walk/tour
Wanstead underground station, E11 2RL
what3words: tanks.stocks.cloth
This walk explores how artists, activists and local communities have contested, defended and reimagined urban space across Wanstead Flats and Leytonstone. From the struggle to protect common land and Epping Forest to the creative resistance of the M11 protests and contemporary grassroots projects, we uncover histories of collective action, cultural imagination and alternative visions for the city.
Wanstead
Leytonstone High Road
Starts at Wanstead Station entrance (the green exit) Ends near Leyton tube. 2.6 miles, approximately 2.5 hours,.
Route mostly flat. Open grassland on Wanstead Flats can be uneven and muddy. One stepped footbridge.
An outdoor walk through common land, lost streets and urban green space. Weatherproof clothing and sturdy footwear recommended.
Walking tour
14:30–17:00
The actual title is : Common Edge Art, Community and Protest in Wanstead and Leytonstone but it wouldn’t fit.
How to book
Bookings will open at midday on 19 August. You won't be able to book a ticket before then.
This walk traces a stretch of east London where common land, streets and public space have been repeatedly contested, where every act of enclosure met an act of imagination. Starting at Wanstead Station and ending at Leyton Underground Station, it moves through the forest edge, buried rivers, lost streets and places where people tried to imagine the city otherwise: the M11 link road campaign, the Free State of Wanstonia, the 1871 battle for Epping Forest, squat galleries, artist tenancies and the 1994 eviction of Claremont Road. Part of what we’re looking at is still visible; much of it has gone. The walk is partly about learning to read absence and forgotten futures.
The walk covers 2.6 miles over approximately 2.5 hours. The route includes open grassland on Wanstead Flats which can be uneven and waterlogged in wet weather. Sturdy, weatherproof footwear is strongly recommended. The walk takes place outdoors with no indoor shelter until the final section. Participants should dress for the weather.
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.
