Mary Shelley & Frankenstein: A Gothic London Experience
A Private Chauffeured Tour Through the Dark & Mysterious World of Mary Shelley
Step into the eerie and romantic world of Mary Shelley, the visionary author of Frankenstein, and explore the gothic history of London that shaped her life and writing. This exclusive chauffeured tour takes you to the haunts of poets, radicals, and scientists, where the seeds of Frankenstein were sown. Uncover the tragic love stories, political intrigue, and scientific advancements that influenced her most famous creation, while traveling in comfort through the shadowy corners of Mary Shelley’s London.
Highlights:
• Visit the site where Mary Shelley was born, surrounded by revolutionaries and intellectuals.
• Drive past the grave of her mother, feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft, whose radical ideas shaped Shelley’s thinking.
• See the house where she and Percy Bysshe Shelley lived in secret, escaping scandal.
• Explore the gothic churches and graveyards that inspired the dark themes of Frankenstein.
• Visit the Royal College of Surgeons, where early experiments with electricity and reanimation took place.
• End with a drink at a historic London pub, where literary figures once gathered.
Tour Overview:
Your journey begins at Somers Town, where Mary Shelley was born in 1797, the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, an early feminist, and William Godwin, a radical philosopher. Here, you’ll hear about the intellectual and political debates that shaped Mary’s early years and her exposure to revolutionary ideas about science and society.
Next, drive past St. Pancras Churchyard, where her mother is buried. This graveyard was not only a place of mourning for Mary but also a meeting point for her and Percy Bysshe Shelley, the married poet she fell in love with. Their forbidden romance led them to flee London for a life of scandal, poetry, and tragedy.
Continue to Mayfair, where Mary and Percy lived briefly before their European travels. It was on a stormy night in Geneva that Mary conceived the idea of Frankenstein during a ghost story competition with Lord Byron—a story that would become the first true science fiction novel.
Pass by gothic churches and eerie graveyards, exploring the darker side of London’s medical and scientific history. Stop at the Royal College of Surgeons, where experiments with electricity and human anatomy fascinated Mary. Scientists of her time were attempting galvanism, the use of electric currents to bring dead tissue to life—an idea that directly inspired Frankenstein’s monster.
Finally, end your tour at a historic London pub, where literary figures like Lord Byron and John Keats once gathered. Here, you can raise a glass to Mary Shelley, the woman who created one of the most enduring myths of science and horror.
A Haunting Journey Through Literature & Science
This chauffeured experience is perfect for literary lovers, gothic fiction fans, and those intrigued by the dark and mysterious past of London. Whether you’re fascinated by Mary Shelley’s unconventional life, the birth of science fiction, or the eerie inspirations behind Frankenstein, this tour will immerse you in a world where reality and the macabre collide.
Price:
£1484 per group