Islington Guided Walks

History of Arsenal FC Walking Tour
2025-07-13 12:00 - 14:00 (Europe/London)
Get ready to immerse yourself in the heritage and legacy of Arsenal FC and it’s connection with Islington
Walk in the footsteps of legends and uncover fascinating stories about Arsenal FC with Clerkenwell & Islington guide and Arsenal fan Jon Cox. You will learn about our club’s creation in Woolwich as Dial Square FC to the move to our home Islington in North London.
Join me for an unforgettable 90-minute guided history walk exploring the rich legacy of Arsenal Football Club! Whether you’re a die-hard fan or simply love football history, this tour offers a unique glimpse into the heart and soul of one of England’s greatest clubs.
Lace up your shoes, grab your camera, and let’s dive into the history of the Gunners together!

Islington's Big Screens - a cinematic walking tour
2025-07-19 11:00 - 13:00 | Angel station
Join guide Nigel Smith for a walking tour through more than 100 years of cinema-going in Islington, taking in cinemas past and present.
A stroll through more than 100 years of Islington cinema-going; all between Angel and Essex Road stations. We’ll encounter Victorian showmen, architectural wonders and tales of bad behaviour in the stalls. Come to discover hidden gems and hear what a night ‘at the flicks’ was like decades before multiplexes.
In addition to such landmarks as the Screen on the Green, you’ll see some buildings that were once cinemas as well as a few intriguing places where all trace of their cinematic past has vanished.
The walk lasts about 2 hours, starts at Angel station and ends near Essex Road station.

Evolving Islington - a walking tour
2025-07-19 15:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-11 15:00
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 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. It starts at Highbury & Islington station (we’ll meet at the round benches near the station) and ends in Islington Square off Upper Street, a 10-minute walk from both Angel and Highbury & Islington stations.

Bunhill: Barracks, Bone Yards and Baths
2025-07-20 14:30 - 16:30
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.
Tickets from Guided walks, London blog | London On The Ground

Holloway's Heyday – the Oxford Street of the North
2025-07-23 11:00 - 13:00
Discover how the Nag’s Head area of Holloway Road quickly evolved from a well-to-do middle class suburb to become North London’s go-to shopping district, offering the best selection of well-known brands, impressive independent outlets, beautiful restaurants and top-end entertainment, all accessed by excellent wide roads and frequent rail services.
Hints of Holloway’s history, including The Nag’s Head which give the area its name, are hiding in plain view. Hear about impressive Victorian emporiums with impressive window displays arranged behind curved glass and polished brass, gin palaces, tea rooms and the early labyrinthine department stores, one of which grew to become one of the best-known shops in North London.
For more info on this specific walk please use the website link at the bottom or see janeslondonwalks on Eventbrite

All Around the Houses (Essex Road to Regent's Canal)
2025-07-24 18:00 - 20:00
Part of the proceeds from this walk will support the Arlington Association’s fund-raising for local charities and to maintain Arlington Square’s garden.
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Keep it to yourself, but the streets between Essex Road and the Regent’s Canal form one of Islington’s hidden pockets of tranquility and beauty.
See a microcosm of Islington’s history, heritage and housing in this area’s architecture, waterways, gardens and pubs and discover its close ties to the ancient City of London.
London On The Ground’s guided walk in this area will let you in on its secrets. Highlights include:
– Islington’s early story from the Domesday Book to the 1500s.
– Mid 19th century terraced houses and social housing from the 1800s to the 2000s.
– A Victorian church and almshouses with historic ties to the City of London.
– A school with links to Pink Floyd and a mural commemorating the New River.
– The Regent’s Canal.
– An award-winning public garden square maintained by local residents.
– A community pub, where the tour will end (with a drink for those who would like one!).
Start: Outside Essex Road station, Canonbury Road N1
Finish: The Hanbury pub, Linton Street N1
The walk will take between 90 mins and 2 hrs. Please be prepared for all weathers!
“A thoroughly enjoyable tour.”
“… a lovely walk, definitely recommended.”
“Great walk, well structured, paced and delivered.”
Tickets from Guided walks, London blog | London On The Ground

178 STEPS TO HEAVEN
2025-07-26 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-08-24 13:00 - 14:30
Islington Guided Walks are organising Caledonian Clock Tower again.Tours are arranged for Sunday 29 June, Saturday 26 July and Sunday 24 August.
The Tower originally opened in 1855 as part of the Caledonian Meat Market which operated from the area now known as Caledonian Park in Market Street N7 close to Caledonian Road Underground Station. It is 45 metres high with178 steps to climb.
The tour will cover the fascinating history of London’s meat markets, you will also be able to see the insides of the wonderful pendulum clock that is older than Big Ben. At the top of the Tower, there are fantastic, photogenic 360°views around London.

