Guided Walks

I have lived in Holloway, in the London Borough of Islington, for almost 30 years and have a keen interest in the area and how it has evolved over time.
I love discovering new snippets of history and keeping up to date with current changes and plans. My tours are inclusive and friendly and I hope my enthusiasm shines through such that others are intrigued and inspired to find out more for themselves.

Overviews of my tours are shown below. More info here.
For alerts and updates please contact me at jane@janeslondon.com to be added to the mailing list.

Detailed descriptions and tickets here 
A list of scheduled dates can be found at the bottom of this page
If the dates don't suit your diary and you can put together a group of five or more, please contact me to make arrangements – the voucher option offers discounts for groups.

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Ghostsigns of Holloway, Archway, Islington and Kings Cross
These tours invite you into my world to show you the kind of details that inspire this website – you'll see hand-painted signs on walls and a sprinkling of bygone advertising and other ghosts in the form of defunct logos, date stamps, ironwork and mosaics. Hear the stories behind the companies and the products. 90-minutes.
Camden Ghostsigns to be announced soon
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What a Relief – Sculptures of the Strand

Decorative carved details and artworks above, around and along this important thoroughfare which once overlooked the River Thames. Stone-carved delights, both figurative and in letterform, are hiding in plain view all along this southern edge of London's Theatreland. 90 minutes.  
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Art Deco Holloway
The Nag's Head area of London N7is still graced with elegant buildings in the modernist style. Hear the stories behind a variety of variety of streamlined façades. 90 minutes.
And... Art Deco Arsenal – from London N5 to N4 ending near Finsbury Park station. 90 minutes
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Look At The Estate We're In

A two hour walk from Caledonian Rd to Angel Station walking through a variety of Islington's impressive and well-designed social housing estates, talking about architecture, philanthropy and renovation and regeneration. Just over two miles.

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Holloway's Heyday

The Oxford Street of the North – A time-travelling tour comparing today's Nag's Head shopping district with the beautiful stores of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras when it was North London's main shopping destination. Actually, I still say, if you can't buy it in Holloway, then you don't need it. 90 minutes. 
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Green and Pleasant Islington – Hidden places and open spaces off the beaten track – All kinds of green things around the southern end of Holloway Road. The daytime walk takes us off the main road to see fields and farms, parks and gardens, renovation, rejuvenation and recycling. 90 minutes.
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Inns and Taverns of Upper Street / Holloway Rd
These linear walks follow the A1 between angel and Archway and tell the stories connected to the many drinking establishments that lined its route, many of which are still standing today, though not necessarily still serving drinks.
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The Only Way is Essex Road – A stroll along the full length of the road (just over a mile) talking about the road's diverse history including innovative schemes and architectural gems. 90 minutes.
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How about a walking, talking, looking and learning birthday present?  Vouchers available for singles, groups* and private tours* – book a standard tour or arrange something more intimate. Dates can be organised to suit you. See here for more details.
*Group sizes are limited – additional tickets available at reduced rates.
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Please also see my facebook page and twitter @janeslondon #janeslondon 
 
If you have any ideas or questions or would like to be added onto the mailing list for alerts and updates, please contact me at jane@janeslondon.com 
Private tours and groups – discounts are available for groups, associations and committees – please contact me for more information. 

Schedule for April–May 2018.
Please note some dates are subject to change.  
Confirmed dates can be found here.  
This schedule can also be found on my Facebook page.

More tours in the planning stage
Listed below here are some tasters of some of my other tours that works-in-progress. If you are interested in any of them please do get in touch for more info as most can easily pulled together and arranged at a mutually convenient date. Similarly, if you have a subject or theme that you are interested in that could make a good theme for a walking tour, then please do get in touch. Here are a few ideas – women, artists, animals, shops, churches, children, music, health...

Coming soon
Highway to Holloway – Highs and lows from Archway to Nags Head, down and around the Holloway Road (90mins).
Parks and Recreation
Up and Down the City Road – although it will be only up or down!!
Fabulous Fonts and Friendly Faces – the printing and clock-making industries of Clerkenwell
Cally Rd to Camden
Islington On The Edge (walking the border of the borough, though in sections)
A Slice of Islington
It's Hip to Be Square – Barnsbury squares etc
Bloomsbury Squares
Bury me in Islington – inc Canonbury, Highbury and Barnsbury
Hackney Brook – Holloway to Arsenal
New River Islington to Tottenham (4hr walk)
Tufnell Park to Kentish Town (highlights)
Pubs and Taverns of Kentish Town
Little Red Bus Route – The 153 bus from Finsbury Park to Finsbury Square follows a route that links it's commercial hub and recreational hubs. My walking tours will take the same route with a few derivations visiting some interesting not so well-known places along the way. I plan to split the bus route into five 90-minute walking sections:
FinsPark–HollowayRd / HollowayRd–CaledonianRd / CaledonianRd–Angel / Angel–Clerkenwell / Clerkenwell–FinsburySquare.
Longer tours of this route linking two adjoining sections will be available at a reduced rates with a cafe/pub stop in the middle (allow 4 hours).
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