Returning to lead tours at Union Chapel

For the first time since the pandemic Islington Guided Walks is back leading monthly tours of Union Chapel. It was a delight to spend an hour there at the beginning of March sharing the glories of the building with a group. There are so many things to enjoy in this Grade I listed building but these … Read More

The Honourable Artillery Company

Walk south down City Road, past Bunhill Fields, and you will encounter, on your right, this forbidding building. The City shield and Royal Arms over the doorway testify to its importance, but the only clue to its purpose is given by two brass plates on the heavily guarded alley to its south which indicate that … Read More

Clere, Clair, Cleare or Clare Street…?

Uncovering the origins of this unusually named street in Shoreditch Clere Street is a turning off Tabernacle Street in Shoreditch, on the edge of the pre-1965 border between Finsbury and Shoreditch boroughs. It was previously called Paradise Street from c. 1792, then gained ‘Clere’ around 1938 when many London streets with confusing, duplicated and common … Read More

CLERKENWELL & ISLINGTON GUIDES – WALKS AND EVENTS JANUARY 2024

Welcome to the first newsletter from Clerkenwell & Islington Guides for 2024. Walks planned by our guides for the coming weeks include: EVOLVING ISLINGTON Discover how Islington developed from a rural settlement and centre for dairy farming into the diverse, bustling area it is today. In 1086 the Domesday Book reported that Islington contained just … Read More

CLERKENWELL & ISLINGTON GUIDES – A DECEMBER WALKS UPDATE

We have two late entries for our list of December walks, so if you would like a break over the Christmas period, the following two walks provide excellent opportunities to get out and explore. WATERWAYS, WHARVES AND WAREHOUSES – A GUIDED WALK Today the tow path is open to all, lined with colourful houseboats, waterside … Read More