Open House Festival

Lost Aldwych

walk/tour

Temple Underground Station, Temple Place, Temple, WC2R 2PH

Join SAVE and Dr Tom Bolton on a walking tour of Aldwych. Behind the wide formal streets of Aldwych and Kingsway lies a very different neighbourhood. Clare Market and Drury Lane were a tangle of disreputable alleys until the new streets cut them in half. But traces remain, and this walk dives into the back streets to track the vanished lanes and recreate their past at the core of ancient London.

Getting there

Tube

Temple

Train

Blackfriars, Charing Cross

Access

Accessibility notes

The tour passes cafes, toilets & baby changing facilities.

What you can expect

Seats are available along the Strand the final visit, the St Clement Danes Church.

About

What to expect

Join SAVE Britain’s Heritage and Dr Tom Bolton on a walking tour of Aldwych. Behind the wide formal streets of Aldwych and Kingsway lies a very different neighbourhood. Clare Market and Drury Lane were a tangle of disreputable alleys until the new streets cut them in half. But traces remain, and this walk dives into the back streets to track the vanished lanes and recreate their past at the core of ancient London.
En route learn about two of SAVE Britain's Heritage cases: the Strand Piazza and 152-158 Strand. We campaigned vigorously against the proposed demolition of 152-158 Strand to preserve and enhance the historic setting of Somerset House and the Baroque gem of St Mary-le-Strand. The tour will end with a visit to St Clement Danes Church before returning to Temple Tube station.

Your guide

Dr Tom Bolton is an urban researcher and writer, specialising in architecture, urban planning, and regeneration. He leads community review and research at Frame Projects. Setting up panels for developments like Isle of Dogs and Old Kent Road, he has worked with the GLA on design quality management and led the development for cross-sectoral design principles for the National Infrastructure Commission. Tom is the author of Camden Town: Dreams of Another London, Vanished City: London's Lost Neighbourhoods, London’s Lost Rivers: A Walker’s Guide and A Walker's Guide Volume 2.

Meet

outside Temple Tube Station at for a prompt start at 11:00am. Please note you will need to book your place in advance.

Images

St Clement Danes Church [Credit: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0]
Strand Piazza, 152-158 Strand & St Mary-le-Strand [Credit: G Jerger for SAVE]

Online presence

www.savebritainsheritage.org

www.instagram.com/savebritainsheritage

x.com/SAVEBrit

Nearby

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