Walk Hackney
Walk Hackney
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Get to know a different part of London: Hackney. Beyond London’s well-trodden tourist trails, Hackney is a vibrant, fast-changing part of north-east London with a fascinating history to hear about. Down the centuries today’s Hackney has gown from villages separated by countryside from London to inner-city suburb. Discover, on a selection of 15 history walks led and devised by Hackney resident Sean Gubbins, how Hackney provided for the needs of Londoners: producing food for its markets; offering quiet retreats for its wealthy; educating its children; looking after its mentally sick; giving refuge to political and religious dissenters; selling exotic plants from world-leading nurseries; entertaining Londoners with pleasure gardens and theatres; supplying workers for London’s growing industry and commerce, and housing the city’s expanding workforce. Each walk looks into Hackney’s past, exploring people, sites and events, bringing out what is unique to the area and linking to events which have made up our national and international history.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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ech0belly001
London, UK1 contribution
Sep 2017
I first went on one of the Walk Hackney tours to learn more about the area I lived in. Sean is a very friendly and knowledgeable tour guide who makes things fun with a quiz at the end. The walks last just over 2 hours which I feel is the right amount to get a good amount in without being overloaded with information. Once you do one of the tours you’ll no doubt be back to do the others as I did.
Written October 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for your review. I know you've been on all my walks so far. So looking forward to seeing you on my next new one, around Shacklewell, on 9 December.
Written October 10, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lesleythom
London14 contributions
Aug 2017 • Solo
Sean is a brilliant, knowledgeable London guide with particular expertise around Hackney. He really knows the different areas of Hackney in great depth and detail, but manages to put across information in a way that is easy to understand and absorb. He hands out individual maps of the area past and present, and reading lists if anyone wants to do some of their own research. Highly recommended, thank you Sean!
Written August 18, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for recommending my Hackney history walks. Hackney has a lot of different areas to explore. I like to bring to bring out what is unique to each as well as find what they have in common. See you another walk soon I hope.
Sean
Written August 20, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Akkers1
London, UK895 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
Sean, who leads the walks, has a vast knowledge of the area as well as having an engaging manner. It was a nice touch at the beginning of the walk when Sean gave out two maps, one historical and the other contemporary, so that you could see the changes to the area you were visiting (the maps are yours to keep). During the points of interest stops I also really enjoyed seeing the old photos of the area so that you could see as well as hear what Hackney used to be like. These walks would appeal to overseas visitors, as well as people like myself from the UK. I learned a lot of things about Hackney from the walk and can highly recommend going on one of them. In fact I enjoyed the walk so much that I am going to book to go on another one of them around the De Beauvoir area of Hackney in August.
Written July 20, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your recommendation and I am delighted you enjoy the walks. The maps I give out, old and contemporary, both have the routes of the walk marked out. I also hand out with every walk a list of some of the books I use to research the walks, in case people want to follow up finding out more about Hackney's history.
Written August 18, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rosalind S
London, UK17 contributions
Apr 2017 • Solo
I find the walks fascinating you find out how everybody lived in different eras in every street, also meeting the others on the walk is always enjoyable - I go again and again!
Written June 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am delighted you find these walks fascinating. One of the pleasures of leading these walks is to see people chatting along the way. It creates a very pleasant atmosphere.For each walk I try to have done some research in the censuses so I can tell people about the families who lived in some of houses we pass and who would have walked down the streets we pass through decades before us.
Sean
Written August 18, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Pamela R
London, UK5 contributions
Dec 2016 • Couples
We have now been on most of Sean's walks. We embarked on them as we are West Londoners and Hackney is a part of London we did not know well. They are ideal both for Londoners and visitors to London. They are very thoroughly researched and we have learnt so much about the areas we have covered. The walks are based on the history of the area we walk through, with special reference to the people who lived there, using census information, and also, where relevant, to the architecture, a subject in which we are particularly interested.
The walks are well-paced, lasting just over two hours with plenty of stops with information and often photographs of how the area looked in the past. Sean is always interesting and informative and presents his knowledge of Hackney in an accessible and engaging manner.
The walks are well-paced, lasting just over two hours with plenty of stops with information and often photographs of how the area looked in the past. Sean is always interesting and informative and presents his knowledge of Hackney in an accessible and engaging manner.
Written June 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your appreciation of my walks, Pamela, and thank you for trekking over from west London to come on them! I shall try to keep a flow of new walks acoming so you have reason to come to Hackney again. I very much enjoy researching the walks so am delighted that is appreciated. I keep my eyes open during my archival researches and reading the local press to add more to a walk the next time I lead it
Sean.
