London History Walks & Courses
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 walks around the city and discover who and what has left their mark on the city.
Watch City Lit tutor Eleanor Jackson explore some of London's secret spaces:
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- Jews in London from the 1650s to the 1950s: a closer lookCourse start date: Tue 9 Jan 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David RosenbergThis course will provide an exploration of 300 years of Jewish life, culture and history in London from the small scale resettlement in the 1650s through to the 1950s when the borough of Hackney was home to London’s largest and most diverse Jewish community.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Transports of delight: London's railway stations
Course start date: Tue 9 Jan 2024Location on this date: Blended (learn both online and in-person)
Tutors: Eleanor JacksonLondon's stations see over 1 billion journeys annually, but the buildings themselves are often ignored. Explore a different station and environs each week, discovering the architecture, history, stories and future of these lifelines of London. The course starts with an initial zoom lecture followed by a series of walking tours.
This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information. - South Bank and the Festival of Britain Course start date: Tue 9 Jan 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Diane BursteinOn this virtual tour we go back to 1951 when the Festival of Britain took Londoners out of post war austerity to marvel at the latest innovations in art, design, industry and technology at a festival to celebrate the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Find out how this event was a catalyst for the regeneration of the entire South Bank which is today famous for its arts centre. We trace the surviving remnants of the festival including a mural by artist Topolski, two sculptures and the recently restored Royal Festival Hall. We view the post festival arts centres such as the National Theatre and finish with a great riverside panoramic view from the Oxo Tower.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Diverse DocklandsCourse start date: Tue 6 Feb 2024
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Rachel KolskyExplore the ever-changing face of east London through four different dockland neighbourhoods: Canary Wharf, Limehouse, Shadwell and Isle of Dogs.
Meeting Place - first walk only
Dockers to Wharfers: Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf, Elizabeth Line station, Canada Place exit.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00 - From markets to malls: the history of shopping in LondonCourse start date: Tue 6 Feb 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Diane BursteinFrom the City markets and shops of Cheapside (Medieval London’s Oxford Street) we move via the historic specialist shops of St James’s to the grand department stores and London markets. Discover how Londoners changed their shopping habits through the years and learn about the history of some of our most famous stores. A shop founded by a royal footman, a 17th century hatter, the department store owner who went to jail for expanding his business and the store which was the scene of its owner’s murder all feature.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - From the 1880s to the 1930s: how the new East End was born Course start date: Tue 23 Apr 2024
Location on this date: Blended (learn both online and in-person)
Tutors: David RosenbergIn an area branded 'the hell of poverty', libraries, theatres, art galleries and social housing were established. Workers went on strike and activists campaigned for better lives. Discover this history by taking actual, guided walks through six tumultuous decades of change. The first session is in the classroom at Keeley Street but all other sessions are guided walks. Full details of the meeting places for each walk will be given at the 1st session. 6 guided walks with 2 Zoom sessions.
This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information. - London 1919-1939 Course start date: Tue 23 Apr 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mike BerlinExplore in this interactive lecture course how did the 'Roaring 20s' and the Great Depression impact on London? What was the social and economic experience of Londoners as suburbs grew and modern buildings arrived, along with political and financial uncertainty? - Discovering Victorian London: empire, enterprise and education
Course start date: Tue 7 May 2024Location on this date: Blended (learn both online and in-person)
Tutors: Eleanor JacksonVictorian London shaped today's city. Discover the lasting legacy of the Victorian age, uncover its secrets, and meet some of the characters who created one of the world's greatest cities.
Initial lecture via zoom followed by 7 guided walks.
This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information. - Introduction to Charles Booths’ LondonCourse start date: Tue 7 May 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah WiseDuring this six-week course, we will explore aspects of Charles Booth’s landmark survey ‘Life & Labour of the People in London’, published in 17 volumes between 1889 and 1903.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
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