Barnet and London Walks

11/08/2024

On Saturday August 17th at 11am I'm offering a brand-new guided walk around KENSAL GREEN CEMETERY, the first and largest and arguably the greenest and loveliest of the Magnificent Seven 19th-century cemeteries. We meet at Kensal Green station (on the Bakerloo and Overground lines), and the walk ends there. It lasts two hours, and costs £15. It's a beautiful walk, and involves a list of famous (and infamous) people, often with uplifting or tragic lives, as long as your arm. I hope you'll join me. Paul (City of London guide) 07506 761294 [email protected]

03/08/2024

Are you interested in Barnet? And its churches? And its pubs? Then I've got just the thing for you: a guided walk around BARNET CHURCHES AND PUBS -- the sacred and the profane. We'll be looking at nearly 1000 years of how and where the people of Barnet have worshipped ... and made merry. We meet outside High Barnet tube station on Sunday August 11th at 2.30pm. And advance notice that on Saturday August 17th at 11am I'm offering a brand-new guided walk around KENSAL GREEN CEMETERY. Both walks last two hours, and cost £15. A few photos below of the two walks. And if you'd like my full programme up to the end of December, please email me. Paul (City of London guide) 07506 761294 [email protected]

01/08/2024

Lights, camera, action! We all love the cinema. And we all love a bit of nostalgia. So would you like to see somewhere synonymous with cinema, and cinema nostalgia? If you would, you're in luck, as I'm giving a guided walk in BOREHAMWOOD & ELSTREE this Saturday August 3rd, meeting outside Elstree & Borehamwood railway station at 11am. (If you're coming from the Barnet area, you can get the 107 bus all the way.) We won't be able to go into the studios, but you'll hear a huge amount about them, and about the history of cinema, and lots of world-famous actors and directors who worked there. And of course, I'll be sharing some anecdotes about their experiences filming here. The tour costs £15. And advance notice that on August 17th 11am I'll be leading a new walk in KENSAL GREEN CEMETERY. Please book on [email protected] or 07506 761294. Paul (City of London guide)

23/07/2024

We all love the cinema. And we all love a bit of nostalgia. So would you like to see somewhere synonymous with cinema, and cinema nostalgia? If you would, you're in luck, as I'm giving a guided walk in BOREHAMWOOD & ELSTREE on Saturday August 3rd, meeting outside Elstree & Borehamwood railway station at 11am. (If you're coming from the Barnet area, you can get the 107 bus all the way.) We won't be able to go into the studios, but you'll hear a huge amount about them, and about the history of cinema, and lots of world-famous actors and directors who worked there. And of course, I'll be sharing some anecdotes about their experiences filming here. The tour costs £15. And advance notice that on August 17th 11am I'll be leading a new walk in KENSAL GREEN CEMETERY. Please book on [email protected] or 07506 761294. Paul (City of London guide)

15/07/2024

I've got a lovely walk coming up on Sunday July 21st -- a stroll along the NEW RIVER, WOODBERRY WETLANDS, CLISSOLD PARK, STOKE NEWINGTON, AND ABNEY PARK CEMETERY, five treats rolled into one. It's a largely rural walk with guaranteed gorgeous summer colours, as well as a beautiful river and reservoir. We'll also have a walk down the delightful Stoke Newington Church St. We meet at 2.30pm at Manor House tube station, for a two-hour stroll, all for £15. Please book on [email protected] or phone/text 07506 761294. Or you can reply here. See you soon! Paul (City of London guide)

05/07/2024

I've got a different sort of green walk coming up on Saturday July 13th: I'll be guiding around TOWER HAMLETS CEMETERY. Also known as Bow Cemetery, this is arguably the most charming of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries built in the 1830s and 40s. It's now a gorgeous nature reserve, and an extraordinary place. We meet at 11am at Mile End tube station. The walk is circular, lasts two hours, and costs £15. Bookings: please email [email protected] or phone/text 07506 761294. See you soon, I hope! Paul, City of London guide.