Written August 18, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul M
London, UK2 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
These are an absolutely unique set of walks - each one focusing on a small, local area of Hackney. allowing walker to really get to know the area.
Sean, the walk leader, was extremely informative with great knowledge of the history of the various areas that the walks take place in - he places the buildings in their historical, social context as well as highlighting significant events that helped to shape Hackney. The walks stop at points of particular interest with Sean passing around historical photographs related to the stop - this really adds to informative nature of the walks. Sean also provides each walker with a contemporary and historical map of the walk which proved very useful during the walk.
I have really enjoyed the walks that I have been on so far and thoroughly recommend them to anyone wanting to learn more about how history has shaped Hackney!
Sean, the walk leader, was extremely informative with great knowledge of the history of the various areas that the walks take place in - he places the buildings in their historical, social context as well as highlighting significant events that helped to shape Hackney. The walks stop at points of particular interest with Sean passing around historical photographs related to the stop - this really adds to informative nature of the walks. Sean also provides each walker with a contemporary and historical map of the walk which proved very useful during the walk.
I have really enjoyed the walks that I have been on so far and thoroughly recommend them to anyone wanting to learn more about how history has shaped Hackney!
Written May 7, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Paul for your appreciation. I always find it amazing how a small area can contain so much of interest to produce a 2 hour walk. But every road or building has a history to tell. I'm glad you find the photos useful. I introduced them to illustrate the place I describe which had been on the spot we are looking at or to show how a place has changed, or indeed pretty much stayed the same apart form the different type of traffic passing.
Written August 18, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ivor M
London, UK549 contributions
Feb 2017 • Solo
I have been on Sean's hackney walks since he started doing them a few years ago. They are very good. Sean is a very knowledgeable local historian and has researched thoroughly for the walks. They generally take place on a Saturday morning, last some 2-2.5 hours and if you wish to join in, end with tea and coffee. Selecting a part of Hackney, Sean's entertaining commentary will cover history with added references as appropriate to architecture but at a human level when he tells us who lived there as indicated by 19th century censuses. Recommended.
Written April 21, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Ivor for recommending these walks and for coming on all those I have devised to date! I think you have been on the two new ones I introduced so far this year. I hope you can make the Shacklewell walk I will be offering new on Saturday 9 December. Each walk on average about 60% of those attending have been on a walk of mine before so with time they, like you, work their way through the 15 walks I offer in my annual schedule.
Sean
Written August 18, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tim G
London, UK8 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
These tours are led by Sean, who has an encylopaedic knowledge of the physical, historical and sociological aspects of Hackney. His immaculately researched and well-presented walks make the area come alive, whether he is dealing with social history or architecture, be it domestic or industrial. Sean always engages with his audience, and his talks are never dry, but are leavened with well-presented nuggets of facts that can surprise or amuse as well as inform. There is plenty to learn, even for one who grew up in the area. Definitely recommended.
Two fans from Barnet
Two fans from Barnet
Written April 17, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am so glad you enjoy the different facets of this walk. It is a pleasure to share what I have learned about the different parts of Hackney. It is also a pleasure to learn from people on the walk, whether because they have a specialist knowledge of a historical aspect which I raise during the walk or they have lived in the area and they can share their memories with others on the walk.
Written August 18, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Shellypeg
London, UK2 contributions
Oct 2016 • Solo
I've been on a number of these walks. All have been brilliantly researched, full of historical detail and anecdotes to bring it all to life. I've been a Hackney resident for 23 years and who'd have known what was on my doorstep! I could hear every word of the guide, Sean, who was approachable and extremely knowlegeable. The walkers were interesting in themselves: non-UK residents, Londoners and visitors of all ages. Suitable for individuals, couples or groups. Wrap up well though (there are quite a few stops) or layer up.
Written April 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I also enjoy the range of people who come on my walks and hear them swapping experiences as we go along. I am so glad you could hear me: there are few things worse I think than a mumbling guide! However long one lives in a place it never cease to amaze me that there is always more to learn about its history and take in as you walk along: places change name or purpose; light at a different time of day reveals a plague not noticed before.
Written August 18, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ukjules59
Rotterdam, The Netherlands189 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
This was fun, however suffering with bad knees didn't help much with the long walk we did, I did enjoy finding out about the area but be warned, wear good walking shoes, and if you suffer at all with any mobile issues its not suitable to do because they walk at pace in order to get around everything.
Written October 6, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am glad you found the walk fun. I'm sorry you were suffering with your knees. Most of my walks last between two and a quarter and two and a half hours. I hope to see you on another of my walks one day soon.
Sean
Written August 18, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Walk Hackney - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Walk Hackney Information
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