Open House Festival

Stratford: past, present and future

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.

Getting there

Bus

257, 69

Additional travel info

Tour END: Near Stratford Station (Tour STARTS @ Maryland Stn forecourt, on the Elizabeth Line)

Access

Facilities

Accessibility notes

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.

What you can expect

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.

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Activities

Wed 17 Sep

Walking tour

16:30–18:10

Walking Tour: - Stratford: Past, Present & Future

Walking Tour, not too long and not too short - fascinating insight from an urban planning/transport professional into growth capital of Ldn.

How to book

Please create a free visitor account to book your festival tickets.

About

About your tour and guide

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.

Golden Key Academy

This tour is led by a graduate of Open City’s Golden Key Academy - an eight-month course designed to train insightful and engaging guides who bring London’s rich stories to life.

Learn more about the Golden Key Academy here: open-city.org.uk/golden-key-academy

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