CLAPHAM SOCIETY WALKS 2024
Guided walks programme for the year
These guided walks are available from April to October but for those who like to venture out on historical walks all year long, our self-guided walks leaflets are useful during the winter.
Our individual self-guided walks are available for download here.
Walks in Clapham usually last between 60 and 90 minutes. All walks must be booked in advance to restrict numbers for comfort. If you have any questions about a walk, please contact the leader at the email address shown below.
We also organise other events and meetings throughout the year.
The programme for the year is shown on the Events page.
Sunday 7 April
The History of Clapham Common. Tom Jansz leads this walk, tracing the history of Clapham Common from medieval grazing ground through place of recreation for 18th century incomers who built villas around it, associations with The Clapham Sect, witness to transformation from rural village to Victorian suburb, home of some notable residents, to its important community role in WW2, and finally to today’s green recreational heart of our thriving and multi-cultural area. Leaving from the Bandstand on Clapham Common at 2.30 pm.
Free, but book in advance with tom.jansz@hotmail.co.uk
Friday 26 April
Spring Bat walk led by Dr Iain Boulton from Lambeth Parks and Open Spaces. Always popular, we’ll use bat detectors and our own eyes to look for, listen to and be amazed at these fascinating creatures, and who knows, we might find some new and interesting species as well as the more common ones! Wrap up warm and comfortable for a journey into the world of our night time companions. Leaving from the Bandstand on Clapham Common at 8.30 pm.
Free, but book in advance with iboulton@lambeth.gov.uk
Thursday 23 May
This Walk ‘History of Social Care in Nightingale Lane’ is Rescheduled to Thursday 13 June.
All those booked in advance have been contacted and offered the revised date:
Thursday 13 June (Please Click Here for the description of this walk).
Monday 3 June
Growth of a Victorian Suburb. Timothy Walker will lead his popular walk tracing the growth of housing ‘Twixt the Commons’ by a series of speculative builders as the older houses were demolished. This walk is part of Wandsworth Heritage Festival. Leaving from Clapham South Underground Station at 6.30 pm.
Free, but book in advance with tehwalker@uwclub.net
Thursday 13 June
History of Social Care in Nightingale Lane. This walk led by Gillian Robinson will take us along Nightingale Lane looking at some of the old and not so old houses with an emphasis on those with a medical history. We shall learn about The Nightingales Home, Queen Elizabeth House and Audiology House finishing at Clapham South Underground Station to look at the former South London Hospital for Women. (now Tesco’s). This walk is part of Wandsworth Heritage Festival Leaving from Wandsworth Common Station at 6.30 pm.
Free, but book in advance with thenightingales95@gmail.com
Saturday 20 July
Clapham Park: The Cubitt connection. Nigel Bassindale will lead this popular walk, new last year, going back in time to discover Clapham Park and how Thomas Cubitt’s vision became reality. Leaving from the junction of Emmanuel Road and New Park Road at 3 pm.
Free, but book in advance with nigelbassindale@gmail.com
Sunday 11 August
Clapham Old Town. Gillian Robinson will take a fresh look at some familiar places in Old Town, along the first part of North Side and the Pavement. We will discuss the development of Old Town, meet some famous and infamous past residents and look at some interesting buildings. Leaving from St. Paul’s Churchyard, Rectory Grove at 2.30 pm.
Free, but book in advance with thenightingales95@gmail.com
Sunday 18 August
Trees and Wildlife Habitats on Clapham Common – Adapting to a Changing Environment. A guided walk led by Dr Iain Boulton to look at trees and other plants on the eastern side of Clapham Common, with a focus on how climate change and other environmental issues are affecting the Common’s trees, and how we are responding to these changes with different tree species and tree management. Leaving from The Windmill on the Common at 2 pm.
Free, but book in advance with iboulton@lambeth.gov.uk
Sunday 1 September
Clapham Ghost Signs. A walk led by Alyson Wilson, originally devised by Sam Roberts (aka Mr Ghost Signs) that traces Clapham’s history through its wonderful collection of fading painted advertisements. This walk is part of the Lambeth Heritage Festival. Leaving from Clapham North Underground Station at 2.30 pm.
