The Mayor of Islington's Official Guides
Walks or talks for groups, schools, special occasions or business events
Tours of St John’s Gate, the Charterhouse, Caledonian Clock Tower, Union Chapel and Canonbury Tower
NEWS : From Saturday 8th June 2019 we will be leading tours up the newly restored Caledonian Clock Tower and around the park. See Site Tours for more information and booking.
Please sign up for our mailing list if you want to hear details about our future activities.
Some forthcoming public walks – for all our walks please visit our walks
june
Event Details
Let’s go on a ghost hunt with a difference. This walk shows you whispers of the past in the form of ghostly faded signs on the walls above
Event Details
Let’s go on a ghost hunt with a difference. This walk shows you whispers of the past in the form of ghostly faded signs on the walls above Holloway. We’ll look at and decipher a range of old hand-painted advertisements and talk about the fascinating stories behind the brands and businesses that commissioned them.
Time
(Sunday) 11:00 – 12:30
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
Hear amazing stories about the some of the old drinking establishments along and around the southern section of Upper Street. Find out about coaching inns, theatre pubs, strong men, boxing
Event Details
Hear amazing stories about the some of the old drinking establishments along and around the southern section of Upper Street. Find out about coaching inns, theatre pubs, strong men, boxing champions, very old men, daredevils, fires, crime and accidental death. Please note this is not a pub crawl. There’ll be plenty of time for that after the walk.
Time
(Sunday) 16:00 – 17:30
Location
Angel
Angel Underground Station, Upper Street, Islington, London N1 9LJ
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
From Huguenots in the 17th century to Syrians in the 21st century many groups and individuals have found safety in Islington. They have escaped danger,war and hardship, political and social persecution. Our
Event Details
From Huguenots in the 17th century to Syrians in the 21st century many groups and individuals have found safety in Islington. They have escaped danger,war and hardship, political and social persecution. Our local tour guide will explore the stories of refugees who came to Islington, their influence on the borough and how Islington responded. This walk is part of Islington Museum’s programme of events around their exhibition The Basque Children – The Story of Child Refugees from the Spanish Civil War which runs from 15 June to 16 July.
The walk is free but booking is essential.
Time
(Monday) 18:00 – 19:30
Location
Farringdon Station
39 Cowcross Street, LONDON, EC1M 6BY
Guide
Susan Hahnsusan.hahn@ciga.org.uk
18jun10:3011:30Tour of Union Chapel10:30 – 11:30 Guide: An Islington Guided Walks Guide
Event Details
Described as a ‘Gothic tornado’ on Upper Street, Union Chapel is an architectural gem and originally one of the
more
Event Details
Described as a ‘Gothic tornado’ on Upper Street, Union Chapel is an architectural gem and originally one of the largest nonconformist churches in London. It houses a unique Willis Organ, with unusual water powered bellows, an octagonal interior and stunning stained glass windows.
Now an award winning music venue, a homelessness project as well as being a working church, the Chapel still towers over Upper Street. Take a tour and learn more from one of our guides about Islington’s nonconformist heritage, the Chapel’s triumphant survival after a wartime bomb, and the fascinating story of its near demolition and in the 1980s, at a time when Victorian architecture was only just being appreciated.
Time
(Tuesday) 10:30 – 11:30
Location
Union Chapel
Compton Terrace, N1 2UN
Guide
An Islington Guided Walks Guide
19jun16:0017:30The Only Way is Essex Road16:00 – 17:30 Guide: Jane Parker
Event Details
Walk the full length of this intriguing yet often overlooked one mile thoroughfare taking in historical sites, innovative markets, beer and lino, entertainment, education and welfare.
Event Details
Walk the full length of this intriguing yet often overlooked one mile thoroughfare taking in historical sites, innovative markets, beer and lino, entertainment, education and welfare.
