The Londinium Pedo is an annual treasure hunt which takes place on a Sunday afternoon in late September or early October each year within the Square Mile

Square mile

The square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile. It should not be confused with miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared...

 of the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

 (the financial centre of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

). It is organised by the United Hospitals and University of London Motoring Club (UHULMC). Despite being organised by a motoring club, the event takes place on foot. It is a sister event to the Miglia Quadrato

Miglia Quadrato

The Miglia Quadrato is an annual car treasure hunt which takes place on the second or third weekend in May within the City of London . It is organised by the United Hospitals and University of London Motoring Club...

, which is a car-based treasure hunt which takes place every May, also organised by UHULMC.

The hunt explores the streets and maze of alleyways of an area still rich in history and hidden delights and curiosities. The city is virtually deserted away from the tourist magnets of St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...

 and The Monument

The monument

In addition to any monument, the monument may refer to:*Monument to the Great Fire of London, England*Monument House in the U.S....

.

Format

Participation is as individuals or teams of two. The Pedo lasts for three hours, and is made up of six consecutive thirty minute stages. A team starts at one of six checkpoints at a given starting time, is handed the first clue sheet, and makes its way to the next checkpoint during the alloted thirty minutes. Penalty points are accrued if a team is late arriving at a checkpoint.

Each clue sheet details a number of inscriptions to find (any written material is fair game, including graffiti, plaques, manhole covers, graves and so on). A point is scored for each answer obtained.

A 'Mini Pedo' version, which uses a smaller number of the clues on each clue sheet is recommended for newcomers.