2026: Guided Walks in Barnet and London

With Paul Baker, City of London guide

Please phone or email Paul if you are planning to come on a walk.

Dates mainly for January-July only. Please email Paul on to be registered on the mailing-list to receive regular monthly updates on walks during the rest of the year. And get weekly updates on Paul’s Facebook page: Barnet and London Walks.

Please note that the website will not contain updates on walks beyond July 2026, with a few exciting exceptions.

‘The Battle of Barnet’
Explore the famous battlefield of the Wars of the Roses, 1471.
Step back in time to the Wars of the Roses. See how the course of English history was changed on a misty Easter Sunday morning. Hear about the day when THREE kings of England came to spend the day in Barnet.

Sunday January 18th 11am.

Meet at junction of Great North Road and Hadley Green Road, EN5 5PP.

‘Borehamwood and Elstree Studios’
A tour of the world-famous Elstree studios.
The Elstree studios are in fact almost all in Borehamwood! Why aren’t they called Borehamwood studios? We’ll find out why, and lots more about the history of the studios, and the former village of Borehamwood. N.B. We don’t enter any of the studios.
After the walk, and lunch, you can see the excellent new exhibition, 'EastEnders at 40', at the local museum.
Saturday January 31st 10am.

Meet outside Elstree & Borehamwood railway station (easily reached from High Barnet on the 107 bus).

‘Marvellous Mill Hill’
An entertaining and surprising roam along The Ridgeway …
And through green tranquil Mill Hill Village.

Sunday February 1st 11am.

Meet outside Mill Hill East tube station. Walk finishes Lawrence St NW7, from where buses depart.

‘Dickens in North London Birthday Walk’
Looking at the huge number of links with North London in Dickens's life and work – and his remarkable birthday celebrations.
Hear the many Dickens connections with Barnet, Elstree, Finchley, Highgate, Hampstead and Hendon in both his life and his work. And to celebrate his birthday, hear about the huge celebrations for his own birthday, and those of his family and friends.

Saturday September 7th 2pm.

Meet outside High Barnet tube station booking office.

‘Wapping, and the Thames River Police Museum’ *NEW WALK*
The museum offers a unique insight into the history of the world's first police force (1798).
There’ll also be time for a walk around ancient and modern Wapping.

Tuesday February 10th 10.45am and Wednesday February 11th 1.45pm.

Meet at Wapping station (Windrush line).

‘St Giles and Seven Dials’ *NEW WALK*
We'll explore the equally fascinating old and new in these two adjacent neighbourhoods.
And we’ll celebrate Tin Pan Alley and vintage rock’n’roll as we stroll down Denmark St.

Sunday February 15th 11am. Tuesday March 10th 10.45am. Wednesday March 11th 1.45pm.

Meet outside Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Rd tube station exit 2.

‘Stepney, and ‘900 Years of Transport in the East End’ Exhibition’ *NEW WALK*
An exhibition of almost a millennium of public transport in the East End.
We’ll then have a walk round Stepney, including Queen Mary University of London and three former Jewish cemeteries.

Tuesday February 17th 10.45am and Wednesday February 18th 1.45pm.

Meet outside Stepney Green tube station.

‘Belsize Park’ *NEW WALK*
A beautiful area adjacent to beautiful Swiss Cottage, which we explored in 2025.
The equally impressive Belsize Park is also brimming with magnificent stuccoed architecture and literary and historical associations and greenery.

Sunday February 22nd 11am. Tuesday March 17th 10.45am. Wednesday March 18th 1.45pm.

Meet outside Belsize Park tube station exit.

‘Warwick Avenue and Westbourne Green’ *NEW WALK*
This very upmarket area of north-west London near St John’s Wood is lined with beautiful Victorian mansions.
It also boasts Little Venice and the Regent’s Canal, and the rather lovely Westbourne Green.

Tuesday February 24th 10.45am and Wednesday February 25th 1.45pm.

Meet at Warwick Avenue tube station. Walk finishes at Royal Oak tube station.