Time
(Wednesday) 16:00 – 17:30
Location
Islington Green
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
Travel back in time to the late Victorian era when the Nag’s Head of Holloway rivalled the Central London for shopping and entertainment. Hear about fancy tea
Event Details
Travel back in time to the late Victorian era when the Nag’s Head of Holloway rivalled the Central London for shopping and entertainment. Hear about fancy tea rooms, banqueting halls, palatial variety theatres, unusual transport and a couple of labyrinthine department stores.
Time
(Thursday) 18:30 – 20:00
Location
Holloway, Nags Head
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
This walk brings the Grossmiths’ satirical spoof diary to life. You’ll visit real places and hear about real people of that era whilst listening to amusing excerpts
Event Details
This walk brings the Grossmiths’ satirical spoof diary to life. You’ll visit real places and hear about real people of that era whilst listening to amusing excerpts from Mr Pooter’s diary. You don’t need to have already read the book to enjoy this tour, but you’ll want to afterwards.
Time
(Saturday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Upper Holloway
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
22jun16:0018:00Waterways, Wharves and Windmills16:00 – 18:00 Guide: Jane Parker
Event Details
Take a stroll along and above the Regent’s Canal following Islington’s boundary with Hackney. Hear about this waterway’s rich history and marvel at how much has changed.
Event Details
Take a stroll along and above the Regent’s Canal following Islington’s boundary with Hackney. Hear about this waterway’s rich history and marvel at how much has changed. Learn about boats and beds, warehouses and factories, rubber and metal, fancy goods and pleasure gardens.
Time
(Saturday) 16:00 – 18:00
Location
City Road Basin
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
Let’s look at some stylish and statement buildings in N4 and N5 to see how local businesses as well as places of entertainment, sport and transport applied
Event Details
Let’s look at some stylish and statement buildings in N4 and N5 to see how local businesses as well as places of entertainment, sport and transport applied the clean lines and design devices of the ArtDeco/modernist era. We’ll also see how this movement has continued to inspire today’s architects.
Time
(Monday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Arsenal
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
We’ll see how major changes were made to this popular shopping district during a period of rebuilding in the 1930s. There are marvellous examples of ‘statement’ architecture hiding
Event Details
We’ll see how major changes were made to this popular shopping district during a period of rebuilding in the 1930s. There are marvellous examples of ‘statement’ architecture hiding in plain view almost at every junction of Holloway N7 on commercial buildings, places of entertainment and housing all keen to show they were part of the forward-thinking zeitgeist of that time.
Time
(Monday) 14:30 – 16:00
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
26jun11:0012:30Canonbury Tower Tour11:00 – 12:30 Guide: Joanna Moncrieff
Event Details
Come and explore the inside and outside of one of Islington’s historic jewels – the Canonbury Tower. Originally built in the early 1500s by Prior Bolton of St Bartholomew’s Priory
more
Event Details
Come and explore the inside and outside of one of Islington’s historic jewels – the Canonbury Tower. Originally built in the early 1500s by Prior Bolton of St Bartholomew’s Priory as a summer retreat, the Tower has a fascinating history, and was owned by Thomas Cromwell (of Wolf Hall fame) and at one time occupied by novelist Oliver Goldsmith.
Please note that access to this building is restricted, and only available if it is not in use. The tour will also only run if we have three or more visitors booking. We regret that the tour might need to be cancelled at short notice. We will endeavor to contact you (using email) 48 hours before the tour to let you know if it is going ahead.
Please get to the building ten minutes before the tour commences. Once the tour starts, the main door will be locked, and late comers will not be able to join the tour. The tour takes about an hour and a half to complete.
Time
(Wednesday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Canonbury Tower
6 Canonbury Place, N1 2NQ, London
Guide
Joanna Moncrieffjoanna.moncrieff@ciga.org.uk
26jun18:3020:00Ghostsigns of Islington – the writing’s on the wall18:30 – 20:00 Guide: Jane Parker
Event Details
The area around Angel Islington and Upper Street is rich in faded hand-painted signs of the past, commonly referred to as ‘ghostsigns’. On this 90-minute walking tour which
Event Details
The area around Angel Islington and Upper Street is rich in faded hand-painted signs of the past, commonly referred to as ‘ghostsigns’. On this 90-minute walking tour which is just over a mile long you will see many surviving signs of this type and at each stop you’ll hear about the businesses, people and/or products behind them. We’ll also look other kinds of ‘ghostsigns’ along the way.
