Are you interested in history? Are you interested in the history of London? The City of London was founded by the Romans nearly 2000 years ago and vestiges of that age and the succeeding generations abound across the City. The City of Westminster too has a rich royal and political history and is still the centre of government. And through both flows the River Thames - London's River - and along its banks there are countless symbols of London's history. London suburbia originated mainly in the 18th Century and from the rapid spread of railways in the mid-19th Century. For tourists and residents alike, what could be better than a walk, with a qualified City of London Guide Lecturer, through the highways and byways of London and its suburbs to discover their rich heritage, or maybe a talk on a variety of subjects.

Join me for a walk through London's highways and byways as we explore the City, Kensington, Islington and the suburbs. Full details will be given in the next Newsletter to be published shortly.

To download a copy of the Newsletter: click here

The walks in this series are as follows:

Wednesday 7th March 2012 Kensington 1 - This walk looks at the squares, streets and mews to the south of Kensington High Street and those that have lived there. Meet just outside the ticket barriers at Kensington High Street station at 11am.

Wednesday 28th October 2012 Kensington 2 - This second walk in Kensington meanders through the streets north of Kensington High Street and through the Holland House estate. Meet just outside the ticket barriers at Kensington High Street station at 11am.

Thursday 5th April 2012 Chislehurst - Trace the history of Chislehurst on a walk around Chislehurst Common. Meet at the village sign on th corner of Bromley road and St Paul's Cray Road at 11am.

Thursday 19th April 2012 The Literary City and Charles Dickens - This walk visits parts of the City with literary connections especially those mentioned by Charles Dickens in his novels. Meet at the exit to St Paul's tube station (south side) at 11am.

Wednesday 9th May 2012 Georgian Westminster - This walk takes you through the streets around Charing Cross station and Whitehall to discover the Georgian past. Meet at Charing Cross station at 11am.

Wednesday 30th May 2012 Georgian Bloomsbury - Explore some of Bloomsbury's Georgian squares and also the site of the Foundling hospital. Meet outside Russell Square tube station at 11am.

Wednesday 6th June 2012 Islington 2 - As a follow-up to the walk last autumn, this walk takes us deeper into Islington with its grand 18th and 19th century terraces, and the route of the New River. Meet at Highbury & Islington tube station at 11am.

Wednesday 27th June 2012 Dickens' Southwark - To celebrate Charles Dickens' birth 200 years ago, this walk follows Dickens' footsteps in Southwark. Meet at the south side of London Bridge (at the Spike) at 11am.

Wednesday 4th July 2012 ADDITIONAL WALK!! - Blackheath - Due to popular demand, this extra walk takes you round the delights of 18th century Blackheath with its grand houses, elegant St Michael's and All Angels Church and Morden College. Meet opposite Blackheath station at 11am.

Alternatively, you will find below a list of walks and talks that can be booked individually by interest groups, plus details of lecture series about London and other aspects of our history.

Walks - Central London:
  • Westminster and Whitehall - A history of scandal and intrigue
  • Westminster to Covent Garden - In the footsteps of Inigo Jones
  • The London of the Great Fire and Samuel Pepys
  • The Inns of Court (arrangements can be made to include lunch at Middle Temple Hall after the walk)
  • The Great Exhibition and Albertopolis
  • The Georgian City of London
  • Georgian Westminster
  • Georgian Bloomsbury
  • The City of London in literature
  • The South Bank - Tudor Entertainment Centre
  • Lambeth and the South Bank
  • Searching the Alleyways of the City of London - several walks criss-crossing the City
  • Life in Roman London
  • London at War
  • The Victorian City
  • Victorian Westminster
  • Crime & Justice in the City of London
For descriptions of these walks: click here

Forthcoming Walks:

  • see above

    Other walks can be arranged on request.

    Walks - The Suburbs:

    1. The Crystal Palace:

    The Crystal Palace, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, was moved to South London, and in 1854 became the centrepiece of the first theme park. There are still many relics of those days in Crystal Palace Park and a series of walks are available on various themes:

    • Crystal Palace Park
    • Crystal Palace Dinosaurs
    • Sport at the Crystal Palace
       For descriptions of these walks: click here

    2. The Villages of London:

    Walks around the villages of London are available as follows:

    • Barnes
    • Battersea
    • Beckenham
    • Bermondsey & Rotherhithe
    • Bethnal Green
    • Blackheath
    • Bloomsbury
    • Brentford
    • Bromley
    • Camberwell
    • Carshalton
    • Chelsea
    • Clerkenwell
    • Croydon
    • Deptford
    • Dulwich
    • Eltham
    • Forest Hill
    • Greenwich
    • Hayes
    • Isleworth
    • Kensington
    • Knightsbridge
    • Penge
    • Richmond
    • Shoreditch
    • Streatham
    • Sydenham
    • Wapping
    • West Wickham
    • Wimbledon
    • Woolwich
             For descriptions of these walks: click here

    Forthcoming Walks:

  • see above

    Other series can be arranged on request.

    Slide talks and seminars

    Slide talks can be arranged for any group and can be tailored to your group's needs in terms of content and length e.g. 15 - 20 minute summaries, 1 hour lectures and all-day sessions. For a full-day event, what about a talk combined with a guided walk or a visit?

  • History of the Crystal Palace
  • The Great Exhibition 1851
  • Historic Greenwich
  • The Inns of Court
  • Wren's City Churches
  • Roman London
  • Tudor London
  • Stuart London
  • Georgian London
  • Victorian London
  • Victorian Leisure and Pleasure
  • What the Victorians did for us
  • Dr W G Grace
  • Inigo Jones
  • Sir Christopher Wren
  • Dylan Thomas - Welsh Poet
  • The American Civil War
  • A History of Dulwich
     For more information: click here

    Forthcoming talks:

  • Pre-booked talks only. If you would like to arrange a talk, please send email.

    Lecture Series

    For organisations like the WEA, U3A and Adult Education Colleges it might be more appropriate to have a 6-, 12- or 30-week series of lectures on a specific theme as follows:

    • The Tudor Legacy - a review of England under the Tudors - and the legacy that they passed on to us
    • The Stuart Legacy - the contribution made by our 17th century ancestors in science, architecture, religion, entertainment and many other aspects of society and culture
    • The Victorian Legacy - a review of the Victorian period - its achievements and the legacy that they passed on to us
    • Walking and Talking London - a combination of walks and talks on aspects of London's history from the Roman invasion to the Victorian era
    • The River Thames (London's River) - a combination of walks and talks on the River Thames and the people, places and events associated with it

      Current / Forthcoming series:

    • 21st February - 20th March 2012 "The Stuart Legacy" A short series of lectures on the contribution that our 17th century ancestors made to our modern world. For more details, please contact Tonbridge WEA.

    • 1st March - 29th March 2012 "Victorian London" A talk and 4 walks exploring what remains of Victorian London. For more details, please contact Walton & Weybridge WEA.

      Other series can be arranged on request.


      For contact via Email, please send to
      © Copyright Ian Bevan MA 2011