Iya London
IYA London Walks
Iya London unearths and shares London’s overlooked stories, past and present, through guided walks, talks and research.
Iya London brings the joy of learning about London, while walking together in its streets, to new audiences.
upcoming schedule
Hammersmith radicals - a walk
Distance – 3.2 km/2 miles – 1½ hours
Exploring Hammersmith Riverside’s artistic and activist past, this walk covers a beautiful stretch of the Thames.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the riverside was home to many radicals who challenged the exploitation of the working classes and women through art, design and socialism.
You’ll see sites where William Morris and other creative men and women associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement lived and worked. You’ll hear about the birth of the private press movement.
15th March 2026
Old Oak to White City: a history of 20th century public housing
Distance – 3.6 km/2.9 miles – 2¼ hours
Telling the story of public housing in London in the 20th century, this walk explores an extraordinary range of homes from cottage estates influenced by the garden city movement, to Peabody flats channelling Hampton Court, to a hexagonal modernist block inspired by the Giants’ Causeway.
26th March 2026
A Walk Exploring White City's Hidden History
Distance – 2.9km/1.8 miles – 2 hours
Learn how Imre Kiralfy, a Hungarian impresario, created a 140-acre pleasure ground for exhibitions, entertainment and the 1908 Olympics. Its name was the Great White City.
We’ll also explore the UK’s first public Japanese garden, the memorial to the Olympics and visit Television Centre with its iconic architecture.
18th April 2026
Prince Albert's legacy - a walk through South Kensington
Distance – 1.6km/1 mile – 1½ hours
Discover how Prince Albert instigated the development of London’s first district dedicated to arts and science.
By exploring the area’s architecture, we’ll decode the symbols which asserted the dominance of Western ideas and technology, as well as the power of monarchy and empire.
You’ll also hear about a dramatic act of anti-imperial resistance that took place in the heart of South Kensington.
War and Renewal on the Askew Road: a walk in Shepherd's Bush
Distance – 1.6km/1 mile – 1½ hours
As we mark the end of World War II, this walk explores the impact of two world wars on Askew Village in Shepherd’s Bush.
You’ll see the remarkable interior of St. Bobola, a Polish church containing stained glass and other memorials to the Polish armed forces who fought alongside the Allies during World War II.
You’ll also see Greenside School, one of only two primary schools in the UK designed by the famous modernist architect Erno Goldfinger.
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