‘Holborn and the LSE Estate’ *NEW WALK*
The London School of Economics has transformed the area in and around Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
Whilst fully embracing the history of the area, it has enhanced it by restoring some neglected structures – including the Old Curiosity Shop – and constructing some beautiful new buildings.

Tuesday March 3rd 10.45am and Wednesday March 4th 1.45pm.

Meet outside Holborn tube station on Kingsway.

‘Barnet Churches and Pubs’
The sacred and the profane.
Explore 900 years of the history of where the people of Barnet have worshipped … and made merry.

Saturday March 7th 2.30pm.

Meet outside High Barnet tube station by the car-park.

‘Burnt Oak’
We’ll see several survivors of Burnt Oak’s rural past, which survived intact until the 1920s. This walk forms a pair with Edgware below. Save £5 if you attend both walks in consecutive weeks (£25).
As well as Watling, Silk Stream, and Montrose Parks, we’ll see two lovely brooks, a wetland, and some Homes for Heroes. And why on earth is it called Burnt Oak?

Sunday March 22nd 2.30pm.

Meet at Burnt Oak tube station.

‘Highgate and Finsbury Park along Parkland Walk’
Explore a linear park and nature reserve …
… Followed by one of the largest and loveliest parks in north London.

Tuesday March 24th 10.45am and Wednesday March 25th 1.45pm.

Meet outside Highgate tube station exit 2, Priory Gardens exit. Finishes at Manor House tube station.

‘Edgware’
Ancient Eggeswere still retains its charm in and around the old village centre. This walk forms a pair with Burnt Oak above. Save £5 if you attend both walks in consecutive weeks (£25).
Known to the Romans, and ancient and important enough to have a leading London artery named after it, Edgware still boasts its charming partly medieval church, two sets of almshouses, a 16th-century row of shops, and a variety of delightful parks, one of which we’ll walk through.

Sunday March 29th 2.30pm.

Meet at Edgware tube station, by the ticket barriers.

‘The Battle of Barnet: an anniversary walk’
Explore the famous battlefield of the Wars of the Roses, fought on Easter Sunday April 14th 1471.
Step back in time to the Wars of the Roses. See how the course of English history was changed on a foggy Easter Sunday morning. Hear about the day when THREE kings of England came to spend the day in Barnet.
Easter Sunday April 5th 2.30pm. Tuesday April 14th 11am.

Meet at junction of Great North Rd and Hadley Green Rd EN5 5PP.

‘The Heart of High Barnet’
A walk through 1000 years of history. This walk forms a pair with Monken Hadley below. Save £5 if you attend both walks in consecutive weeks (£25).
See the brewery that became a Town Hall, and a church that became a shopping centre. Marvel at some truly beautiful houses and almshouses. Hear about the Battle of Barnet; and a fair that was so famous that Cossacks flocked to it, and so infamous that the Victorians tried to close it down.

Sunday April 19th 11am.

Meet outside Barnet College, Wood St, High Barnet EN5 4AZ.

‘A Meander through Monken Hadley’
A historical walk through beautiful unspoilt Monken Hadley. This walk forms a pair with High Barnet above. Save £5 if you attend both walks in consecutive weeks (£25).
This lovely village has some of the finest 18th-century houses in London, lived in by some of the most famous names in English literature, art, politics and society. We will also see three gorgeous green spaces.

Sunday April 26th 11am.

Meet outside The Spires, Barnet High St EN5 5XY.

‘Cool Camden Town’
A fascinating past of canals and railways; a pulsating present of markets, music and street art. This walk forms a pair with Kentish Town above. Save £5 if you attend both walks in consecutive weeks (£25).
One of the coolest and most cosmopolitan areas of London.

Sunday May 10th 2.30pm.

Meet outside Camden Town tube station exit.

‘Kentish Town’
Now that the tube station has finally reopened, let’s explore this ancient area, first recorded in the 13th century. This walk forms a pair with Cool Camden Town below. Save £5 if you attend both walks in consecutive weeks (£25).
Today it is home to numerous independent shops, musical venues and cultural establishments, whilst retaining a wealth of historical sites and associations.

Sunday May 17th 2.30pm.