Time
(Wednesday) 18:30 – 20:00
Location
Islington Town Hall
Upper Street London N1 2UD
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
At the end of the 20th century Kings Cross was at the heart of London’s LGBT social scene Relive the heady days of the Scala cinema movie nights and The Bell
Event Details
At the end of the 20th century Kings Cross was at the heart of London’s LGBT social scene Relive the heady days of the Scala cinema movie nights and The Bell Pub and visit the Central Station pub who have supported every spectrum of LGBT society from SM Dykes to the Gay Christian movement since the early 1990s. Also, discover the area’s history of activism and community support from the setting up of the London Gay Switchboard in the 1970s through to current organisations such as Say it Loud and Gendered Intelligence.
Time
(Saturday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Kings Cross
Kings Cross Station Euston Road, Kings Cross London N1 9AL
Guide
An Islington Guided Walks Guide
Event Details
The 1930s was a time when businesses and institutions were rebuilding their premises in an effort to be part of a forward-looking zeitgeist. There are some fabulous examples to be
Event Details
The 1930s was a time when businesses and institutions were rebuilding their premises in an effort to be part of a forward-looking zeitgeist. There are some fabulous examples to be found in the old boroughs of Finsbury and Shoreditch – see the clean lines of the ‘Jazz Age’ applied in various ways to places of commerce, art, health, housing and entertainment. We’ll also look at and compare a few modern buildings that continue to echo the stylised designs of the past. Note that this is followed by another Art Deco tour in Spitalfields.
Time
(Sunday) 15:00 – 16:30
Location
Finsbury Square
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
july
Event Details
A walk through some of Islington’s impressive housing estates. We’ll visit Victorian dwellings and early LCC estates and compare them with recently constructed schemes. We’ll talk about philanthropists,
Event Details
A walk through some of Islington’s impressive housing estates. We’ll visit Victorian dwellings and early LCC estates and compare them with recently constructed schemes. We’ll talk about philanthropists, schools, churches, poverty and pride, architecture and design. Upper Street area, ending near Highbury & Islington station.
Time
(Monday) 18:30 – 20:00
Location
Essex Road
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
Clerkenwell’s literary connections stretch back to the sixteenth century. We’ll hear about drama, mystery, magic, crime and punishment as we discover some of the writers who have lived,
more
Event Details
Clerkenwell’s literary connections stretch back to the sixteenth century. We’ll hear about drama, mystery, magic, crime and punishment as we discover some of the writers who have lived, worked and written about the area over the years. Writers featured in the walk will include: Peter Ackroyd, Charles Dickens, George Gissing, Samuel Johnson and William Shakespeare. Readings from some of their works will help to bring the locations they wrote about to life and enable you to read (or re-read) their books in a new light.
This 90-minute circular walk starts and finishes at Farringdon Station.
This is a free walk generously funded by Islington Library and Heritage Service but booking is essential.
This is one of a series of four new walks on a literary theme designed by Islington Guided Walk guides to mark the publication of a Literary Road Map of Islington. The map has been created by Islington Library and HeritageService and like the walks celebrates the borough’s long, rich heritage of authors, screenwriters, poets and writers who have lived in Islington, and the literary works which have been inspired by and set in Islington.
Time
(Saturday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Farringdon Station
39 Cowcross Street, LONDON, EC1M 6BY
Guide
Jen Pedlerjen.pedler@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
This is the fourth walk in a series of walks exploring the significant role that different areas of islington have played in the growth of the LGBT+ community,
more
Event Details
This is the fourth walk in a series of walks exploring the significant role that different areas of islington have played in the growth of the LGBT+ community, its organisation and rights through the 20th and 21st century. Discover cutting-edge publications, venues for good times, the issues facing gay men before the 1967 Sexual Offences Act and the UK’s largest LGBT football supporters club.