Unusual Islington - a walking tour
2025-08-02 11:00 - 13:00
Discover the hidden gems that make this corner of London so unique
Join qualified local guide Nigel Smith for a captivating and surprising journey through the charming streets of Islington.
This two-hour walking tour is designed to unveil the area’s rich and often overlooked history, showcasing the intriguing stories and quirky details that make this corner of London so unique.
Just a stone’s throw from bustling Upper Street we’ll delve into the hidden alleyways, secret gardens and architectural oddities that even locals might miss. You’ll uncover tales of radical politicians, ghostly goings-on and the philanthropists whose generosity more than 600 years ago is still enjoyed today. Strolling through serene squares and peaceful backstreets you’ll discover that Islington is a lot more unusual than you might think…
This tour is perfect for anyone curious about London’s lesser-known stories, whether you’re a longtime resident or a first-time visitor. Prepare to be surprised, entertained, and enlightened as we uncover the unusual and captivating history of Islington.
The tour lasts approximately two hours, starts outside Angel Station and ends at Islington Town Hall on Upper Street.

Undercurrent: Wandering the Walbrook
2025-08-03 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-08-13 11:00 - 13:00
Join a Clerkenwell & Islington Guide for an intriguing walk from Moorgate to Old Street exploring the lost river Walbrook and other watery undercurrents. One of the smallest of London’s lost rivers, the Walbrook meandered through Finsbury and St Luke’s on its way to the Thames. Dammed by the Roman city wall, the river flooded to create marshy Moorfields. Long since culverted and part of the sewer system, underground water still leaves its mark on the landscape and its buildings. Hear about wells from medieval times to the present day, drinking water for humans and animals, a Georgian swimming pool, Victorian sanitation, a subsiding church and more.
This walk is funded by Islington Museum’s as part of their Undercurrent exhibition

Follow the Elephants – Oh What a Circus!
2025-08-04 18:30 - 20:30
This delightful route starts near Gospel Oak and ends midway between Archway and Tufnell Park stations.
We retrace the path of two Victorian circus elephants who were unusually startled by a loud noise such that they ran through the residential streets, ending their journey trapped but unharmed in an Islington N19 front garden.
We will take time to admire what the elephants missed as they charged past, such as well-to-do Georgian houses, charming backstreets, Victorian shops and tradesmen’s signs. Jane will read out some amusing excepts from contemporary newspaper reports and you’ll also find out about the real Greatest Showman, conservation, filming locations and a naughty monkey.
For more info on this specific walk please use the website link at the bottom or see janeslondonwalks on Eventbrite

Groundbreaking Women of Islington
2025-08-09 11:00 - 13:00
This walk in the Angel area tells the stories of groundbreaking women of Islington that changed the course of history.
“A really inspiring walk”
“Thanks for the great tour”
“I really enjoyed it”
The walk includes women from the 16th to the 21st centuries, who made significant contributions to philanthropy, politics, literature, sport, leisure, community activities, music, film, theatre and the arts. See where they drew their inspiration from Islington and where they left their mark on the area.
The walk lasts approximately two hours. Please be prepared for all weather conditions!
Start: Outside the entrance to Sadlers Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TN
Finish: A short walk from Highbury & Islington tube station
“Thanks for a great adventure this afternoon! …there were bits I was familiar with and LOTS I learned!”
Tickets from Guided walks, London blog | London On The Ground

Canonbury Tower guided tours – March 2026
2025-08-15 11:00 - 12:30
Canonbury Tower was built in the late 16th century and is a rare survivor of Tudor domestic architecture in London. The Tower was added onto a manor house built in the early 1500s as the country retreat of the Canons of St Bartholomew’s Priory in Smithfield.
On this 90-minute tour you’ll see the existing Tudor interiors and hear about the many notable characters associated with the building. Over the centuries these have included Thomas Cromwell of Wolf Hall fame, Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, Francis Bacon and the writers Washington Irving (Sleepy Hollow) and Oliver Goldsmith (The Vicar of Wakefield). You’ll also have the chance to climb up to the rooftop which affords wonderful views over London in all directions.
Tours are available twice a month on the second Friday and the last Wednesday.
Canonbury Tower is owned by the Marquess of Northampton and has been in the same family since the 16th century. All visitors are guests of the seventh Marquess, Spencer Compton.

