Ealing and West London Tour Guides
OUR WALKS
GUNNERSBURY PARK MUSEUM
"MUSEUM ON THE STREETS"
CHISWICK ROCKS!
A MUSICAL TOUR OF CHISWICK
Sunday 12 December 2021, 11am
On this musical history tour we'll pass the studios where the Rolling Stones and The Who recorded their last albums, visit the place where many a pop artist has their tracks mastered, find the headquarters of Island Records and see the home of the writer of 'A Hard Day's Night'. Not forgetting Liberace!
Meet at Stamford Brook Station
Note: this walk has been rescheduled from Sunday 21 November
DISCOVER BRENTFORD, OLD AND NEW
Date to be rescheduled
Explore Brentford from its medieval beginnings to the 21st Century Brentford Project, one of the largest new developments in London. Along the way, hear about Nell Gwyn's pet Griffin, the historic Butts Estate with its 18th century houses, Brentford's connection with the artist Turner, and see where osiers worked and ferrymen quarrelled.
The walk begins at Kew Bridge Station
WEEKEND WALKS IN WEST LONDON
All walks start at 11am and cost £10 per person
CHISWICK THROUGH THE AGES
SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER 2021
11am - St Nicholas Church
Join us on a journey through Chiswick’s history, from St Nicholas’ Church by the banks of the Thames to The Tabard pub by Turnham Green station. We'll walk with radicals, writers, artists and outlaws through this neighbourhood’s evolution from a rural Thames-side village, to cultural hub with the twists and turns of conflict, commerce and both industrial and artistic revolution.
The walk starts at St Nicholas Church, Church Street at 11am and finishes up at The Tabard around between 90 minutes and 2 hours later
JOIN THE KEW: A WALK AROUND KEW GREEN
SUNDAY 9 JANUARY 2022
11am - Strand Cafe, 109 Strand on the Green
Aside from the much loved Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Green has been home to courtiers and artists for centuries.
On this gentle walk we'll cross Kew Bridge and meet a visiting Impressionist, father-and-son botanists, a green-fingered princess and her cricket-loving husband, an intrepid woman traveller and artist - and maybe a cannibal.
DISCOVERING BRENTFORD:
AITS, BEES, BUTTS AND GRIFFINS
SUNDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2022
11am - Kew Bridge Station
We'll walk through Brentford, and see both the very old parts of the town and massive new development. The historic Butts and the old magistrates court are in stark contrast with the new Brentford project and the modern stadium of its progressive football club. We will look at two unusual museums, islands (aits) in the Thames and remnants of Brentford’s industrial past.
VIBRANT SOUTHALL:
A WALK THROUGH TIME
SUNDAY 6 MARCH 2022
11am - Southall Town Hall
The walk starts at the old Southall Town Hall, located at the junction of Lady Margaret Road and the High Street, and we make our way down to Havelock Road where the walk eventually ends. Along the way we learn about the industrial past of Southall - from soap to buses and pottery - and the people of bygone times who called Southall home, as well as the vibrancy and bustle that's modern Southall.
WEEKEND WALKS IN WEST LONDON
All walks start at 11am and cost £10 per person
A BRIDGE WITH TWO TOWERS:
EXPLORING PUTNEY BRIDGE AND FULHAM
SUNDAY 3 APRIL 2022
11am - Putney Bridge Station
On this walk around the Putney Bridge end of Fulham we'll wander a little off the beaten track and finish in Putney itself.
You will hear about some of Fulham’s past, including its time as a manor and a village, as well as about the bridge itself, which we'll use to reach a destination that's home to a significant, yet surprising, piece of British history.
HAMMERSMITH: MORE THAN JUST A FLYOVER
SUNDAY 8 MAY 2022
11am - Hammersmith Station (District & Piccadilly Line Exit)
The district of Hammersmith is an important gateway between the West End and its Kensington hinterland to the east and the suburbs to the west. The well known flyover on the A4 enables motorists to avoid the area altogether. However, Hammersmith itself is full of architectural gems and has a fascinating cultural and social history, not forgetting the riverside pubs and rowing clubs by the Thames. This walk takes a fresh look.
MORE WALKS...
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ONE OF OUR WALKS AND AVAILABILITY, PLEASE CONTACT THE GUIDE
We can also create a bespoke walk on any theme or area
Ealing Queen of the Suburbs
On our walk we will learn about Ealing's historic heritage, hear about its famous film industry connections and discover one of Ealing's gems, Pitzhanger Manor. Along the way you will hear about a club that changed the face of rock and roll, and about television's most famous time -travelling Doctor. Finally, we will visit a part where the artist Turner fished and see a church designed by the renowned Victorian architect Sir George Gilbert Scott.