This is a free walk but booking is essential.
The walk is led by a guide from Islington Guided Walks, the Mayor of Islington’s official tour guides and has been created in partnership with and funded by Islington’s Pride.
Islington’s Pride is run by Islington Heritage who have received support from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create an archive focusing on the borough’s LGBT+ heritage. Islington’s Pride will create a dedicated archive, educational resources a digital landscape as well as commission events such as this walk. For more information about Islington’s Pride visit www.islingtonspride.com.
Time
(Saturday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Highbury & Islington
Guide
Jiff Baylissjiff.bayliss@ciga.org.uk
07jul11:0012:30Green and Pleasant Islington11:00 – 12:30
Event Details
Quiet spaces, peaceful gardens and lovely quiet backstreets just a stone’s throw from the busy main road. We’ll visit open fields, an award-winning park, a hidden garden,
Event Details
Quiet spaces, peaceful gardens and lovely quiet backstreets just a stone’s throw from the busy main road. We’ll visit open fields, an award-winning park, a hidden garden, farms old and new, a churchyard, sports fields and shady meadows, talking about dogs and desire, renovation and recycling.
Time
(Sunday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Highbury & Islington
08jul14:0015:30Funny Islington14:00 – 15:30 Guide: George Baddeley
Event Details
This walk will explore how “Merrie Islington” as it was known became a place for popular entertainment. We’ll visit some of the Angel’s greatest past and present comedy and entertainment
Event Details
This walk will explore how “Merrie Islington” as it was known became a place for popular entertainment. We’ll visit some of the Angel’s greatest past and present comedy and entertainment venues, and find out about many locally based comedians, comedy writers and entertainers and the comedy they’ve created – and participants can stay on for a free comedy show at Angel Comedy Club’s The Bill Murray pub!
Time
(Monday) 14:00 – 15:30
Location
Angel
Angel Underground Station, Upper Street, Islington, London N1 9LJ
Guide
George BaddeleyLOCAL WALKS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF ISLINGTON INCLUDING EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF COMEDY AND ENTERTAINMENT I offer walks in the Angel, Clerkenwell and the St Lukes areas. I also undertake regular tours at The Museum of the Order of St John. I have a particular interest in the local history of comedy and entertainment. 07525154616 or twitter: @gphb georgebaddeley@gmail.com
08jul18:3020:00Boxes, Babies, Beans and Bras18:30 – 20:00 Guide: Jane Parker
Event Details
A wander through the backstreets of Islington following a trail of old hand-painted signs above and around the Regents Canal. See and hear evidence of a diverse
Event Details
A wander through the backstreets of Islington following a trail of old hand-painted signs above and around the Regents Canal. See and hear evidence of a diverse range of companies and the products they made, from ladies’ underwear and fancy boxes to metals, canvas and ceramics.
Time
(Monday) 18:30 – 20:00
Location
Angel
Angel Underground Station, Upper Street, Islington, London N1 9LJ
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
11jul11:0012:30The Only Way is Essex Road11:00 – 12:30 Guide: Jane Parker
Event Details
Walk the full length of this intriguing yet often overlooked one mile thoroughfare taking in historical sites, innovative markets, beer and lino, entertainment, education and welfare.
Event Details
Walk the full length of this intriguing yet often overlooked one mile thoroughfare taking in historical sites, innovative markets, beer and lino, entertainment, education and welfare.
Time
(Thursday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Islington Green
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
11jul18:3020:30Waterways, Wharves and Windmills18:30 – 20:30 Guide: Jane Parker
Event Details
Take a stroll along and above the Regent’s Canal following Islington’s boundary with Hackney. Hear about this waterway’s rich history and marvel at how much has changed.
Event Details
Take a stroll along and above the Regent’s Canal following Islington’s boundary with Hackney. Hear about this waterway’s rich history and marvel at how much has changed. Learn about boats and beds, warehouses and factories, rubber and metal, fancy goods and pleasure gardens.
