Publisher's Synopsis
As London expanded in the 19th century, it absorbed many hitherto rural villages, many of which disappeared into the urban sprawl. However many others retained their unique and individual character and appearance. The walks in this guide take in 25 such villages, each presented with a scene-setting historical and descriptive introduction, followed by a guided walk containing full directions and information on features encountered en route.;Each entry has a specially drawn map showing the route of the walk, landmarks, places of interest described in the text, places to eat and drink, and locations of public toilets. At the end of the book, listings arranged by village give opening times of churches and other buildings, and in the case of museums and historic houses, brief descriptions of contents.;Some of the villages are close to central London - Kensington and Hampstead for example - but others are several miles out and some close to the borders of the M25. The villages included are: Barnes; Bermondsey and Rotherhithe; Bexley; Blackheath; Brentford; Carshalton; Chipping Barnet and Monken Hadley; Chiswick; Dulwich; Enfield; Greenwich; Ham and Petersham; Hampstead; Harrow-on-the-Hill; Highgate; Isleworth; Kensington; Kew; Mitcham; Pinner; Walthamstow; and Wimbledon.
