Jack the Ripper Walking Tour

Today I went on a walking tour to explore the haunting realities of Jack the Ripper. The walking tour was an extension of my History of London class where I learn about none other than..the history of London! The class is one of my main sources of learning about the history of the London. Jack the Ripper is a serial killer who began his crimes in the late 1800s of London’s East End. To this day, archeologists and historians have yet to identify the man behind the crimes but he is often depicted as wearing a large top hat, a mysterious cloak, and holds a menacing knife in his hand.

As we learned in class, and on the tour, all of Jack the Ripper’s victims were women and sex workers. In the photo you will see an image of Gunthorpe St. It is at this location that Jack the Ripper is believed to have committed the first of his most heinous crimes. Next, if you look at photo of the “Shaad” restaurant, look deeper at the red decals at the very top. You will see remnants of the words “Frying Pan”. It was near this pub that yet another of Jack the Ripper’s victim’s was killed.

During the tour, we were shown the graphic images of Jack the Ripper’s victims. The tour was rather unsettling which is why I am happy to have done it in the day and not at night! I really enjoyed the enthusiasm of our guide in spite of the gory subject matter. It still amazes me how Jack the Ripper was able to get away with such egregious crimes. I highly recommend this tour as it shows the horrific underbelly of London’s East End.