Open House Festival

Georgian Clerkenwell's speculative housing boom

walk/tour

Outside Sadler's Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN

The early 1800's saw the green fields of northern Clerkenwell spring up into grand squares and terraced houses. This walking tour will look at how the speculative housing developed, what remains today, and the unique stories and characters of the area.

Getting there

Tube

Angel

Bus

153, 19, 341, 38

Additional travel info

End point: New River Head

Access

Create a free visitor account to book festival tickets

Activities

Sat 20 Sep

Walking tour

13:00–15:00

Walking tour

How to book

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

Sun 21 Sep

Walking tour

13:00–15:00

Walking tour

How to book

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

About

About the tour

The fields of northern Clerkenwell were the home to water reservoirs, the wooden pipes that connected them, and grazing cattle, until the landowners noticed the profitable expansion of London growing around them. Over the first half of the 1800’s these green fields turned into handsome terraces and squares, planned by neighbouring estates who didn’t always see eye to eye. This tour will explore the history of the area and look at how speculation shaped the size, quantity and quality of the housing that remains today.

Golden Key Academy

This tour is led by an alumnus 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

Nearby

Back to top of page