Islington World War Walk.
2025-08-16 12:00 - 14:00
Find out about the factory that saved Britain from invasion. The British soldier turned wandering Buddhist mystic. Where some of the most notorious bombs fell, where some of Islington`s most famous wartime heroes and heroines lived. The former Arsenal stadium and its surprising role in winning two world wars.

Islington's Golden Mile - drapery, corsetry and fancy goods
2025-08-27 11:00 - 13:00
A wander along Upper Street looking at remnants of lovely old shop fronts hinting at a bygone age when this area was a magnet for upper classes, hence its reputation as Islington’s Golden Mile.
Learn about the top quality products on offer, beautifully presented behind spindle windows and curved glass.
Hear about umbrella makers, handmade corsetry, beautiful shoes, luxurious fabrics, homewares, provisions, furriers, furnishers, tailors, toy shops and tricks. Evidence of these can be seen within intricate floor mosaics, gilded signs, marble and metal, and terrazzo thresholds – a truly A1 shopping experience.
For more info on this specific walk please use the website link at the bottom or see janeslondonwalks on Eventbrite

Cultural Clerkenwell - a walking tour
2025-08-29 11:00 - 13:00 | Barbican Tube, Aldersgate Street, London, EC1A 4JA, United Kingdom
Walk in the footsteps of Shakespeare and Dickens and see contemporary art in London’s oldest parish church with guide Nigel Smith.
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.
The tour lasts about 2 hours. It starts outside Barbican underground station (Hammersmith & City line) and ends at Farringdon station.

Beautiful Barnsbury
2025-08-30 11:00 - 13:00
See fine Georgian squares, secret gardens and London’s smallest nature reserve, while learning about the area’s history.
Dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086, Barnsbury was for centuries a rural manor set back a little from the busy Islington main road of Upper Street.
In the 18th century its open fields, fresh water springs, pleasure gardens (and forerunner of the world’s most famous cricket ground) were built over by 18th century developers. This brought the growing middle classes into the area, but in the 19th century it was not immune to industrialisation, overcrowding and a workhouse for the poor.
Today, Barnsbury is one of inner London’s most beautiful areas, tucked away between Upper Street and Caledonian Road.
Start: Angel tube station
Finish: Close to Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Overground station, or a short walk to Highbury & Islington or Caledonian Road tube stations.
The walk lasts around two hours. Please be prepared for all weather conditions!
“Such a wonderful walk around one of the loveliest parts of London”
“A great afternoon visiting a part of Islington I thought I knew but found out more and more about!”
Tickets from Guided walks, London blog | London On The Ground

Eclectic Clerkenwell
2025-09-27 11:00 - 13:00
Monks, nuns, courthouses, rookeries, radicals, distillers, pubs, crafts, trades and architecture!
“…a great tour… Immensely enjoyable and packed with fascinating details”
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 monastic heritage.
• 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.
• Hear about 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 sites of the historic court houses of the lost county of Middlesex.
• Admire architecture from the 16th to the 21st centuries in this attractive village-like area.
• Have a rare opportunity to see the Clerk’s Well that gave the area its name.
“Thanks for a great walk.”
“a very enjoyable walk with Jonathan around Clerkenwell”
“enjoyed the informative dialogue and the hidden places visited”
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
Tickets from Guided walks, London blog | London On The Ground

Regent's Canal, a walking tour of its industrial past & sustainable future
2025-09-27 11:00 - 13:30, 2025-10-26 11:00 - 13:30
On this linear walk along the Regent’s Canal from Angel Station, led by qualified Clerkenwell & Islington guide and conservation architect Minerva, you will:
• Discover how Victorian industrial wasteland became London’s most desirable waterside living – and what this transformation cost some communities
• Learn why adaptive reuse of old buildings is the ultimate climate action – and which developers are getting sustainable regeneration right
• Compare two contrasting estate regenerations: Packington’s success story vs Colville’s cautionary tale of poor workmanship and displaced tenants
• Understand how the canal that once moved coal now moves gentrification – spotting genuine community benefit vs expensive window dressing
• Explore mixed-use developments and warehouse conversions that either honor or erase the area’s working-class heritage
” This tour was an incredible experience! The walk, combined with Minerva’s explanations, helped me rediscover the canal’s rich history and evolution. The tour highlights some of the key buildings along the canal, but it’s presented in a way that’s engaging and accessible, even for those who aren’t architecture enthusiasts. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to explore and learn more about this fascinating part of the city!”
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The walk lasts approximately 2 and a half hours along canal towpaths (with a 10 minute comfort break if the group requires it). Please wear comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing as there is no shelter along the route. Bring a water bottle.

