Category Archives: Historic buildings walk

5. Mapping walks and runs along the London Wall using Strava

At the heart of the London Wall project is the need to map my walks and runs around and along the London Wall. Using the Stava app, I record each day what I do. Some days I walk the full route of the London Wall, on other days I run for part of it andContinue reading “5. Mapping walks and runs along the London Wall using Strava”

The Power of Walking

This year’s Maggie’s Culture Crawl took place on the night of Friday 18 September. A sponsored walk in support of Maggie’s Centres which offer aesthetically inspiring places for people affected by cancer, the partnership with London Open House focusing on discovering the city on foot.  The walk this year was curated by Sandy Nairne, formerly director of theContinue reading “The Power of Walking”

How meat and water designed part of London: the drovers’ route from Islington to Smithfield, a new walk from London Open City

Last week I led a walk exploring the drovers’ route from the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington to Smithfield Market. This took in the New River, the history of Sadler’s Wells, Spa Green and especially the impact of the movement of meat and water on the design and development of the route along St John’s Street toContinue reading “How meat and water designed part of London: the drovers’ route from Islington to Smithfield, a new walk from London Open City”

Printing at St Bride’s Foundation

There can be few more delightful ways of spending a Saturday than in the print workshop at the St Bride’s Foundation just off Fleet Street. St Bride’s includes not only the print workshop, but also a museum of design and print; a theatre; a library (as well as a disused swimming pool). A day spent learning the letterpress printingContinue reading “Printing at St Bride’s Foundation”

Barbican YMCA to close: a great building in a search of a purpose

Barbican YMCA will close in September. It is a great building with a superb central staircase. It has been neglected and is now in need of a sympathetic conversion to something useful.