The Story of Ealing Common
From common grazing land with the consent of the Lord of the Manor, to centre of modern-day recreation and leisure, our story of Ealing Common touches upon many aspects of the lives of our local ancestors. We will learn about some of the famous people who lived in the area, the great houses and estates around the Common, the role of the Common in the lives of ordinary people, in good times and bad, and some intriguing links with Colonial India.
Exploring Northfields: From Northfields Station to Niagara Falls
Beginning at Northfields station, built by iconic architect Charles Holden, this walk takes you to a lovely local park, the former homes of a US president and a world famous 19th century acrobat, a classical building where a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame went to school, and a house which had many famous, and in some cases scandalous, residents. We finish near Northfields station at the Plough Inn.
07725 997943
Do the Strand: A Walk Along Strand on the Green
This overlooked riverside location is one of the delights of West London. Aside from its three historic pubs it has been home to many an interesting resident. On this walk we’ll meet a very ‘U’ writer, a director of blockbuster movies, a Bond baddie, a charming Georgian artist and the composer of a best-selling charity single. And we’ll 'Help' out the Beatles.
MORE WALKS...
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ONE OF OUR WALKS BELOW, PLEASE CONTACT THE GUIDE
We can also create a bespoke walk on any theme or area
The Story of the Brentham Garden Estate
This walk takes us round one perhaps of Ealing’s most delightful residential enclaves in a semi-pastoral setting. As well as the distinctive architecture and layout of the Brentham Garden Estate we will hear about its social history, particularly centred on the Brentham Club where two eminent international sportsmen began their illustrious careers.
The estate was built at the beginning of the 20th Century in accordance with the social and aesthetic principles of the Garden City movement. The 650 cottages and houses provide interesting and varied elevations starting in 1901 with traditional terraced properties and developing through the next few years into a more romantic, Arts and Crafts style. In 1969, the estate was designated a Conservation Area by the Borough of Ealing.
Chris Firmin - ccfirm@gmail.com
Strand on the Green to Grove Park
Chiswick’s picturesque riverside has been home to political journalists, thriller writers, playwrights, humourists, poets and classic novelists.
As you wander along the Thames with your Ealing & West London Guide you’ll encounter the likes of Nancy Mitford, Geoffrey Household, Margaret Kennedy, Robert Bolt and John Osborne.
The 2-hour walk begins outside the Strand Café, Strand-on-the-Green (Kew Bridge end) and ends by Chiswick mainline station.
Richmond: Rock, Royalty and Revolutionaries
With its attractive riverside location and picturesque houses, Richmond has had its fair share of notable residents. On this 2-hour walk you’ll visit a famous venue for rock 'n' roll, a much-loved theatre and a Tudor palace. You'll meet a prisoner from the American Revolutionary War, a revolutionary Chilean, an award-winning actress and enjoy one of the best views in London.
This walk is also available as a virtual tour.
HIDDEN CHISWICK
Starting at Turnham Green we discover a famous Civil War Battle, the botanist that created Kew Gardens and hear about John Betjeman's love of Victorian buildings. We meet another famous poet, the architect of Bedford Park and the creator of Sanderson Wallpaper and Cherry Blossom Shoe Polish. We finish our walk at one of George Gilbert's Scott'e early London Churches and learn about one of the famous variety theatres in West London and Liberace!
07871-099276
OUR WALKS
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ONE OF OUR WALKS AND AVAILABILITY, PLEASE CONTACT THE
WE CAN ALSO CREATE A BESPOKE WALK ON ANY THEME OR AREA
Kew Green: "Join the Kew"
Aside from the much loved Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew has been home to courtiers and artists for centuries. On this gentle walk we’ll cross Kew Bridge and meet a visiting Impressionist, father and son botanists, a green-fingered princess and her cricket-loving husband, an intrepid woman artist - and maybe a cannibal.
This walk is also available as a virtual tour.
Hammersmith to Chiswick
As we stroll along the Thames, we meet William Morris, founder of the Arts & Craft movement, the famous mistress of Charles II, and the Redgrave acting dynasty. We will discover breweries, rowing clubs, historic pubs, and an engineering legend and end our walk at the resting place of William Hogarth and James McNeil Whistler at St. Nicholas Church.
Exploring Hanwell: Brunel, Bunnies, Rolls Royce and Rock n' Roll
On this walk we will pass under the first major engineering feat of the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, walk through a delightful park with a zoo and a maze, and visit a shop which played a major role in rock and roll history.
07725-997943
Bedford Park: "The Healthiest Place in the World"
Smart redbrick houses, leafy streets and white painted fences. Bedford Park was the original garden suburb that attracted artists, actors and middle-classes families. We’ll wander up its roads, groves and crescents and encounter one of Ireland’s greatest sons, a pioneering aviator, a Russian revolutionary and the murder of a matinée idol.
This walk is also available as a virtual tour.