Time
(Thursday) 18:30 – 20:30
Location
City Road Basin
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
12jul14:0015:30Canonbury Tower Tour14:00 – 15:30 Guide: Oonagh Gay
Event Details
Come and explore the inside and outside of one of Islington’s historic jewels – the Canonbury Tower. Originally built in the early 1500s by Prior Bolton of St Bartholomew’s Priory
more
Event Details
Come and explore the inside and outside of one of Islington’s historic jewels – the Canonbury Tower. Originally built in the early 1500s by Prior Bolton of St Bartholomew’s Priory as a summer retreat, the Tower has a fascinating history, and was owned by Thomas Cromwell (of Wolf Hall fame) and at one time occupied by novelist Oliver Goldsmith.
Please note that access to this building is restricted, and only available if it is not in use. The tour will also only run if we have three or more visitors booking. We regret that the tour might need to be cancelled at short notice. We will endeavor to contact you (using email) 48 hours before the tour to let you know if it is going ahead.
Please get to the building ten minutes before the tour commences. Once the tour starts, the main door will be locked, and late comers will not be able to join the tour. The tour takes about an hour and a half to complete.
Time
(Friday) 14:00 – 15:30
Location
Canonbury Tower
6 Canonbury Place, N1 2NQ, London
Guide
Oonagh Gayoonagh.gay@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
This is the fourth walk in a series of walks exploring the significant role that different areas of islington have played in the growth of the LGBT+ community,
more
Event Details
This is the fourth walk in a series of walks exploring the significant role that different areas of islington have played in the growth of the LGBT+ community, its organisation and rights through the 20th and 21st century. Discover cutting-edge publications, venues for good times, the issues facing gay men before the 1967 Sexual Offences Act and the UK’s largest LGBT football supporters club.
This is a free walk but booking is essential.
The walk is led by a guide from Islington Guided Walks, the Mayor of Islington’s official tour guides and has been created in partnership with and funded by Islington’s Pride.
Islington’s Pride is run by Islington Heritage who have received support from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create an archive focusing on the borough’s LGBT+ heritage. Islington’s Pride will create a dedicated archive, educational resources a digital landscape as well as commission events such as this walk. For more information about Islington’s Pride visit www.islingtonspride.com.
Time
(Saturday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Highbury & Islington
Guide
Jiff Baylissjiff.bayliss@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
This is the fourth walk in a series of walks exploring the significant role that different areas of islington have played in the growth of the LGBT+ community,
more
Event Details
This is the fourth walk in a series of walks exploring the significant role that different areas of islington have played in the growth of the LGBT+ community, its organisation and rights through the 20th and 21st century. Discover cutting-edge publications, venues for good times, the issues facing gay men before the 1967 Sexual Offences Act and the UK’s largest LGBT football supporters club.
This is a free walk but booking is essential.
The walk is led by a guide from Islington Guided Walks, the Mayor of Islington’s official tour guides and has been created in partnership with and funded by Islington’s Pride.
Islington’s Pride is run by Islington Heritage who have received support from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create an archive focusing on the borough’s LGBT+ heritage. Islington’s Pride will create a dedicated archive, educational resources a digital landscape as well as commission events such as this walk. For more information about Islington’s Pride visit www.islingtonspride.com.
Time
(Saturday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Highbury & Islington
Guide
Karen Lansdownkaren.lansdown@ciga.org.uk
24jul11:0012:30Canonbury Tower Tour11:00 – 12:30 Guide: Mary Bond
Event Details
Come and explore the inside and outside of one of Islington’s historic jewels – the Canonbury Tower. Originally built in the early 1500s by Prior Bolton of St Bartholomew’s Priory
more
Event Details
Come and explore the inside and outside of one of Islington’s historic jewels – the Canonbury Tower. Originally built in the early 1500s by Prior Bolton of St Bartholomew’s Priory as a summer retreat, the Tower has a fascinating history, and was owned by Thomas Cromwell (of Wolf Hall fame) and at one time occupied by novelist Oliver Goldsmith.
