One of a series of free walks from the Westminster Guides supported by Inside Out to celebrate open-air arts and culture in Westminster! Booking is mandatory.

Walk with us through some of London’s historic urban squares to discover stories of these elegant spaces and the people who lived in them.

Please meet at Marble Arch Underground station – exit on the north side of Oxford Street (W1C 1CX). Plan to arrive 15 minutes before the start time. The walk will finish outside the Wallace Collection on Manchester Square (W1U 3BN).

The importance of providing open spaces in the capital, especially in residential areas, was recognised as early as the 1600s, with the laying out of the first planned estates and the emergence of the distinctive London garden square.

Today these urban squares are some of the most admired features of London’s streetscape and have long attracted many famous residents from the arts, literature, music, politics and other fields. The West End – particularly around Oxford Street – has a high concentration of these unique and historic spaces.

Join Sarah Yates, an official City of Westminster Guide, to explore how several of the urban squares north of Oxford Street were shaped and the remarkable stories they contain.

Please note: the tour does NOT include entry to private gardens within the squares.

This is one of 25 “A Wander through Westminster” Walks offered by the City of Westminster Guides in conjunction with the Inside Out Programme that celebrates open-air art and culture in Westminster. Why not join in other Inside Out activities on offer: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/leisure-libraries-and-community/arts-and-culture/experience-inside-out-westminsters-free-outdoor-arts-festival?