Heritage monuments tell a story of the nation full of unspoken meanings about belonging. Across Lewisham there are naval monuments and statues of figures who benefited from slavery and empire, which hide in plain sight the violence and exploitation of empire and obscure the histories of British citizens from former colonies and their descendants. If you are interested in alternative histories of London, join us for a one and a half hour walking tour that invites you to read between the lines of official meanings of heritage monuments and explore the alternative histories of commemoration to be found in the borough.
This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6 - 15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org.
