About this Event
This walk between East Acton and White City explores how social housing developed in London in the 20th century, setting standards for the rest of the U.K.
The walk kicks off on the Old Oak Estate where the London County Council (LCC) applied garden city ideas to build charming cottages for working class people before and after World War I.
We'll then walk through the Wormholt Estate, built by Hammersmith borough council as part of Prime Minister Lloyd George's "homes for heroes" program after World War I and completed by the LCC.
We’ll then explore the 1920s and 1930s, looking at Peabody Trust's Cleverly Estate and the LCC's White City Estate, which offered new levels of comfort for tenants in high-quality self-contained flats.
We’ll move on to a 1960s system-built modernist block, whose hexagonal design is inspired by the Giants' Causeway. We'll end up in the 1970s at the Wood Lane Estate, Darbourne and Darke's small dense low-rise estate.
You’ll see an incredible range of architectural styles and layouts in less than three miles. We’ll touch on many of the dilemmas that still plague social housing in London today – the respective roles of the public and private sectors, finance, affordability, quality etc.
Event venue & nearby stays
East Acton Station, Erconwald Street, London, United Kingdom
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