Free, but book in advance with alysonwilson.sw4@gmail.com
Sunday 8 September
The History of Clapham Common. Tom Jansz leads this walk, tracing the history of Clapham Common from medieval grazing ground through place of recreation for 18th century incomers who built villas around it, associations with The Clapham Sect, witness to transformation from rural village to Victorian suburb, home of some notable residents, to its important community role in WW2, and finally to today’s green recreational heart of our thriving and multi-cultural area. This walk is part of the Lambeth Heritage Festival. Leaving from the Bandstand on Clapham Common at 2.30 pm
Free, but book in advance with tom.jansz@hotmail.co.uk
Friday 13 September
Autumn Bat Walk led by Dr Iain Boulton from Lambeth Parks and Open Spaces. We’ll use bat detectors and our own eyes to look for, listen to and be amazed at these fascinating creatures, and who knows, we might find some new and interesting species as well as the more common ones! As winter approaches, find out what the Common’s bats are up to in order to get ready for hibernation. Wrap up warm and comfortable for a journey into the world of our night time companions. Leaving from the Bandstand on Clapham Common at 7.30 pm.
Free, but book in advance with iboulton@lambeth.gov.uk
Sunday 22 September
Abbeville ‘village’: The making of an Edwardian neighbourhood. Michael Tuffrey will lead this walk exploring how the streets came to be laid out and introducing the people who made it happen, including Pugin’s master builder, a defrocked lawyer from Norwich and the disgraced linen draper from Tottenham with three wives (or so he claimed). This walk is part of the Lambeth Heritage Festival. Meet at the junction of Elms Road and Clapham Common South Side at 2.30 pm.
Free, but book in advance with mtuffrey@talk21.com
Clapham Self Guided Walks:
Self-guided walks leaflets, each covering a different area of Clapham. Please download the pdfs listed below to view and print. This a free download, but we would welcome a donation. You can choose ‘other‘ on the donation page to enter the amount you would like to donate.
To make a donation please click here:
Donation Payment
You may need a copy of adobe acrobat to view and print these files. You can download the latest version by clicking ‘Get Adobe Reader’. This will open in a new window.
Please click the title or walk number to download a walk.
1. Historical walk. A walk starting at the centre of modern Clapham and tracking back through its past, via The Polygon, Old Town, Grafton Square, North Street, Hibbert Almshouses in Wandsworth Road, Matrimony Place, St Paul’s Church, Rectory Grove and back to Clapham Library on North Side.
Download here: WALK 1
2. Clapham North. From Clapham North Underground Station through developments of different periods, which include St John’s Church, the Clapham Rise Estate (Gauden Road, Sibella Road, Chelsham Road and Bromfelde Road) Larkhall Park, Christ Church, the Springfield and Larkhall Estates, and back along Clapham Manor Street to Clapham High Street.
Download here: WALK 2
3. Around Nightingale Lane. From Clapham South Underground Station to Malwood Road and along Nightingale Lane as far as The Nightingale PH, coming back via Thurleigh Road, St Luke’s Church and Hightrees House, and along the side of the Common back to Clapham South.
Download here: WALK 3
4. Clapham Common. A tour of the Common starting from Clapham Common Underground Station, taking in Holy Trinity Church, the Bandstand, Windmill Drive, and all three ponds.
Download here: WALK 4
5. South Side. From Clapham South Underground Station this walk goes along the south east border of the Common towards Clapham High Street, including a brief diversion down Narbonne Avenue, The Windmill on the Common, Notre Dame Estate and Crescent Grove.
Download here: WALK 5
6. West Side. Starting at Hightrees House at the corner of West Side and Nightingale Lane this walk follows the west side of the Common to Broomwood Road, then through the side streets to return to Canford Road and along West Side back to Broomwood Road, passing houses of various periods and detailing their former residents.
Download here: WALK 6
7. North Side. This walk starts at Clapham Common Station, going past Holy Trinity Church all along North Side, covering Church Buildings, Trinity Hospice, Cedars Terraces, Eaton House The Manor School, Parkgate House School as far as St Barnabas’ Church and The Shrubbery in Lavender Gardens. The walk ends at the top of Battersea Rise.
Download here: WALK 7
Lambeth Local History Walks
The South London Walks Leaflet is available for April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
Click for details here.
We try to have something to suit everyone and hope that you will join us on our walks.
Click Here for The Events programme for the year.