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
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 ... Read More
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 ... Read More
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 ... Read More
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 ... Read More
From manor house to picture house - the making of a Victorian suburb.
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 ... Read More
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 ... Read More
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 ... Read More
The Dark Side of Clerkenwell: Tales of Crime and Death (18th–Early 20th Century) Clerkenwell may have been crowned the best place to live in London in 2024 by The Times, but behind today’s calm streets lies a far darker past. Between the 18th and early 20th centuries, Clerkenwell was one of the most dangerous corners ... Read More
From the 1960s Islington was associated with a range of radical causes, from Anti -Apartheid , CND and LGTB rights. First produced in conjunction with Islington Museum, this walk covers some radical decades where the feminist bookshop Sisterwrite was based in Upper Street, as well as the first LGTB registered charity London Friend. The Anti ... Read More
When people think of London’s theatre scene, the West End often comes to mind. However, to the surprise of many, Islington actually has a rich and diverse theatrical history, from Victorian music halls to today’s cutting-edge fringe theatre. This walk will take you through centuries of drama, dance, music and comedy, revealing the hidden stages ... Read More