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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.