Discover the fascinating
architectural history of public libraries
and bookshops in London
Join Open City for a cycling tour exploring the fascinating history of public libraries and bookshops from Bloomsbury to the East End
This fun and inspiring cycle tour led by Golden Key Academy graduate Justin Manley celebrates London’s extraordinary buildings which bring readers and writers together.
Bookshops and public libraries have long brought book lovers together to browse, buy, and borrow books. But a 2004 report on the state of British libraries warned that the institution was in decline and would be obsolete within 10-to-15 years. Bookshops were also struggling: over the ten years following this pessimistic library report, the number of bookshops in Britain declined by a third.
Today, bookshops are thriving once again, and — despite repeated funding cuts — libraries are very much not obsolete. This tour traces the ways British bookshops and libraries have reinvented themselves time and again — not just over the past decade, but over the past century — borrowing ideas from each other along the way.
The tour begins at the expansive and inviting British Library and ends in Whitechapel, where the local council has boldly attempted to reinvent the library for the twenty-first century. Along the route, we will pass beloved independent bookshops and visit some of the most vibrant public libraries in Central London. Over the course of the tour, we will see how architects working across a range of building styles express the ideals of their bookish institutions.
Highlights of the route include: British Library, Mary Ward House, Holborn Library, Bishopsgate Institute and the Whitechapel Gallery.
Key information
Participants must be competent riders and bring their own bicycle.
Meeting point: British Library piazza, in front of the main entrance by The Last Word Cafe 96 Euston Road NW1 2DB
End point: Whitechapel Gallery 77-82 Whitechapel High Street E1 7QX
Duration: 3 hours approx
Difficulty: Moderate, the route does include some large main roads.
Distance: 5.2 miles / 8.4km
Accessibility: There is a very gentle downwards incline across the entire route. There are no places where participants are required to carry bicycles up or down stairs.
Cost: £19.50 / £14.50 / £9.50
Tickets are non refundable, and tours go ahead rain or shine! Get in touch with Adrianna at tours@open-city.org.uk with any queries.
MEET THE TOUR GUIDE
Justin Manley is a graduate of the 2023 Golden Key Academy, a masterclass for urban and architectural tour guiding run by Open City.
Previously, he designed and led architecture tours in Chicago as part of that city’s annual urbanist festival. An avid reader, Justin holds library cards from across the US and UK: the New York City suburbs where he was born; Chicago; San Francisco; and of course, London.
Chances are that at this very moment, he has books checked out from two or three public libraries around London. Learn more about Justin at http://justinmanley.work.
He joined the Open City tours team in December 2023.