25/06/2024

Will you come to Canons Park with me on Saturday for a guided walk? I sincerely hope so. The Grade-2 listed Canons Park is magnificent, with a temple and large walled garden, both 18th-century, and a neoclassical villa, now the North London Collegiate School. The house and grounds used to belong to the famous/infamous James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos. We meet outside Canons Park tube station on June 29th at 2.30pm. The walk lasts two hours, finishing back at the station, and costs £15, and you can find further details and book on [email protected] or 07506 761294. Hoping to see you soon. Paul (City of London guide)

17/06/2024

Coming up very soon: a double bill of lovely guided walks in STANMORE and CANONS PARK. The two are next-door neighbours, and during each walk I'll be referring to the other. They're on consecutive Saturdays -- Stanmore on June 22nd at 2.30pm, followed by Canons Park on June 29th at 2.30pm. Come on both and you'll get a great overview of the area. Or come on one: each can be enjoyed on its own. Each walk lasts two hours, and costs £15, and you can find further details and book on [email protected] or 07506 761294. Hoping to see you soon. Posted below are some photos of both places. Can you untangle them and tell which ones are which? Paul (City of London guide)

07/06/2024

On Saturday June 15th I'm leading a guided walk in TERRIFIC TOTTERIDGE, and I'd love you to be there with me. It's one of the wealthiest and most delightful spots in the capital, with stunning houses, famous inhabitants past and present, and a gorgeous green and common. We meet outside Totteridge & Whetstone tube station at 2.30pm, and we end up back there. The walk lasts two hours, and costs £15. For further information and bookings, please email [email protected] or phone/text 07506 761294. See you soon, I hope. Paul (City of London guide)

26/05/2024

Last call for the three tours of the GOLDEN HINDE on Tuesday/Wednesday 28th/29th May. It's a full-sized faithful replica of the famous ship in which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe in the 1570s. We'll be getting a tour from one of their guides on board; and I'll also be able to show some of the sights of Southwark after the tour. We meet at London Bridge station, top of the Northern line escalator. There are spaces on all three walks: Tuesday 28th at 10.45am/1.45pm, and Wednesday at 1.45pm. And I'm leading a tour of MONKEN HADLEY on Sunday June 2nd at 2.30pm, meeting outside The Spires, Barnet High St EN5 5XY. This lovely village has some of the finest 18th-century houses in London, lived in by some of the most famous names in English history. We'll also see three gorgeous green spaces. Both walks cost £15, and last two hours. Bookings on [email protected] or 07506 761294. See you soon, I hope! In the meantime, a pot pourri of photos of both tours. Paul (City of London guide)

22/05/2024

There are three tours of the GOLDEN HINDE coming up on Tuesday/Wednesday 28th/29th May, and there are still spaces available. It's a full-sized faithful replica of the famous ship in which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe in 1570. We'll be getting a tour from one of their guides on board; and I'll also be able to show some of the sights of Southwark after the tour. We meet at London Bridge station, top of the Northern line escalator. There are spaces on all three walks: Tuesday 28th at 10.45am and 1.45pm, and Wednesday at 1.45pm. And a reminder of the HISTORICAL HIGH BARNET walk on Sunday May 26th at 2.30pm, meeting outside Barnet College, Wood St EN5 4AZ. Both walks cost £15, and last two hours. Bookings on [email protected], or 07506 761294. I hope to be able to welcome you aboard very soon. In the meantime, a pot pourri of photos of both tours. You should be able to spot which are which! Paul (City of London guide)

20/05/2024

Please join me if you can this Sunday May 26th at 2.30pm outside Barnet College, Wood St EN5 4AZ for a two-hour guided tour of THE HEART OF HIGH BARNET. See the brewery that became a town hall and a church that became a shopping centre. Marvel at some beautiful old houses and almshouses. Hear about a fair that was so famous that Cossacks flocked to it, and so infamous that the Victorians tried to close it down. Hear about the famous Battle of Barnet. This is the first of a two-part tour of the Barnet area. The following Sunday June 2nd at 2.30pm, the tour continues from where this one ends, at the Spires, exploring beautiful MONKEN HADLEY VILLAGE, and its three green spaces, beautiful 18th-century houses, and famous inhabitants. Each tour costs £15, and of course each can be enjoyed separately if you can only come to one. Please email [email protected] or phone/text 07506 761294 for bookings. See you soon, I hope! And in the meantime, I hope you enjoy the virtual photo-tour from High Barnet station up to Monken Hadley Common. Paul (City of London guide)

