Building Monuments, Building Communities – Kings Cross to Clerkenwell with Ben

I’m Ben, and I’ll be taking you on a fascinating walking tour from King’s Cross to Clerkenwell. This part of London runs in the family and is very close to my heart.

Reimagine London's past as we explore its present and future. We’ll embark on a journey off the beaten track through the city’s layered history, getting to know the big people and the little people and how their paths have crossed through the centuries. Once a run-down area, King’s Cross has transformed, its railways now flanked by modern temples of capitalism. We’ll see how this has shaped public spaces and housing. In the second part of the tour, we step into Clerkenwell’s hidden alleys and tranquil squares, revealing a history of radicalism, riots, and alternative thinking.

The railways, a high point of Victorian confidence, are now flanked by newly built temples to modern capitalism. We’ll see how this has presented opportunities and challenges to public spaces and housing. In the second part of the walking tour, we leave the hustle and bustle of the railway stations and step off the beaten path into Clerkenwell, with its hidden alleys and tranquil squares. But don’t be fooled: these streets conceal a history of radicalism, riots, and alternative thinking that challenge the mainstream narrative.

The tour is a 2-hour walking experience from 2-4pm, offering wheelchair accessibility, free admission for carers and children under 13 when they’re accompanied by a paying adult, pet-friendly, with tickets priced at £18 full-priced and £15 concessions.