Welcome to the April issue of the Clerkenwell & Islington Guides newsletter of walks and events, and we have a comprehensive listing of walks this month to tempt you out to explore the streets of Clerkenwell and Islington, starting with:
Union Chapel Tour
Union Chapel has towered over Upper Street in Islington since the 1870s and today thrives as an award-winning venue, homelessness project and a working radical church. On the tour you’ll see this architectural gem up close and discover the building’s fascinating history.
The Grade I listed Victorian Gothic Chapel is one of the largest Nonconformist churches in London. It houses an important Father Henry Willis organ that is one of few left in the UK with an original hydraulic blowing system, stunning stained glass windows and a distinctive octagonal interior built for acoustics and visibility.
Take a tour and learn more about Islington’s heritage, the Chapel’s triumphant survival after a wartime bomb, and the fascinating story of its near demolition in the 1980s, at a time when Victorian architecture was only just being appreciated. (Proceeds of the ticket prices go to helping keep Union Chapel open, safe, maintained for all and to support our local communities).
Art Deco Holloway: architectural delights of the 1930s
Holloway’s main shopping area has a wealth of Jazz Age and Streamline Moderne architecture simply hiding in plain view. Since the 1870s this area has been north London’s main shopping area. As this continued into the 1920s and 1930s many businesses updated or rebuilt in the new Moderne styles of that time. We’ll visit a cross section of buildings, constructed as places of entertainment, commerce and health, as well as manufactories and housing developments.
This tour takes place on the 16th of April, and can be booked by clicking here.
Cultural Clerkenwell
Since the middle-ages, when religious pageants were held on the banks of the River Fleet and entertainers performed at the annual Bartholomew’s Fair, Clerkenwell has been a part of London steeped in cultural history.
Theatre, literature, music, film, architecture, food, sculpture and visual art spanning the last 900 years are all covered as we wander the streets and alleys of this atmospheric neighbourhood.
In addition to following in the footsteps of William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, along the way you’ll hear how William Morris, Agatha Christie, Vladimir Lenin, William Hogarth and Benjamin Franklin have all left their mark on Clerkenwell.
In London’s oldest parish church you’ll see a striking sculpture by one of Britain’s most controversial artists. Down hidden alleyways you’ll find out about one of London’s great 17th-century theatres, a pioneering architectural partnership and an unsung champion of classical music. You’ll also see why this historic area has been a location for some of Hollywood’s biggest movies. And you’ll get the chance to see close-up the site that gave Clerkenwell its name.
This walk takes place on the 20th of April, and can be booked by clicking here.
Evolving Islington
In 1086 the Domesday Book reported that Islington contained just 27 households. Today its quarter-of-a-million residents live in an area that boasts world-class cultural venues but also less green space than any other London borough.
The story of how Islington developed over the centuries provides many tales of social, cultural and political history. The walk takes in many of central Islington’s most fascinating sites – some well-known and others even locals may not be familiar with.
You’ll see a Tudor house that’s been in the same family since the 16th century, the first church bombed in World War II and some of the pioneering homes built in the early 20th century as Islington’s population boomed. You’ll also find out how the world-famous Union Chapel got its name and why you should never graffiti in a library book… The tour lasts about 2 hours and starts at Highbury & Islington station.
This walk takes place on the 24th of April, and the 12th of May, and can be booked by clicking here.
Islington’s Lost Entertainments
For centuries, Islington has been a popular destination for pleasure seekers. On this two-hour tour we’ll explore the activities and institutions that went from ubiquity to obscurity as London changed around them.
We’ll uncover Islington’s time as a land of pastoral excess; the antics of various rock-n’-rollers; the food; the fads; and the fights.
The walk begins outside Angel station and ends near Highbury and Islington station. Due to some mature themes, the walk is recommended for ages 15+
This walk takes place on the 25th of April, and can be booked by clicking here.
Art Deco Arsenal: sport and transport, movies and moving
A guided walk looking at a cross-section of architectural styles from the interwar years.
Obviously, we’ll visit Arsenal FC’s iconic Highbury ground, but we’ll also look at and talk about places of entertainment, companies that strived to keep up with the zeitgeist, well-proportioned residential properties and a renovation scheme that was never completed. You’ll hear about architecture, design, typography and letterform, and we’ll also peek into some interiors.
This walk takes place on the 28th of April, and can be booked by clicking here.
Monasteries, Martyrs, Murder & Meat
From St Paul’s via Greyfriars & Old Bailey to Smithfield, St Bartholomew’s & Charterhouse.
The Priory and Hospital of St Bartholomew were founded at Smithfield 901 years ago in 1123.
London has a long and dark history of martyrs, public executions, body snatchers, crime and punishment – and butchery.
Hear tales of hangings and burnings; grave robbers and law enforcement; and the annual fair that became so riotous it was banned after 700 years. Discover medieval monasteries, the country’s oldest hospital and the City of London’s oldest house. See London’s most famous courthouse, on the site of its most notorious former prison.
