About
Discover Historic Waltham Abbey
Be the first to experience this exciting new guided tour - Saturday 15th August 2026. 11am start
Taking place every third Saturday of the month between April and October, starting from the District Museum in Sun Street EN9 1EL, at 11.00am, and lasting for around an hour and a half.
£5 per person including tea or coffee at the end of the tour at The Sun Inn, the oldest documented pub in Waltham Abbey. Children 8 to 16 years £2, under 8 free.
You can just turn up on the day but pre-booking is helpful - contact the Museum to pre-book or ask questions and pay at the Museum on the day. Call 01992 716882 or email enquiries@efdmuseum.org.uk
The friendly guides are selected for their vast knowledge on the fascinating history of their local area. Your guide for this tour is Tony O'Connor. Tony is an archaeologist and experienced international guide who, until recently, was responsible for everything historic and heritage in the district and managed and curated the district museum in Waltham Abbey.
Waltham Abbey - the last resting place of King Harold after his defeat at the Battle of Hastings. History abounds as Waltham Abbey has long played its part on the local, regional, and even international stage. Discover the story of Tovi the Proud who brought the holy cross from Glastonbury to the church at Waltham, later richly endowed by King Harold and later still made into an Augustinian Abbey by Henry II before being dismantled by Henry VIII. Hear about life in the abbey, the music of Thomas Tallis, Tudor intrigue, gunpowder manufacture and a whole lot more. Study the architecture of the church and surrounding area and be guided around the Abbey Gardens with remains of walls and buildings that show the size, extent and layout of the abbey that once stood there and was the religious and administrative centre for a significant part of this corner of Essex.
