London Walks
Guided Walks Led By Expert Tutors
From its Bronze Age beginnings to capital status, London has witnessed growth and destruction throughout its long history. Join us for lively classroom and online discussions as well as our popular guided historical walks around London and discover who and what has left their mark on the city.
Get a flavour of our walking tours with City Lit tutor Diane Burstein, who explores some of the best spots around our campus in Covent Garden.
- Dickens' London
Course start date: Sat 10 May 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Molly Rumbelow'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' Enjoy this introduction to Dickens' work and the London of his time. Morning lecture at City Lit followed by a walk in the area of the city connected to his work.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Crime and punishment in Old LondonCourse start date: Mon 9 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Diane BursteinTake a guided walk through the old City and its borders taking in beheadings and brutality at the Tower, tales of cutpurses and con men, the rise of prisons and the ghastly punishments that were meted out to wrongdoers. We go on a journey to Newgate Gaol, the Bridewell Prison and the places of execution including the notorious Tyburn Tree to hear tales of brutality, escapes and the bloodthirsty crowds who watched executions. Our tour includes London’s atmospheric legal quarter taking in the Old Bailey, The Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court to discover how London’s legal system developed .
Meet outside St Paul’s Cathedral by the Statue of Queen Anne.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Stream Form to Arts and Crafts: suburban architecture 1914-1939 (a guided walk)Course start date: Mon 23 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneStarting at the Modernist East Finchley station, this walk goes back in time looking at architectural styles from between the wars on the North side of Hampstead Garden Suburb finishing with arts and crafts cottages. Starts outside the main entrance to East Finchley Station and finishes at Market Place on the A1 ( a short bus ride from East Finchley or Golders Green).Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Further village London Course start date: Wed 25 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Hazel BakerJoin us for 4 guided walks around London's former villages - Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Southwark and Hampstead. Why did these areas grow up as villages and how did they become swallowed up by the city of London? - Streets of Horror, Streets of Hope: The East End, 1888Course start date: Tue 8 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Sarah WiseBecause of the ‘Jack the Ripper’ killings, the late-Victorian East End can be read as a cityscape of poverty and fear. But there is another Whitechapel – a magnet for a variety of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds who sought to grapple with the problems of the modern city and to create a better life.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Late Victorian Soho: From Sex and Shopping to Police & Radical PoliticsCourse start date: Tue 15 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Sarah WiseThe West End was a heady mix of glamorous shopping emporia, political refugees from Europe, street-based and brothel-based prostitution, and the general public just enjoying a day or evening ‘Up West’. Join Dr. Sarah Wise to learn more on this 2 hour guided walk of Soho.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - In the footsteps of London's rebelsCourse start date: Tue 9 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David RosenbergExplore London's places of protest and discover the stories of radicals, agitators and campaigners who fought for social justice, equal rights and better lives for all from the 1830s to the 1930s.
The first session will be in the classroom at Keeley Street followed by 11 guided walks.Full fee £319.00 Senior fee £255.00 Concession £207.00 - London at war - guided walks Course start date: Tue 9 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Eleanor JacksonLondon has been shaped by war, conflict and unrest. It's buildings, monuments and even street names reflect our embattled past. These walks examine London's wartime legacy from mediaeval fortifications to the War on Terror.
First lecture delivered via zoom followed by 8 guided walks; no class/break week 7/10/25.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Walking Westminster's Political HistoryCourse start date: Tue 9 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Richard WatkinsA course of walking tours in areas of Westminster to show aspects of the nation’s political development since the late 1600s Restoration era. Bringing out the drama of the epic events and charismatic characters which have influenced that development and how London has evolved in those areas we focus on.
First meeting place: Outside Westminster tube, Bridge Street.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - City of words: London's literary landscapeCourse start date: Thu 11 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Blended (learn both online and in-person)
Tutors: Eleanor JacksonLondon has been muse, magnet and mecca to writers for 400 years, home to Shakespeare's successes, Dickens' dramas and Wilde's witticisms. After an introductory lecture (via zoom) we walk a different London neighbourhood each week exploring its literary connections.Break week/No class: 09/10/25. Initial lecture is on zoom . This is followed by 7 guided walks.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - The men who built LondonCourse start date: Thu 11 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Eleanor JacksonLondon was shaped by its architects, engineers, bricklayers, navies etc. Our lecture and walks examine London’s buildings and the men (and women) who worked throughout history to create this eclectic and wonderful city.
First lecture will be delivered via zoom followed by 8 guided walks. Break week/no class 09/10/25.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Tudor London Course start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa KingThis course will explore the dynamic development of London during the Tudor century, an era shaped by the twin influences of the Renaissance and the Reformation, and marked by the growth of London both as a capital city, the royal chamber or Camera Regis, but also as a growing port and centre of trade and craft based industry. - Discover North London through walksCourse start date: Mon 15 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Diane BursteinDiscover the history of North London via guided walks. Great views, green spaces , places of worship, almshouses, plaques to famous people ,some lesser known museums, lots of hidden history and a couple of famous football stadiums will all feature..
Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00 - London at Leisure: Three Great SquaresCourse start date: Tue 16 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Eleanor JacksonToo often we rush around without looking, this course takes time to examine 3 of London’s most famous Squares in depth. A gentle walk allows us to explore these London landmarks at our leisure.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £71.00 Concession £58.00 - Medieval LondonCourse start date: Tue 23 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mike BerlinThis course explores the forces that shaped London between the coming of the Normans and the age of
the Tudors.
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