London Bridge is about to shake off years of construction: More London, the Shard, and the redevelopment of London Bridge station. For a period, we can expect the dust to settle, though one glance at the New Southwark Plan suggests a wave of new development will ensue as this dynamic area continues to evolve.

During June the Museum of Walking will lead an eclectic series of walks focusing on some of the key characteristics that make up London Bridge’s past, present and future: its riverside, railway and greenery, and its unique heritage medical and leisure heritage.

The walks will invite workers, residents and visitors to build up a collective memory of the area, which we will post to our placemarks web platform so that new initiatives and developments can harness the essence of what people love about the area.

So join us in walking together, to observe the surroundings, to share stories, recall memories and think creatively about the future of the area. You will be accompanied by social historians, with specialist knowledge of the area, who will offer an explanation of the ‘why’ and the ’how’.

6.00pm-7.30pm Wednesday 13th June in the company of Paul Wood, author of the acclaimed “London Street Trees” we will explore the alleyways, gardens, pocket parks and tree-lined streets that create a green grid in the area.

Inevitably with the myriad of roads and proliferation of railway lines, the area has ‘pocket parks’ or legacy gardens and churchyards, some of which are almost invisible (obscured by railway lines, arches and buildings) or difficult to access as one needs to cross busy roads. Many of these parks and gardens had former uses or were laid out when more formal leisure was desired. It is clear that whilst construction continues, ‘meanwhile’ spaces may be available to be made into parks or gardens. The value of the recent Potters Field and the redesign of St Thomas’ Street as a boulevard will be explored on this walk.

This event is organised as part of the London Festival of Architecture (LFA).

The London Festival of Architecture has revealed four focus areas for 2018: a series of very different parts of the capital that will form the focus of a wide range of public activities when the London Festival of Architecture returns on 1-30 June 2018.

Joining the London Festival of Architecture for the first time as focus areas, London Bridge and the City of London will be key partners for the festival in 2018. In a year where the Festival will explore 'identity', the City of London will have much to offer as the oldest part of London and a district that has seen permanent architectural flux for two millennia. Just across the Thames, the presence of the City formed and shaped the London Bridge area and the festival this year will celebrate the neighbourhood's changing roles, physical transformation and cultural renaissance.

London Bridge Revealed - Green Spaces (Guided Walk)