walk/tour
Lordship Recreation Ground — main entrance on Lordship Lane (Lordshi
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What stories live inside Tottenham's streets, churches, parks and everyday places? Local legends: stories from Tottenham's streets is a unique storytelling walk that uncovers the people, places and community histories that have shaped Tottenham. Through poetry, oral history, personal memoir and local heritage, participants are invited to experience the neighbourhood through fresh eyes.
Wood Green
Bruce Grove
123, 243
Meeting point: Lordship Recreation Ground — main entrance on Lordship Lane End point: Chestnuts Community Centre, Chestnuts Park.
The route is step-free, but some paths may be uneven, narrow or include slight slopes, particularly within Lordship Recreation Ground.
Walking tour
13:00–15:00
How to book
Bookings will open at midday on 19 August. You won't be able to book a ticket before then.
A life story told through geography, discovering the people, spaces and places that have shaped Tottenham.
At the heart of the walk is the story of Helen Henry, a 93-year-old member of the Windrush Generation who lived in Tottenham for over 60 years. Featured in the Bruce Castle Museum archive for her community activism, Helen’s remarkable journey as a nurse, church leader and community organiser offers a window into the people whose contributions have helped build the area.
Inspired by the poem If the Streets Could Talk, this tour invites participants to see Tottenham not just through its landmarks, but through the lives and legacies woven into its streets.
A 90-minute storytelling walk woven together with spoken word, oral history and local memories. Guided by the question 'If these streets could talk, what stories would they tell?', the route explores the parks, streets, faith buildings, hospital and community spaces that have shaped Tottenham.
Featuring locations connected to Helen Henry’s life, the walk begins in one community green space and ends in another, and reveals how neighbourhood history is created not by monuments, but through the lives of the people who use, shape and care for these places.
Duration: Approximately 90 minutes (please allow up to 2 hours for group movement and conversation).
The walk uses parks, paths and narrow pavements.
Please wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.
The tour finishes at Chestnuts Community Centre in Chestnuts Park, offering a space to reflect on the stories shared during the walk.
The Golden Key Academy is a course training up insightful and engaging guides dedicated to explaining London and bringing its many stories to life. This tour 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
If you would like to attend this tour, please ensure you have booked a ticket before turning up.
