{"product_id":"elephant-castle-walking-tour-saturday-22-august-2026-10-30am","title":"Elephant \u0026 Castle Walking Tour - Saturday 22 August 2026 10.30am","description":"\u003cp class=\"sqsrte-large\"\u003eJoin Open City for a walking tour exploring the fascinating architectural history of Elephant and Castle\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv title=\"Page 1\" class=\"page\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"section\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"layoutArea\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"column\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"block-de46f678e19c8ca5a991\" data-block-type=\"8\" data-block-json='{\"existingGallery\":null,\"newWindow\":false,\"methodOption\":\"transient\",\"active-alignment\":\"left\",\"aspectRatio\":null,\"auto-crop\":true,\"autoplay\":true,\"autoplay-duration\":5,\"blockAnimation\":\"none\",\"collectionId\":\"618963f288e9155cbeae2b32\",\"controls\":true,\"design\":\"slideshow\",\"meta-position\":\"bottom\",\"show-meta\":true,\"show-meta-basic\":true,\"show-meta-only-title\":false,\"show-meta-only-description\":false,\"show-meta-on-hover\":false,\"square-thumbs\":true,\"thumbnails\":false,\"vSize\":null,\"transientGalleryId\":\"618963f288e9155cbeae2b32\"}' class=\"sqs-block gallery-block sqs-block-gallery\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1636972394179_298\" class=\"sqs-block-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1636972394179_173\" class=\"sqs-gallery-container\n  sqs-gallery-block-slideshow\n  \n  \n  sqs-gallery-has-controls\n  \n\n  \n    sqs-gallery-block-show-meta sqs-gallery-block-meta-position-bottom\n    \n  \n  sqs-gallery-block-show-meta\n  \n  \n\n  \n  \n\n  \n  block-animation-none\n  clear\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html\" data-block-type=\"2\" id=\"block-1d0ab26f6e45b2117a65\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sqs-block-content\" id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1662635785193_2349\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eThis fun and engaging walking tour — led by Elephant and Castle resident and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/open-city.org.uk\/golden-key-academy\"\u003eGolden Key Academy\u003c\/a\u003e graduate Joesph Granata — explores the past, present and future of this extraordinary central London hub which was once known as the ‘Piccadilly Circus of South London’ but has at times since been controversially used as a symbol of urban decay and failed planning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eThis walking tour will explore how, despite Elephant and Castle’s central location and unparalleled cultural and architectural riches, the area became unfairly ignored and unloved in the late twentieth century. During this time, the area had a reputation for being an ugly, congested pocket of south London, built around not just one but two busy roundabouts and with a network of dank, pedestrian subways, at the heart of which lay a famously outdated, but nevertheless enigmatic, shopping centre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eThis tour will show you that this district — known affectionately as the ‘Elephant’ — is in fact a fascinating, vibrant neighbourhood with a rich history and a promising future, boasting conservation areas, numerous listed buildings, pioneering post-war architecture and striking contemporary developments, all of which surround an ambitious large-scale regeneration scheme which aims to bring the Elephant and its revitalized circus back to town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eHighlights of the tour include Metro Central Heights, the office development designed by the internationally renowned architect Ernő Goldfinger and converted to residential use in 2002, Blackfriars Circus by Maccreanor Lavington which draw influence from historic warehouses of Southwark and Clerkenwell and a new 1-hectare community park designed by Gillespies at the heart of the visionary Elephant Park development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eProviding a fun way for enthusiastic urbanists to explore the city, this tour will explore the architecture and history of this rapidly changing south London area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eYou can also pick up copies of our printed Pocket London guides to Elephant and Castle \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/shop.open-city.org.uk\/collections\/printed-tours\/products\/individual-pocket-london?variant=44455420854495\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey information\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeet:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003ein front of The Clarence Centre, 6 St. George's Circus SE1 6FE (2nd stop on this tour is Blackfriars Circus (small public plaza) 142 Blackfriars Road)\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnd:\u003c\/strong\u003e Castle Square, 40 Elephant Rd SE17 1AY\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDistance:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3.5km (2.2 miles)\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDuration:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.5 hrs approx\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhoto:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePhoto:\u003c\/strong\u003eElephant and Castle, London by \u003ca class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/laszlo-photo\/132990022\/in\/photostream\/\"\u003elaszlo-photo\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/laszlo-photo\/132990022\/in\/photostream\/\"\u003e \/ Sue Walla\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/\"\u003ece\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/\"\u003e, licensed \u003c\/a\u003eunder \u003ca class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\"\u003eCC BY 2.0\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\"\u003e. Origina\u003c\/a\u003elly uploaded 18 December 2007.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"OpenCityShop","offers":[{"title":"Pay it forward ticket","offer_id":56998195888506,"sku":"TOURS","price":29.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Standard ticket","offer_id":56998195921274,"sku":"TOURS","price":19.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Over 65s ticket","offer_id":56998195954042,"sku":"TOURS","price":13.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Under 25s ticket","offer_id":56998195986810,"sku":"TOURS","price":9.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Income support\/jobseekers ticket","offer_id":56998196019578,"sku":"TOURS","price":9.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1068\/1786\/files\/Elephant___Castle__London__England.jpg?v=1774007562","url":"https:\/\/shop.open-city.org.uk\/products\/elephant-castle-walking-tour-saturday-22-august-2026-10-30am","provider":"Open City Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}