I have devised a series of guided London tree walks which I’ll be leading in September and October 2024. I hope you can join me on one!
It’s a way to share my knowledge and passion, and, I hope, to show you London in a completely new way: through its trees. I have curated each walk to both show off an interesting part of the city and to highlight some remarkable trees. Some of the walks have previously featured in my books either in part or whole, while others are completely new.
Here’s what’s on offer:
Saturday 31st August
Highgate: Surprising Trees in North London
Taking in rare elms, a veteran oak and the finest strawberry tree in London, this walk is full of surprises. Starting outside Archway tube station, we scale the heights of Dartmouth Park Hill where we visit delightful Waterlow Park. From here, it’s on to Highgate Village before we walk downhill via a landmark London plane tree to Highgate tube station.
Sunday 1st September
Ealing: Urban Myths and Magnificent Trees
Have you heard the one about an elephant buried beneath an oak tree in Ealing? This fantastic story may or may not be true, but there’s certainly an old oak tree known as the Elephant Tree in W4, which we will make a beeline for.
Saturday 28th September
Hackney: The Haggerston Hop
I guarantee you’ll be amazed by the diversity of street trees to be seen in Hackney, and this tour will give you a taster of what you can encounter.
Sunday 29th September
Ada Salter and the Beautification of Bermondsey
Discover the former Borough of Bermondsey through its trees; the legacy of Ada Salter, who became the borough’s mayor in 1919, and the green socialist utopia she helped create.
Saturday 5th October
London is a Forest: Honor Oak Park to Deptford
Following the route from my book, London is a Forest, this longer walk takes in several of south east London’s fascinating green spaces and a rich sample of its remarkable trees.
Sunday 6th October
Hackney: London’s Urban Arboretum
An ambitious tree-planting programme started in Hackney in the early 2000s. In just two decades, the borough has been transformed, and now hundreds of different tree species and cultivars can be seen from E9 to N16 and everywhere in between, enhancing the diversity and vibrancy of this part of the East End. Many of the varieties we will encounter on this walk are those that you would otherwise need to visit a specialist collection like Kew Gardens to see.
For all my events, do keep an eye on my Events page where you’ll find everything listed. There may be one or two more autumn walks coming up, so that’s where they’ll be listed.