walk/tour
Maryland Station, Leytonstone Road (Outside front entrance)
On the surface Stratford is all Olympics and Westfield: this tour unearths the area's Roman and religious origins, unusual buildings, famous manufacturing pioneers, 20th century hard times and considers (from above) the impacts of its newest quarter.
257, 69
Tour END: Near Stratford Station (Tour STARTS @ Maryland Stn forecourt, on the Elizabeth Line)
Where there's steps a ramped alternative is avail. Pl notify guide at beginning of tour if this is imp't to you. Streeworks etc can impact.
Two-fifths of the way thru we'll pop into Old Town Hall's toilets at grd floor (prior pp will be sought from Council); seats avail there.
This tour pinpoints how Stratford transformed from a village to a country house retreat to a teeming town with its own opera house.
Despite witnessing immense changes in the 19th and 20th centuries, and later since the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Stratford has retained its unique character, diversity and historical interest.
The tour starts by viewing listed buildings and waterways with links to the area's industrial and social past. The walk then moves on to explore Stratford's tall buildings and cultural regeneration projects, exploring how sustainable and beneficial these new additions will be to the local community.
Your guide has been a London resident for nearly 30 years and has a post-graduate degree in Town & Country Planning from University College London; her work prior to recent retirement was in Strategic and Transport Planning for London.
This tour is led by a recent graduate of Open City’s Golden Key Academy – a course training up insightful and engaging guides dedicated to explaining London and bringing its many stories to life. It is part of a wider collection of tour events created by Golden Key Academy guides for the Open House Festival celebrating their conclusion of the eight month course.
Further information on the Golden Key Academy can be found here https://open-city.org.uk/golden-key-academy
