Walking in central London we can find many places associated with key figures and moments in the making of informal education. Explore them through a virtual (or real) walk.
Our walk begins on the Embankment. It then winds its way through Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Soho and Bloomsbury. As well as taking in some of the key buildings and places associated with the development of informal education - we can also see Covent Garden Market, Chinatown, The British Library and the elegant Georgian Squares of Bloomsbury.
We see:
We learn about some of the key figures - Maud Stanley and girls work; Baden Powell and Scouting; George Birkbeck and adult education; Mary Ward and playwork; Lily Montagu and Jewish youth work; and George Williams and the YMCA.
You can take the virtual walk by starting on The Embankment.
If you want to take the walk for real then for the first two thirds of the walk there are plenty of cafes and bars for those who want to take a break. Midway through the walk is Oxford Street where, in the immediate area there is everything from MacDonalds to the wonderful Gorvindas (Hare Krishna café on Soho Street). There are also a reasonable number of toilets (the best bet is probably the various MacDonalds etc. on the way).
The walk is flat, and major roads are crossed at proper crossing points. To this extent the route is fairly walker and wheelchair-friendly. However, the pavements do tend to be crowded and kerbs have to be navigated. For those that want to do the walk in shorter bursts I have split the route.
If you are born to shop there are temptations around Covent Garden. The market and the surrounding streets have a large number of clothes and crafts outlets. Charing Cross Road is book city. The half way point is Oxford Street - but a word of warning. The big stores and Regent Street are a fair walk.
One last word of advice - take an A-Z London Street Atlas with you.
Note: This page is part of our virtual walk around the history of informal education (in central London).
Walking for real: If you would like to do the informal education walk for real then why not join us on our next scheduled walk. It's free! Follow the link for joining details.
If you want to download maps covering the walk go to streetmap uk:
Parts 1 and 2: The Embankment to Tottenham Court Road Parts 3 and 4: Great Russell Street to Cleveland Street
© Mark K. Smith
First published August 7, 1997. Last update:
July 01, 2008
