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The Historic Houses, Gardens, and Walks Gay Group

WALKS THROUGH THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS OF LONDON

Pictures courtesy of London-GB.com

The group aims to bring together gay people who are interested in the history and architecture of London and the Home Counties. It has been operating for over a decade. The programme consists mainly of walks in the various districts of London, though there may also be occasional visits to historic properties, museums and gardens.

There is no membership fee nor any charge for the walks. Also, there is no need to book in advance The emphasis is on informality. In summer the walks usually begin at about 2.00 p.m. and in winter at about 1.30 p.m. They normally last about a couple of hours, or so, usually finishing at a convenient pub. (The pub attendance is not compulsory!) Typically 30 plus people attend these walks.

Walks normally start and finish near an Underground, Overground, DLR, or Rail station, though very occasionally a short bus journey may be involved. A provisional programme for much of 2017 is given below but this programme may be subject to change in the weeks preceding each monthly walk, so please regularly check the website for updates.

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME 2017

Sunday 13 August 2017 - West Kensington Walk - Click here for details

Sunday 17 September 2017- Earls Court Walk

Sunday 8 October 2017 Hammersmith to Putney along the Thames Path

Sunday 19 November 2017

Sunday 10 December 2017

West Kensington Walk - Sunday 13 August 2017

© Copyright Mike Quinn

Licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The walk in August explores another highly desirable part of the Capital – Kensington – though the emphasis is primarily on the London Postal District of W14, known as West Kensington. In 1876 William Henry Gibbs and John P. Flew, builders from Dorset, decided to capitalise on their modest success in Kensington, by recreating another 'South Kensington' on the market gardens west of the West London Railway. They built 1,200 houses in the village of North End in the parish of Fulham. However, the housing slump of the 1880s left them with many unsold properties. Their response was two-fold, to have North End renamed as 'West Kensington' and to build a bridge over the railway, from their estate to link with the Cromwell Road in fashionable Kensington. They succeeded with the first plan, but the second led to bankruptcy and the dissolution of the partnership in 1885. West Kensington is primarily a residential area consisting mainly of Victorian terraced houses. There are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, with several houses and some entire streets listed, while “Kensington Village” is a renovated warehouse development which feels as though it had been transported from Docklands.

The walk starts near the Olympia Exhibition Centre and finishes at the Devonshire Arms in Marloes Road.

Please meet at the entrance to Kensington Olympia Station (London Overground) at 2.0 p.m.

For directions of walk click here

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To be added to the circulation list for regular updates email: info@outandabout-london.org

Tel: 020 8989 5295 or 07785773917

Updated: 12 July 2017