Open House Festival

Energy infrastructure through time: King's Cross

walk/tour

3 Granary Square, outside Lighterman Pub, N1C 4BH

Join this walking tour to explore London's energy history and its impact on sustainability. Visit the King's Cross canals to see old and new infrastructure. Topics include London's carbon footprint, quantifying health benefits from green infrastructure, and the role of the built environment in meeting net zero targets. Discover how London’s past has shaped its sustainable future.

Getting there

Tube

King's Cross St. Pancras

Train

King's Cross, St. Pancras

Bus

17, 205, 390, 46, 476

Additional travel info

Tour start: 3 Granary Square, outside Lighterman Pub, N1C 4BH Tour end: next to the entrance to Kings Cross Station at Battle Bridge Place

Access

Facilities

Accessibility notes

Public toilets in Coal Drops Yard

What you can expect

We will be stopping by Camley Street Natural Park, which has some benches and toilets nearby

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Activities

Sat 14 Sep

Walking tour

14:30–16:00

Guided Tour

How to book

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

About

About the tour

The tour will explain the history of the energy industry in London, and how it has affected London’s sustainable strategy as we know it today. The Industrial Revolution, although detrimental to the environment, was a necessary and important step to pave the way for sustainable infrastructure that is shaping London’s image as one of the most ‘livable’ and ‘sustainable’ cities today. We will cover the history of London through its environmental journey, comparing architecture, energy production, and building materials in the 19th century and earlier to nowadays. We will explore the following questions and more:
Can London ever abate its historical carbon footprint? (and does it have to?)
How can you quantify health benefits from green infrastructure?
What role do buildings play in helping the UK reach its net zero targets?

Golden Key Academy

This tour is led by a participant 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 tours 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

Nearby

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