t just any book. It rounded up 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, missing only a few outliers like Pericles, The Two Noble Kinsmen, Edward III, and the now-legendary lost works Cardenio and Love’s Labour’s Won. Out of some 750 copies printed, just 235 are still around today—mostly in museums, libraries, and a few very lucky living rooms.
And if you're wondering what all that old paper is worth? In 2001, one copy went under the hammer at Christie’s in New York for a cool $6.16 million. But there’s more! In 2020, another copy smashed records by selling for $10 million, officially crowning it the priciest literary work ever auctioned. Shakespeare: still making headlines, four centuries later...
Now, the First Folio isn’t just any book. It rounded up 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, missing only a few outliers like Pericles, The Two Noble Kinsmen, Edward III, and the now-legendary lost works Cardenio and Love’s Labour’s Won. Out of some 750 copies printed, just 235 are still around today—mostly in museums, libraries, and a few very lucky living rooms.
And if you're wondering what all that old paper is worth? In 2001, one copy went under the hammer at Christie’s in New York for a cool $6.16 million. But there’s more! In 2020, another copy smashed records by selling for $10 million, officially crowning it the priciest literary work ever auctioned. Shakespeare: still making headlines, four centuries later...
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in London. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
First Folio Monument on Map
Sight Name: First Folio Monument
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in London, England
Create Your Own Walk in London
Creating your own self-guided walk in London is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Covent Garden Walking Tour
A shopping and entertainment hub on the eastern fringes of London's West End, Covent Garden is a district historically associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market – currently a shopping spot popular with locals and tourists alike.
Once a slum area, today the north of the district is given over to independent shops centered on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials. Both places offer... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Once a slum area, today the north of the district is given over to independent shops centered on Neal's Yard and Seven Dials. Both places offer... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Harry Potter Walking Tour I
The Harry Potter phenomenon began with author J.K. Rowling, who famously dreamed up the series while delayed on a train from Manchester to London. With the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997, the literary world changed forever. Across seven books, readers followed Harry’s evolution from an orphaned schoolboy at Hogwarts to a brave young wizard confronting evil... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
City of London Walking Tour
The City of London, often referred to simply as the City (with the capital C), is the historic and financial core of the British capital. Despite being just over one square mile in area (for which reason it is also lovingly dubbed the Square Mile), it holds immense importance as the original site of Londinium, the Roman settlement founded circa 43 AD. Over the centuries, this small patch of land... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Bridges of London
Around thirty bridges span the Thames river in London, each with its own story. Our self-guided walk takes you to see nine such historical structures located in the heart of the city, starting from the storied Westminster Bridge and ending at the iconic Tower Bridge.
The latter has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognizable bridges in the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
The latter has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognizable bridges in the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
South Bank Walking Tour
London’s South Bank, stretching along the southern side of the River Thames, roughly between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge, is one of the most interesting and liveliest parts of the British capital. Here, London’s old soul and modern edge shake hands... and then probably go grab a pint together. Famous for its arts, culture, food, and scenic riverside walks, the area has a long and... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.8 Km or 3 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.8 Km or 3 Miles
Sherlock Holmes Tour in London
Among a myriad of other, real-life celebrities who have ever called London their home, perhaps the most famous is the fictional consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, created by Conan Doyle. Indeed, the ingenious sleuth has left an indelible mark on the literary and cultural landscape of London ever since the appearance of the first stories about him in the late 1880s. Years on, there are several... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
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