Spitalfields to Stepney Green Walking Tour - Saturday 11 May 2024 10am
Regular price £19.50Join Open City for a walking tour exploring the fascinating architectural history of London’s rapidly changing East End.
This fun and engaging walking tour — led by Barratt London head of planning and Golden Key Academy graduate Martin Scholar — focuses on how the area’s built environment has changed, adapted and developed over the past 500 years to create the vibrant mix of cultural activity we see today.
The tour references local buildings and street names to explore how the historical development of the district was shaped by the arrival and later large-scale departure of its Huguenot and Jewish communities. It then focusses on the arrival of the area’s vibrant and world-famous Bangladeshi community before going on to discuss and illustrate how the district’s population and built environment is rapidly changing once again.
The tour will take in one of the finest collections of surviving Georgian architecture in London, the extraordinary variety of Brick Lane which is described by many as the ‘heartland’ of the Bangladeshi community in Britain; the tragic story of the murder and subsequent protests behind Altab Ali Park; the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and surrounding back streets, squares and stories; Rinkoffs Bakery where we may stop for a quick Crodough; and finally the unexpected delights of Stepney Green.
Other highlights include Fieldgate Street Synagogue, Nelson Street Synagogue, the Neuron Pod by acclaimed architect Will Alsop, and housing typologies from the 16th to 21st centuries. Providing a safe and fun way for enthusiastic urbanists to explore the city, this tour will explore the architecture and history of London’s East End.
Key information
Meet: Churchyard/public gardens next to Christ Church Spitalfields, Commercial Street, E1 6LY
End: Stepney Green Gardens
Duration: 2 hours approx
Martin Scholar is a town planner and is currently head of planning at Barratt London. He has previously worked for Westminster City Council and the GLA.
Scholar is a graduate of the 2021 Golden Key Academy — a masterclass for urban and architectural tour guiding run by Open City. He joined the Open City tours team in November 2021.
Tickets are non-refundable and tours go ahead rain or shine.
* Please check for any planned transport engineering works, planned strike action or large scale events that may effect your journey before making your ticket purchase *
If you find you can no longer make the tour for any reason we are unable to transfer you to another date, but please feel free to pass your booked place onto a friend to go and enjoy the tour in your place.
In the event your tour date is cancelled you will be issued with a credit note (with no expiry date) that you can use to
- book onto a rescheduled date
- book onto any other tour from our programme
or you can request a refund.
All ticket purchases are in support of the work of our organisation including our pioneering education programmes. We really appreciate your support!
Get in touch with Adrianna at tours@open-city.org.uk with any queries.
Please select solidarity pricing to help Open City offer the concessionary tickets rate for student and jobseekers.
Our concession pricing (£9.50 for walking tours / £19.50 for boat tours) is available for students and jobseekers only.
If you find you can no longer make the tour for Covid or any reason we are unable to transfer you to another date, but please feel free to pass your booked place onto a friend to go in your place.
In the event your tour date is cancelled due to Covid or any other reason you will be provided with the opportunity to book onto a rescheduled date, book onto another tour, provided with a credit note (with no expiry date) or you can request a refund.
All ticket purchases are in support of the work of our organisation including our pioneering education programmes. We really appreciate your support!
Get in touch with Adrianna at tours@open-city.org.uk with any queries.