The walk lasts approximately two hours. Please be prepared for all weather conditions!
Start: St Paul’s tube station, Exit 2 (signed to St Paul’s Cathedral)
Finish: Charterhouse Square (nearest tubes: Barbican, Farringdon)
“I really enjoyed Monasteries, Martyrs, Murder & Meat and felt that Jonathan brought the history of the City to life in an informative and entertaining way. I highly recommend and will definitely do more guided walks with London on the Ground.”
This walk takes place on the 11th of May, and can be booked by clicking here.
Clerkenwell: London’s First Suburb
**Book this tour for 11am on 18 May 2024 and you will be sent a discount code giving £2 off Bunhill: Barracks, Bone Yards and Baths at 2.30pm on the same day.**
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On this circular walk from/to Farringdon Station, now one of the best connected stations in all of London, you will:
• Learn about Clerkenwell’s Norman and medieval heritage as the location of a Priory and a Nunnery in fields north of the City of London.
• Discover Clerkenwell’s tradition for radicalism, dissent and protest.
• Understand its growth from rural monastic quarter to the first area to be swallowed up by creeping urbanisation.
• Find out Clerkenwell’s history as a centre for makers of clocks, watches, jewellery and furniture; for brewers and distillers; and for crime and vice.
• See the site of the historic court houses of the lost county of Middlesex.
• Admire architecture from the 16th to the 21st centuries in a visually attractive village-like area.
• Have a rare opportunity to see the Clerk’s Well that gave the area its name.
The walk lasts approximately two hours. Please be prepared for all weather conditions!
Start: Farringdon Station forecourt (opposite Castle pub, Cowcross Street/Turnmill Street)
Finish: Farringdon Station
“Thanks for a great walk.” May 2023
“My wife, myself and a friend had a very enjoyable walk with Jonathan around Clerkenwell this afternoon and enjoyed the informative dialogue and the hidden places visited, all in all a great afternoon was had by the whole group, thank you.” May 2023
This walk takes place on the 18th of May, and can be booked by clicking here.
St Mary Islington – Church and Tower tour
St Mary’s, Islington on Upper Street has played a central role in the history of Islington for a thousand years. During this time several different churches have stood on the site, leaving an eclectic range of architectural styles.
On this 90-minute guided tour you’ll learn about the 12th-century Norman church and its 15th-century medieval successor. In the 18th century it was completely rebuilt, lasting until 1940 when St Mary’s became the first London church to be destroyed in World War II. Only the tower and steeple survived the bomb; the main body of the church was rebuilt in 1956, a fascinating example of post-war reconstruction and design.
As well as providing a glimpse into the history of St Mary’s and how it has influenced Islington today, you’ll also have the opportunity to climb the 120 steps to the top of tower, giving you a bird’s-eye view over London.
Reviews of this tour
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “The guided tour of St Mary’s, Upper Street, Islington was fascinating and the view from the top of the tower was very special indeed.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “An excellent informative tour of St Mary’s Church. We had a great trip up the church tower with fabulous views over London. But we were also entertained with an interesting history of the church and its site – despite living very locally for over 30 years it is amazing what you miss on your doorstep!”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Great tour of St Mary’s Islington – a very beautiful church with lots of history. The best bit though was the opportunity to climb up the tower for a fantastic view. Highly recommended.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “A very interesting 90 minutes. Guide friendly, well-prepared, informative and easy to listen to. Getting to the top of the 18th-century church tower is the highlight.”
Bunhill: Barracks, Bone Yards and Baths
**Book this tour for 2.30pm on 18 May 2024 and you will be sent a discount code giving £2 off Clerkenwell: London’s First Suburb at 11am on the same day.**
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Discover nonconformist burial grounds, one of the oldest regiments in the British Army, a 90 year-old public baths and wash-house, the site of London’s first outdoor swimming pool and one of its most unusual churches.
“Another walk where you think you know the patch and Jonathan shows you the hidden stories!”
Sitting between today’s financial district and the Angel, Islington’s Bunhill ward is named after an ancient bone yard. Once marshland outside the walls of the City of London, for a while the area offered spas and outdoor leisure facilities. As urbanisation swallowed the fields, the area became industrialised and populated by tradesmen, the poor and the sick.
The legacy of the past is still visible, but this walk will also reveal some hidden architectural gems and tranquil open spaces.
The walk lasts approximately two hours. It will take place come rain or shine, so please be prepared for all weather conditions!
Start: outside Moorgate tube station, the western entrance on Moorfields (follow signposts to Exit 1).
Finish: close to Old Street tube station.
This walk takes place on the 18th of May, and can be booked by clicking here.
We hope you have found something of interest in the above listing.
New walks and new dates for existing walks are added to our walks calendar throughout the month, so please check our website between newsletters for new additions.
Our next newsletter will be on the first Sunday of May.
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