07/05/2024

How would you like to hear about the deeds and misdeeds of the famous and the infamous in a guided walk next Saturday: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FAMOUS IN HIGH BARNET AND MONKEN HADLEY? Royalty, Prime Ministers, Dickens, Trollope, Thackeray, Pepys, Kingsley Amis, John Betjeman, Spike Milligan, J.M.W. Turner, John Wesley, Livingstone, and many, many others: they’ve all stayed or lived in the area over the past 500 years. We meet on May 11th at 11am outside High Barnet tube station. And that's not all. On Tuesday/Wednesday May 14th/15th at 1.45pm I'll be leading a guided tour of EDMONTON, where there's a lot more of interest and beauty to see than you may have imagined. Come with me to find out. We meet outside Edmonton Green station on the London Overground (from Seven Sisters). Both walks lasts two hours, and cost £15. Further details and bookings on [email protected] or 07506 761294. See you then, I hope! Paul (City of London guide)

28/04/2024

I'm delighted to offer you next weekend a guided walk in EDGWARE, an area with far more to offer than you possibly suspect. Ancient Eggeswere still has its charming partly medieval church, two sets of almshouses, a 16th-century row of shops, a variety of delightful parks, one of which we’ll walk through -- and lots more. We meet at Edgware tube station (you can get straight there on the 107 bus from High Barnet if you're coming from there, or on the tube) on Sunday May 5th at 2.30pm. And advance notice: on Saturday May 11th I'm equally thrilled to offer you a walk IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FAMOUS IN HIGH BARNET (AND MONKEN HADLEY), meeting at 11am outside High Barnet tube station. Both walks last two hours, and cost £15. Bookings: please email [email protected] or phone/text 07506 761294. See you soon, I hope! In the meantime, here's a selection of photos of both Edgware and High Barnet/Monken Hadley. Can you tell which are which? Paul, City of London guide.

25/04/2024

Just to remind you that I've got two super walks coming up in the next few days, and I hope you'll join me on one or both of them. This Sunday April 28th I'll be in CROUCH END, a beautiful late-Victorian suburb, with some fabulous buildings, including a famous clocktower, and a fascinating history. Think of Muswell Hill -- but perhaps even lovelier. We meet at Archway tube station at 10.40am (or at 11am at Crouch Hill station if that's easier). And on Tuesday/Wednesday April 30th/May 1st I'll be in MARYLEBONE EAST, to see some Regency terraced rows, a lovely green space, an amazing grotto, more blue plaques than you could ever hope for (Crouch End boasts many famous people too, of course), and many other delights. We meet at Regent's Park tube station at 1.45pm. Both walks last two hours, and cost £15. More info and bookings on [email protected] or 07506 761294. In the meantime, here are some photos which I hope will whet your appetite. Which are Crouch End, and which are Marylebone? Paul (City of London guide)

19/04/2024

I've got two super walks coming up in the next couple of weeks, and I hope you'll join me on one or both of them. On Sunday April 28th I'll be in CROUCH END, a beautiful late-Victorian suburb, with some fabulous buildings, including a famous clocktower, and a fascinating history. Think of Muswell Hill -- but perhaps even lovelier. We meet at Archway tube station at 10.40am (or at 11am at Crouch Hill station if that's easier). And on Tuesday/Wednesday April 30th/May 1st I'll be in MARYLEBONE EAST, to see some Regency terraced rows, a lovely green space, an amazing grotto, more blue plaques than you could ever hope for (Crouch End boasts many famous people too, of course), and many other delights. We meet at Regent's Park tube station at 1.45pm. Both walks last two hours, and cost £15. More info and bookings on [email protected] or 07506 761294. In the meantime, here are some photos which I hope will whet your appetite. Which are Crouch End, and which are Marylebone? Paul (City of London guide)

