About this Event
A guided walking tour through some of central London’s most symbolically charged public spaces - Hyde Park, Memorial Junction, St. James’s Park and Waterloo Place.
Through the monuments, statues, and memorials that populate these areas, this walk explores how the British Empire went to war and how it chose to remember those who served, resisted, or were lost.
The tour considers war not just as an event, but as an enduring feature of imperial rule. From conquest and colonisation to global conflict and eventual decolonisation, the British Empire was shaped and sustained by warfare. Participants will uncover how soldiers, labourers, and resources from across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific were mobilised to serve the Empire, particularly during the two World Wars. Though many of these men and women made immense sacrifices, their contributions have often been marginalised or forgotten, sometimes even in the very memorials that were erected in their name.
We will explore how public monuments honour imperial unity and sacrifice, while often concealing the costs of war and the uneven power structures within the Empire. We will also examine who funded these memorials, who is represented, and what stories are left untold. This tour raises questions about memory, national identity, and the politics of commemoration. Alongside the official narrative of noble sacrifice, we will also reflect on the wars of conquest that built the empire, and the rebellions that challenged it.
As we move from site to site, you will be invited to consider how historical memory is constructed and how monuments shape our understanding of empire today. You will leave with a deeper awareness of how London’s grand memorials speak volumes - not only about what happened, but also about how the Empire wanted to be remembered.
Key Themes of the Walk
- Memorials and memory - who do we remember and who do we forget?
- First War of the Empires - a cousin’s war.
- Second War of the Empires - fight for freedom from within and without.
As Seen In
This walk has been part of the Inside Out Festival supported by Westminster City Council.
Free Tours and Tipping
This tour is free to attend as part of History Speak CIC’s commitment to make diverse stories of our heritage accessible to everyone. If you enjoyed the tour and felt you learnt something new, you’re welcome to leave a tip at the end. Your support helps keep these walks open and available.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Cavalry Memorial, Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
