Discover how
connectivity shaped the architectural history of Clerkenwell
Photo: by Debbie Kent
Join Open City for a walking tour exploring how centuries of connectivity shaped the unique architectural, landscape and urban history of Clerkenwell
From industrial manufacturing to the global trade in architecture and design services — this insightful walking tour tells the story of how Clerkenwell’s central location as a hub for London’s creative industries shaped its extraordinary built environment.
This walking tour between the soon-to-open London Museum and Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration explores the varied connections which defined Clerkenwell – covering people and their stories; communities and the built environment; and the area’s layered history and the lively streets of today.
Clerkenwell is one of the oldest parts of the capital, with its development at the edge of the City of London dating back to medieval times, and it has long been the connective tissue and buffer zone between the City merchants and the rural and suburban outskirts.
Over the past few decades, Clerkenwell has transformed from a down-at-heel post-industrial pocket of London to a thriving centre of bars, restaurants and creative industries at the heart of the capital. The streets that were once a hinterland for the meat-trading of Smithfield Market are now populated with designers, architects and workers in the global creative industries.
Further north, what was once one of the poorest parts of London has become a leafy, spacious home to parks and apartments, the eateries of Exmouth Market and the social and architectural milestone of Lubetkin’s Finsbury Health Centre.
Highlights include an external preview of the new London Museum at the site in Smithfield Market where the spectacular complex of buildings are being constructed. The walk ends at another innovative new and soon-to-open venue, the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, a reinvention of a waterworks engine house as a unique museum with a collaborative approach to storytelling and ideas.
This is a walk that offers the opportunity to think about how old and new can come together in a sustainable way, how new and old institutions can build connections with the public, and how a small area of London can have vital connections with the rest of the city and the world beyond.
Key information
Meet: Outside Farmer J, 50 Cowcross St EC1M 6AL
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The 2nd stop on the tour is Outside Port of London Authority building, Charterhouse St EC1M 6AL
End: Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, 1 Myddelton Passage EC1R 1AG
Duration: 2.5 hrs approx
Distance: 2.8 km
Route notes: This walk follows pavements throughout, though some surfaces are uneven. There are a few sets of steps along the route and these can be avoided.
Cost: £29.50 / £19.50 / £13.50 / £9.50
Tickets are non refundable and our tours go ahead rain or shine…
We aim to be inclusive and accessible where possible, please contact Adrianna at tours@open-city.org.uk to discuss your needs, reduced ticket prices and if you require a free carer ticket or have any additional queries.
Meet the tour guide…
Debbie Kent is a Clerkenwell and Islington Guide, as well as a member of the Walking Artists Network. She has lived in London all her life – both north and south of the river, but currently in EC1 – studied at LSE and Goldsmiths, and has a passion for learning about the city and sharing her experience with others. She works as a journalist.
Kent is a graduate of the 2023 Golden Key Academy — a masterclass for urban and architectural tour guiding run by Open City. She joined the Open City tours team in May 2026.
Open City's year-round tours programme is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.