The Battle for Bethnal Green

Once a semi-rural hamlet, nineteenth-century Bethnal Green became one of the most deprived areas of London, the newly-industrialised hub of the British Empire. But how did this once green area cope with the demands that urbanisation thrust upon it?

From that time to the present, many have taken up the challenge of improving life in this demanding area, in the face of ongoing social change.

From housing and health to the air that we breathe, we will visit sites which testify to the fight to ensure a decent chance for all.

Meet outside the Clerk's House, next to St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch High Street. Guide tel: 07982 132231.

The walk will take approximately 2 hours. For information on travel, please use Transport for London's Journey Planner.