Discover Pimlico ‘London’s inner-city village’ through the
eyes of Ian Nairn
Join Open City for a walking tour exploring Pimlico, one of central London’s most architecturally enigmatic and often overlooked districts
Pimlico, described by acclaimed architecture critic and former resident Ian Nairn as an ‘inner-city village’ in the 1970s, can often feel confusing, indistinct, and uncharted — a shadow sandwiched in between some of the world’s most famous postcodes.
Nairn himself affectionately called it ‘Westminster behind the Abbey’ in his influential 1966 guidebook, Nairn’s London. But for many of those who live there, it’s an oasis of calm at the centre of a bustling metropolis.
This engaging and accessible walking tour — led by Golden Key Academy graduate Joe Brookes —starts at Pimlico Station – and taking inspiration from the 1949 comedy Passport to Pimlico, which sees the district declare itself an independent state – we will discover this area’s unique character and ask whether the ‘village’ Nairn promoted as a model for communal living still exists.
From Thomas Cubitt’s avenues of stucco terraces to the utopian visions of Dolphin Square, Churchill Gardens and the Lillington Gardens Estate, this tour aims to shine a light on a number of architectural gems, offering an engaging journey through interlocking pockets of faded Georgian grandeur, interwar glamour and post-war futures.
Providing a fun way for enthusiastic urbanists to explore the city, we will question inherited notions of a ‘centre’ and the boundaries which constitute urban landscapes; examine the conditions necessary for community, particularly the interplay between public and private space; consider the impact of transport on the area’s development, including looking at how Pimlico’s mid-20th century road system foreshadowed the contemporary policy of low-traffic neighbourhoods; and compare Pimlico’s patchwork of community hubs with the commercial ‘placemaking’ of its southbank counterpart, Nine Elms.
Ultimately, we will consider whether Pimlico, and the concept of the urban village which Nairn's analysis seems to echo, is really an ideal for living, while attempting to grasp just why this area is considered a ‘non-place’ for so many.
About Ian Nairn
Ian Nairn (1930-1983) was a British architecture critic committed to understanding places and how people lived in them. His eclectic, highly-subjective way of writing and thinking about buildings has been a key influence on commentators ranging from Jonathan Meades to Owen Hatherley. Born in Bedford in the interwar period, his career as a critic took off in the 1950s when he got a writing job at the Architectural Review, after he completed his National Service in the RAF. At the AR, he published a now infamous 1955 edition, Outrage, where he coined the term ‘Subtopia’ as a damning critique of suburban sprawl. He lived most of his adult life in Pimlico, from which he set off on various travels, which became the subject of his celebrated books and documentaries such as Nairn's London (1966) and Nairn Across Britain (1972).
Key information:
Meet: Pimlico tube station, outside Rampayne Street exit, SW1V 2JA
Ends: Ebury Bridge (a short walk from Victoria Station)
Duration: 2.5 hrs approx
Distance: 2 miles approx
Cost: £19.50 / £14.50 / £9.50
Our tours go ahead rain or shine and tickets are non refundable. Get in touch with Adrianna at tours@open-city.org.uk with any queries.
Meet the tour guide…
Joe Brookes is a civil servant interested in how stories and journeys interact with our sense of place.
As well as tour guiding Brookes is currently attempting to combine poetry, film and ambient music to create powerful documents of London’s dynamic landscape. You can read our interview with him here.
Brookes is a graduate of the 2022 Golden Key Academy — a masterclass for urban and architectural tour guiding run by Open City. He joined the Open City tours team in December 2022.