Welcome to the Camden Guides newsletter for August 2025, and if you have a free afternoon today, we have a walk starting at 2pm:
Suffragette City
London was at the centre of the suffragette protests just before the First World War, when the capital was rocked by arson attempts, hunger strikes and massive demonstrations. The walk will visit the church where Emily Wilding Davison’s funeral cortège began, and the headquarters of the Women’s Social and Political Union, and the site of the Suffragette Hospital where all the staff, including surgeons, were women, dealing with soldiers straight from the trenches. Along the way we will explore vegetarian restaurants and the 1911 Census boycott.
From a recent review: “I know a good deal about the suffragettes but I learned a whole lot more. Very well researched and delivered.”
This walk takes place on the 2nd of August at 14:00. Click here for details and booking.
Highlights of Historic Highgate
Discover the history and architecture of Highgate, one of London’s most attractive neighbourhoods.
From the tranquillity of Tudor Lauderdale House and the architectural variety of its historic high street dating from the late 1600s, to the grandeur of its 18th Century mansions, the elegance of its churches and the heritage of its historic pubs, Highgate is a beautiful area with a rich history.
Famous for Highgate Cemetery, the final resting place of many notable figures including George Eliot and Karl Marx, the area gets its name from its lofty location – which still provides fantastic views of the city – and the fact that it was an historic gateway into London, the location of a toll gate used by drovers herding cattle, sheep, pigs, geese and other livestock down to the Smithfield meat market.
On this walk you will hear more about this fascinating urban history as well as stories of many of its famous past residents including William Murray, who was Lord Chief Justice in the 18th century, poet Samuel Taylor-Coleridge and pop star George Michael.
Starting and finishing at Lauderdale House, the tour will take in a range of local architectural treasures including Highgate School and St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church and will last approximately 90 minutes. Meet Lettie your tour guide at the East Entrance of the House (directly off Highgate Hill) at 10.45am for a prompt start at 11am.
Historic Homes of Hampstead Village
Since its development from a village to an 18th Century spa town and then a Victorian suburb, Hampstead has retained its unspoilt Georgian charm with many listed townhouses and terraces.
In the 19th and 20th Centuries this made it very popular with artists, intellectuals and creatives of all kinds and there are many stories of influential figures who are former residents who left their mark on the area.
This includes several generations of architects, such as Norman Shaw, Ewan Christian and Erno Goldfinger, many of whom built their own homes there, adding to its architectural variety. Furthermore, in the 20th Century the area gained a reputation as the location of several modernist architects’ experimental housing projects for wealthy clients, including Hopkins House and Maxwell Fry’s Sun House.
Join our knowledgeable guide on this walking tour to learn more about the people and buildings that have shaped Hampstead, where you will be introduced to a selection of the area’s finest architects’ homes, historic houses, and modernist masterpieces.
Our next newsletter will at the start of September, and tomorrow we continue with our series of posts for Camden at 60.