As a city with a long history of development in the modern world, London has more than it’s fair share of surprises that one can stumble upon or that can be revealed while walking its many streets and neighbourhoods.  We like to share our curiosity and have collaborated with like-minded investigators, one such is author Tom Bolton, with whom Andrew Stuck from the Museum of Walking, co-created several walks and participatory walkshops.

Dr Tom Bolton was a guest of Rethinking Cities’ Conversations in the mid-2000s at which point he was researching and writing a Walker’s guide to London’s Lost Rivers so we invited him to be interviewed for Talking Walking. That then led us to developing Lost Walks (2014-2018), first following the courses of London’s lost rivers, and latterly having Tom reveal lost London neighbourhoods.  Participants were invited to dowse rivers with divining rods, dress in blue to emulate the river, listen through tubes to drains, embroider a river’s course, and occasionally do other unusual activities. Tom has recently been awarded a PhD from UCL’s Bartlett School researching railway lands and he is the author of these popular and intriguing books: 

• London’s Lost Rivers: A Walker’s Guide Volumes 1 & 2
• Vanished City: London’s Lost Neighbourhoods
• Camden Town: Dreams of Another London
• Low Country: Brexit on the Essex Coast

Almost a comprehensive list of the Lost Walks that Tom co-created with the Museum of Walking

• Camden: Lost rivers
• Camden Town: Dreams of Another London
• Norton Folgate & Cripplegate Lost
• Ratcliff & Limehouse Lost
• Hoselydown Lost
• Norton Folgate Lost 
• Aldwych Lost
• Clare Market Lost
• Kings Cross Lost

Before the Museum of Walking had an on-line presence, Tom’s Lost river walks were hosted by Rethinking Cities.

• Revealing the River Neckinger
• Revealing the Westbourne
• Revealing the River Walbrook
• Tracing the Tyburn
• Walbrook Released
• Tracing the Neckinger