Clerkenwell & Islington Tour Guiding Course 2027 starts in January
What last year’s students said
“Really excellent teaching and great mix of activities.”
“Best thing I have done in years.”
“Such a rewarding and transformative experience. Great community of people, and wonderful course material.”
Course Overview
Successful completion of the acclaimed Clerkenwell & Islington Tour Guiding course leads to a professional qualification in tour guiding.
The course is designed to enable students to develop the research and presentation skills required to be an excellent tour guide whilst discovering the rich and varied history and heritage of Clerkenwell and Islington.
The skills gained on the course are transferrable to guiding elsewhere and can be a valuable asset in other walks of life.
This course (accredited by Clerkenwell & Islington Guides’ Association – CIGA) will equip you with the skills to research, plan and give professional walking tours throughout the area.
From its great Medieval monastic houses and handsome Georgian squares to its long-standing reputation as a centre for radical thought, lively entertainment and health-giving waters Clerkenwell and Islington is an endlessly fascinating place for guides and their clients.
Once you have qualified you will be invited to join the Clerkenwell & Islington Guides’ Association (which operates under the name Islington Guided Walks) and become one of the Mayor of Islington’s official tour guides.
Our association was set up in 1988 and provides a supportive network of fellow guides and a platform for publicising your walks in the area. Membership also enables you to apply to become a guide at St John’s Gate in Clerkenwell and other Islington landmarks, to lead walks on behalf of Islington Guided Walks and to take visitors to see The Clerks’ Well (after which Clerkenwell is named).
How to apply
To find out more about the course please email [email protected]. We will be organising a Meet the Guide session in the autumn where we give you a taster walk and you get the chance to talk to past students.
If you are interested in applying for the 2027 course now please complete the application form at the bottom of this page. The course runs from January to July.
The fee for the 2026 course was £1,095. A very limited number of bursaries are available. Visit janestrust.org to find out if you might be eligible and to make an application as soon as possible.
Interviews take place at the end of November.
Course Content
This part-time course combines classroom based learning with practical guiding ‘walkshops’ on the streets of Clerkenwell and Islington and inside a landmark site.
The classroom-based sessions take place at an Islington venue on Wednesdays 6.30pm – 8.30pm during term time. They consist of lectures on the history of Clerkenwell and Islington and activities to support you in developing or improving your skills as a guide.
The practical sessions take place approximately every other Saturday (generally in the morning) and last about two hours. For these sessions you research and participate in a one to two mile guided walk with you and your fellow students as guides.
You will each be allocated landmarks to research and then have a chance to practise your growing guiding skills with a short presentation to your fellow students and tutor at the relevant ‘stop’.
There will also be opportunities to take part in a number of optional visits. Some of these visits may incur a small additional charge.
Your progress and suitability for qualification as an accredited Clerkenwell & Islington tour guide is assessed at four points during the 28 week course.
The assessment consists of two written assignments, one practical guiding exam at an indoor landmark and one practical guiding exam on the streets of Clerkenwell and Islington.
In Written Assignment A you’ll design an Islington walk on the subject of your choice. Written Assignment B, due at the end of course, asks you to reflect on your development as a guide, your goals and review other guided walks you’ve been on.
The interior exam addresses the specific challenges of guiding indoors, such as sharing space with the public and interpreting objects at close quarters. In the exterior exam you’ll prepare and be able to deliver a complete guided walk in an historic Islington neighbourhood.
Who is the Course for?
The course is suitable both for people who are new to tour guiding and for experienced tour guides who want to develop their knowledge and skills further. It is aimed at anyone interested in leading guided walks whether it is for friends, family and workmates or for the general public and corporate clients.
Course requirements
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a commitment and potential to become a professional guide
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sufficient spoken and written English to share your knowledge and participate in class activities
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ability to be on your feet for a couple of hours and walk up to two miles
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ability to carry out research using online and physical resources
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access to a computer to ensure written assignments are delivered as Word docs or PDFs
Please note: we share course materials via Google Drive. You will need to be, or become, familiar with these tools.
If your initial application is successful, we will invite you for an informal interview in November, where you will give a short talk in English on a given Islington landmark or point of interest that will be allocated to you in advance of the interview date.
Our Tutors
The course tutors are all qualified guides with lots of experience of guiding and teaching guiding skills:
Susan Hahn (course leader): Susan is a very experienced Clerkenwell & Islington Guide who has researched and developed many guided walks for the Islington Museum and other local institutions and landmarks on behalf of CIGA including the Charterhouse, the Union Chapel and the Cloudesley Charity.
Nigel Smith: Nigel has lived in Islington for more than 20 years. He’s a regular guide at Union Chapel and leads a variety of walks in the area, often with a focus on social history, arts and culture. He also specialises in tours about the history of cinema and cinema-going throughout London. In addition to working in digital education Nigel is part of the team that produces Radio 4’s Screenshot.
Carey Green: A former journalist, Carey is an official Clerkenwell & Islington, City of London, and City of Westminster guide. She is part of the guiding team at St John’s Gate, Clerkenwell; a volunteer guide for school groups at Westminster Abbey; and leads walking tours around London. Carey also works as a tour director for EF (Education First), helping US and Canadian students discover the UK and Ireland.
If you have any questions that are not answered above please contact [email protected]