Meet outside Camden Town tube station exit. Walk finishes at Kentish Town tube station.

‘Terrific Totteridge’
One of the loveliest of London suburbs.
One of the wealthiest and most delightful spots in the capital, with stunning houses, famous inhabitants past and present, and a gorgeous Common.

Sunday June 14th 2.30pm.

Meet outside Totteridge and Whetstone tube station.

‘Spitalfields and Street Art’
A refuge for centuries for French Huguenots, Irish, Germans, Jews, Bengalis and beyond.
Still a fascinating cosmopolitan area, and one of the most famous hubs of street art in the world.

Saturday June 20th 11am.

Meet outside Whitechapel Art Gallery, Aldgate East tube station exit 3.

‘Golders Green’
One of the quintessential melting-pots of London.

Formerly a rural part of the parish of Hendon, Golders Green has grown to become a fascinating urban melting-pot of Jews, Greeks, Turks, Japanese and Koreans.

Sunday June 28th 11am.

Meet outside Golders Green tube station.

‘In the Footsteps of the Famous in High Barnet’
Many famous – and infamous! – people have lived or stayed in Barnet over the past 500 years.
Royalty, Prime Ministers, Dickens, Trollope, Thackeray, Pepys, Kingsley Amis, John Betjeman, Spike Milligan, J.M.W. Turner, Wesley, Livingstone: they’ve all had their feet under the table of Barnet’s long history.

Saturday July 11th 2.30pm.

Meet outside High Barnet tube station by the car-park.

‘East Barnet Village’
A historical walk through ancient and modern East Barnet.
Of all the Barnets, East Barnet is perhaps the least well-known and most rewarding. It boasts an ancient wood, a village green, a 900-year-old church, and the award-winning Oakhill Park. We’ll see the Ghosts’ Promenade. And we’ll hear about Arbella Stuart, supposed claimant to the English throne, who escaped captivity in East Barnet and fled, dressed as a man. History, courtiers and cross-dressers. How many villages can boast as much?

Saturday July 18th 11am.

Meet at war memorial at junction Cat Hill/Church Hill Rd EN4 8SY.

‘Regent's Park, Primrose Hill and Hampstead Heath’ *NEW WALK*
An exquisite all-day walk. Please bring a picnic.
We’ll stroll through Regent's Park, where we’ll see the famous boating-lake, Queen Mary's Gardens, London Zoo (we won't enter) etc., Primrose Hill, where we’ll climb to the top for fantastic views over London, and Hampstead Heath, including Parliament Hill for more fabulous views, the ponds, the wildlife, Kenwood etc.

Sunday September 6th 10.45am. Tuesday September 8th 10.45am. (£20)

Meet at Regent’s Park tube station. Walk finishes about 4.30pm at Archway tube station.

‘Jack the Ripper – a Commemorative Walk’
In honour of the two victims of 'the double event', September 30th 1888…
…Liz Stride and Catharine Eddowes. And unlike most tours, we'll explore all five murder sites, and in chronological order.

Wednesday September 30th 6.30pm.
Meet at Whitechapel tube station. Walk finishes near Liverpool St station.

‘Halloween Walk: Things That Go Bump in High Barnet!’
A ghostly guided walk through High Barnet, and Monken Hadley, the second most haunted village in England. Watch out, there’s some audience participation!
See the Pirate’s Grave. Hear stories of witchcraft and grisly deaths. Suitable for adults and children. Please bring a torch/phone, as we’ll be walking through a churchyard.

Thursday October 29th, Friday October 30th, Saturday October 31st, Sunday November 1st, all at 7.30pm.

Meet outside High Barnet tube station by the car-park.

‘Dickens in North London Christmas Walk’
Looking at the huge number of links with North London in Dickens’s life and work – and his remarkable Christmas books and celebrations.
Hear the many Dickens connections with Barnet, Elstree, Finchley, Highgate, Hampstead and Hendon in both his life and his work. And as Christmas approaches, we’ll hear about his astonishing Christmas and New Year celebrations, and his celebrated Christmas stories.

Saturday December 5th 11am.

Meet outside High Barnet tube station by the car-park.