07/04/2024

I'll be leading an anniversary Battle of Barnet guided walk around the battlefield on Sunday April 14th to commemorate the 553rd anniversary of the battle -- the battle, part of the Wars of the Roses, took place on April 14th 1471. We meet at 11am at the junction of the Great North Rd and Hadley Green Rd EN5 5PP, opposite the Monken Holt pub. There's some audience participation, so watch out! The walk lasts two hours, and costs £15, £5 under 12s -- you can pay on arrival. I hope you'll be able to join me. More details and bookings on [email protected] or 07506 761294. www.barnet-walks.co.uk Paul Baker (City of London guide)

31/03/2024

I'll be leading an anniversary Battle of Barnet guided walk around the battlefield on Sunday April 14th to commemorate the 553rd anniversary of the battle -- the battle, part of the Wars of the Roses, took place on April 14th 1471. We meet at the junction of the Great North Rd and Hadley Green Rd EN5 5PP, opposite the Monken Holt pub. There's some audience participation, so watch out! The walk lasts two hours, and costs £15, £5 under 12s -- you can pay on arrival. I hope you'll be able to join me. More details and bookings on [email protected] or 07506 761294. www.barnet-walks.co.uk Paul Baker (City of London guide)

24/03/2024

I'm doing two anniversary Battle of Barnet guided walks around the battlefield to commemorate the 553rd anniversary of the battle. They'll be on Easter Sunday, March 31st at 2.30pm, and Sunday April 14th at 11am. The walk lasts two hours, and costs £15, £5 under 12s -- you can pay on arrival. We meet at the junction of the Great North Rd and Hadley Green Rd EN5 5PP, opposite the Monken Holt pub. There's some audience participation, so watch out! I hope you'll be able to join me. More details and bookings on [email protected] or 07506 761294. www.barnet-walks.co.uk Paul Baker (City of London guide)

13/03/2024

On Saturday March 23rd I'll be leading a guided walk around BARNET CHURCHES AND PUBS -- the sacred and the profane. We'll be looking at nearly 1000 years of how and where the people of Barnet have worshipped …. and made merry. We meet outside High Barnet tube station booking office at 2.30pm. And that's not all: on Tuesday/Wednesday March 19th/20th, a few days earlier, I'll be guiding around beautiful CANONS PARK, and you'll hear the story of James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, and the 18th-century house he built, Canons: 'the most magnificent mansion house in England', according to Daniel Defoe. We meet outside Canons Park tube station at 1.45pm. Both walks lasts two hours, and cost £15. I hope you'll be able to join me. Paul (City of London guide) 07506 761294 [email protected] www.barnet-walks.co.uk

03/03/2024

Coming up soon: a double bill of lovely guided walks in STANMORE and CANONS PARK. The two are next-door neighbours, and during each walk I'll be referring to the other. They're on consecutive Tuesdays and Wednesdays -- Stanmore on March 12th and 13th at 1.45pm, followed by Canons Park on March 19th and 20th at 1.45pm. Come on both and you'll get a great overview of the area. Or come on one: each walk can be enjoyed on its own. Both walks last two hours, and cost £15, and you can find further details and book on [email protected] or 07506 761294. Hoping to see you soon. Posted below are some photos of both places. Can you untangle them and tell which ones are which? Paul (City of London guide)

26/02/2024

On Sunday March 3rd 2.30pm I'll be leading a guided walk in GOLDERS GREEN: formerly a rural part of the parish of Hendon, and today a fascinating urban melting-pot of Jews, Greeks, Japanese and Koreans, with some fascinating buildings to match. The walk starts and ends at Golders Green tube station. And coming up soon are walks in STANMORE (Tuesday/Wednesday March 12th/13th 1.45pm) and CANONS PARK (Tuesday/Wednesday March 19th/20th 1.45pm). All walks last two hours, and cost £15, and you can find further details and book on [email protected] or 07506 761294. Hoping to see you soon. In the meantime, can you tell which of the photos below are of Golders Green, Stanmore and Canons Park? Paul (City of London guide)