Please note that access to this building is restricted, and only available if it is not in use. The tour will also only run if we have three or more visitors booking. We regret that the tour might need to be cancelled at short notice. We will endeavor to contact you (using email) 48 hours before the tour to let you know if it is going ahead.
Please get to the building ten minutes before the tour commences. Once the tour starts, the main door will be locked, and late comers will not be able to join the tour. The tour takes about an hour and a half to complete.
Time
(Wednesday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Canonbury Tower
6 Canonbury Place, N1 2NQ, London
Guide
Mary Bondmary.bond@ciga.org.uk
Event Details
This is the fourth walk in a series of walks exploring the significant role that different areas of islington have played in the growth of the LGBT+ community,
more
Event Details
This is the fourth walk in a series of walks exploring the significant role that different areas of islington have played in the growth of the LGBT+ community, its organisation and rights through the 20th and 21st century. Discover cutting-edge publications, venues for good times, the issues facing gay men before the 1967 Sexual Offences Act and the UK’s largest LGBT football supporters club.
This is a free walk but booking is essential.
The walk is led by a guide from Islington Guided Walks, the Mayor of Islington’s official tour guides and has been created in partnership with and funded by Islington’s Pride.
Islington’s Pride is run by Islington Heritage who have received support from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create an archive focusing on the borough’s LGBT+ heritage. Islington’s Pride will create a dedicated archive, educational resources a digital landscape as well as commission events such as this walk. For more information about Islington’s Pride visit www.islingtonspride.com.
Time
(Sunday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Highbury & Islington
Guide
Karen Lansdownkaren.lansdown@ciga.org.uk
30jul10:3012:30Waterways, Wharves and Windmills10:30 – 12:30 Guide: Jane Parker
Event Details
Take a stroll along and above the Regent’s Canal following Islington’s boundary with Hackney. Hear about this waterway’s rich history and marvel at how much has changed.
Event Details
Take a stroll along and above the Regent’s Canal following Islington’s boundary with Hackney. Hear about this waterway’s rich history and marvel at how much has changed. Learn about boats and beds, warehouses and factories, rubber and metal, fancy goods and pleasure gardens.
Time
(Tuesday) 10:30 – 12:30
Location
City Road Basin
Guide
Jane Parkerjane.parker@ciga.org.uk
august
Event Details
A Clerkenwell walk celebrating some of the many Islington LGBT+ firsts – from Chris Smith, the UK’s first openly gay Member of Parliament in 1984 to the UK’s first legal
Event Details
A Clerkenwell walk celebrating some of the many Islington LGBT+ firsts – from Chris Smith, the UK’s first openly gay Member of Parliament in 1984 to the UK’s first legal afterhours club Trade which opened in 1990s. As well as dance, music, clubs and pubs the walk explores many of the poignant, funny and brave stories of life and activism recorded by the Islington’s Pride project.
Time
(Saturday) 11:00 – 12:30
Location
Barbican (Underground)
135 Aldersgate Street EC1A 4JA
Guide
An Islington Guided Walks Guide
When you book a tour you are making a contract with the individual guide and not Islington Guided Walks. Contact the guide if you want to know more about the walk.
What our clients say about us
I’ve joined two of the Association’s walks, one on Islington’s involvement in the Spanish Civil War and another on Activism in Islington in the 70s and 80s. Both walks were excellent; well researched; expertly led; and a wealth of local information relating to the topics. I would recommend the Association’s guided walks to anyone.
Had a very enjoyable guided walk in Islington today visiting places associated with artists who once lived in the area and painted local landmarks. Knowledgeable and friendly guide who shared many amusing anecdotes about former inhabitants of this fascinating part of London. An informative and fun walk. Will definitely book with them again.
I had the fantastic opportunity to take a tour of Canonbury Tower with an excellent guide. She was very welcoming, knowledgeable and smart. I was so impressed by this tour and guide that I look forward to participating in other tours.