Regent's Canal Regenerated
2025-09-28 14:00 - 15:30
Join Jen for a Sunday afternoon stroll along and around the Islington section of Regent’s Canal. Follow the history of the canal from its hey-day in the nineteenth century, through its decline in the 1960s to its subsequent re-invention as a place for people to live, work and play

Union Chapel Guided Tour
2025-10-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Union Chapel, 19b Compton Terrace, London, N1 2UN, United Kingdom
The 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, led by an expert Islington Guided Walks guide, 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.

The Slow Horses Stroll
2025-10-10 11:00 - 13:00 | Barbican Tube, Aldersgate Street, London, EC1A 4JA, United Kingdom
Prepare to immerse yourself in the authentic London of Mick Herron’s Slow Horses novels and the acclaimed TV adaptation.
This walking tour takes you beyond the screen and pages, directly into the streets that inspired the stories and characters you love.
Your guides, Caroline and Nigel, will take you in the footsteps of your favourite bunch of MI5 misfits, and give you a whole new perspective on the city. You’ll see the actual Slough House and other real-life locations where memorable encounters with the Slow Horses take place. And along the way, you’ll discover the fascinating links between the series and London’s rich past — from the medieval heritage of its oldest parish church, to the Victorian grandeur of Smithfield Market, and the striking Brutalism of the Barbican.
The locations are brought to life with some of your guides’ favourite extracts from the novels and they’ll uncover the production secrets that transform this corner of the city into Lamb’s London.
The two-hour tour starts outside Barbican Underground Station (Hammersmith & City line) and ends near Old Street Station (Northern line).
Disclaimer: this walking tour of Slow Horses locations is in no way affiliated with Mick Herron or his publishers, See-Saw Films or Apple TV+.

Geoffrey Fletcher's Islington
2025-10-11 11:00 - 13:00
Discover some of the Islington locations that the artist Geoffrey Fletcher captured so lovingly in the 1960s and 1970s and learn about the area’s long and rich heritage.
“Excellent walk – really interesting and a really great guide.”
Best known for his 1962 book ‘The London That Nobody Knows’, Geoffrey Fletcher’s sketches, paintings, books and weekly column in the Telegraph recorded the London he feared was vanishing in the decades after World War II.
He was especially fond of Islington, with its markets, Georgian terraces and varied Victorian architecture. Some of it has disappeared and the character of the area has changed.
However, Fletcher would still recognise many of the buildings and streets he drew or painted 60 years ago.
The walk will last approximately two hours. Please be prepared for all weathers!
Start: outside Angel tube station, Islington High Street, N1 8XX
Finish: Essex Road (close to Essex Road station)
“Great walk, Jonathan, thanks!”
“A fascinating walk through 60s and 70s Islington – or what remains!”
Tickets from Guided walks, London blog | London On The Ground

Tufnell Park Tales
2025-10-17 14:00 - 16:00
From manor house to picture house – the making of a Victorian suburb.

The Diary of a Nobody - Mr Pooter's High Brow Holloway
2025-10-19 11:00 - 12:45 | Upper Holloway
The Diary of a Nobody started as a popular satirical column in Punch magazine in 1888 before being extended and published in book form a few years later.
This guided tour brings the book to life, taking you back to the late Victorian middle-class Holloway that Mr. Charles Pooter and his family and friends might have experienced had they been real people.
We’ll look at relevant buildings, shops, and street furniture to link to the stories in the diary, such as Pooter’s silly arguments with the ironmonger, the shirt dresser and the stationer. Find out about 1880’s Holloway in the form of theatre venues, transportation, tradesmen and gin palaces as you roll your eyes at his clunky puns.
You don’t need to have already read the book to enjoy this tour, but it’s likely you’ll want to do so afterwards!
For more info on this specific walk please use the website link at the bottom or see janeslondonwalks on Eventbrite

Clerkenwell & Islington Tour Guiding Course 2026: Meet the Guides
2025-10-22 18:30 - 21:00 | Farringdon Station, Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6BY, United Kingdom
Would you like to develop the skills to become a tour guide? Would you like to know more about history of Islington? Why not apply for the Clerkenwell & Islington tour guide training course starting in January 2026?
If you’d like to find out more, join guides who have completed the course at our free ‘Meet the Guides’ event. The course tutors and other guides who have completed the course will take you on a walk to show you their favourite parts of Clerkenwell followed by a chance to ask questions and socialise in a local pub.
We meet outside Farringdon Station at 6:30pm and the walk will last approximately one hour
The event is free but please book a place so we know who to expect. We anticipate high demand for this event so if having booked you find that you are unable to attend we would be grateful if you would cancle your ticket so that someone else can attend.
