Talk by Charles Forman.
This is a London first: a 42-mile guided walk right across the city, from north to south. Charlie Forman talks about the surprises and insights discovered by the group that first completed this 14-stage hike, with nearly 70% of the route off-road.
One of the biggest revelations is how London commandeered its surrounding countryside long before it was builtover. There were staging posts, commuter villages for the wealthy, landed estates, market gardens, pleasure gardens, hay producers, quarries and cemeteries.
As the city expanded, Londoners held on to a patchwork of green spaces, but the extensive estates of many affluent business families became unsustainable in the aftermath of the First World War. This released vast swathes of land that became outer London, helping to realise the garden suburb dream in a new motor-driven city.
The ongoing battle to balance urban growth with green space is more than a century old. This marathon journey through every layer of London’s history is packed into one exhilarating hour. No walking required!
Talks are free to Enfield Society members. Non-members welcome for £1 each, payable at the door. No need to book.
North to South – A Journey Through London
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