22/02/2024

There's still time to book for my guided tour of the lovely village of MUSWELL HILL on Saturday February 24th. I promise you a total delight, and many stars of film, TV and music would agree with me -- they live there. Let's follow briefly in their footsteps: we meet outside East Finchley tube station at 11am, and then take a bus up to Muswell Hill, where the delights begin. Or, if it's easier, you can meet us outside Muswell Hill Everyman (photo below) on Fortis Green Rd. The walk lasts two hours, and costs £15. Bookings and more info on [email protected] or 07506 761294. And coming up soon are walks in MORDEN HALL PARK, GOLDERS GREEN, STANMORE, CANONS PARK, EDGWARE, and TOTTERIDGE. See you soon, I hope. Paul (City of London guide)

07/02/2024

What a lovely village I've got to show you on Saturday February 24th! MUSWELL HILL is a total delight, and many stars of film, TV and music would agree with me -- they live there. Let's follow briefly in their footsteps: we meet outside East Finchley tube station at 11am, and then take a bus up to Muswell Hill, where the delights begin. Or, if it's easier, you can meet us outside Muswell Hill Everyman (photo above) on Fortis Green Rd. The walk lasts two hours, and costs £15. Bookings and more info on [email protected] or 07506 761294. And coming up soon are walks in MORDEN HALL PARK, GOLDERS GREEN, STANMORE, CANONS PARK, EDGWARE, and TOTTERIDGE. See you soon, I hope. Paul (City of London guide)

26/01/2024

What the dickens is happening on February 7th? It's Charles Dickens's 212th birthday, that's what. And to celebrate the occasion as close to the date as I can, on Sunday February 4th I'm leading a DICKENS IN NORTH LONDON BIRTHDAY guided walk, meeting outside High Barnet tube station at 11am. We'll be looking at some of the many connections in his life and work with Barnet (including Tudor Hall, pictured), Elstree, Finchley (including Mrs Gamp, pictured), Hampstead, Highgate and Hendon -- and at his extraordinary birthday celebrations. I hope you'll be able to join me for a fun and informative walk in his footsteps. £15, £5 under 12s. Paul Baker (City of London guide). For details and bookings: 07506 761294 [email protected] www.barnet-walks.co.uk

21/01/2024

14/01/2024

D'you like films? D'you like going to the flicks/pictures/movies/cinema? Of course you do. And would you like to see somewhere synonymous with the cinema? Why, of course you would again. Well, you're in luck, because I'm giving a guided walk in BOREHAMWOOD & ELSTREE on Sunday January 21st, meeting outside Elstree & Borehamwood station at 11am. (If you're coming from the Barnet area, you can get the 107 bus all the way.) We won't be able to go into the studios, but you'll hear a huuuuge amount about them, and about the history of cinema, and lots of world-famous actors and directors who worked there. And of course, I'll be sharing some anecdotes about their experiences filming here. The tour lasts two and a half hours, and costs £15. Please book on [email protected] or 07506 761294. Paul (City of London guide)

07/01/2024

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and festive season, and I wish you a happy, healthy and active 2024. I'm about to jump back in the saddle! I'm firing my first salvo of the season! OK, enough military metaphors: I've got my first guided walk of the year on Sunday January 14th 11am, and it's THE BATTLE OF BARNET. We'll hear about a day which changed the course of English history, when THREE kings of England came to spend the day in Barnet. There's some audience participation, so watch out! And coming up soon are BOREHAMWOOD & ELSTREE STUDIOS, FITZROVIA, DICKENS IN NORTH LONDON BIRTHDAY WALK, MUSWELL HILL, GOLDERS GREEN, STANMORE, CANONS PARK, TOTTERIDGE, AND EDGWARE. There's something there for everybody, I hope. All tours last two hours, and cost £15, £5 under 12s. For further details and bookings, or to receive my full programme, please email [email protected] or phone/text 07506 761294. See you on Sunday morning, I hope! Paul