Look Up London

04/09/2026

It’s one of the best festivals in London but every year tickets sell out instantly.

Thankfully there’s I’ve 400 drop-in places open from 12-20 September and I’ve don’t the legwork to bring you 20 of the best historic buildings to see for Open House 2026!

See the full list:

(That you don't need to prebook!)

01/09/2026

“Nothing Without Light”

This sundial on the south wall of St Katharine Cree dates from c.1706, the church itself was rebuilt in the early 1600s and survived the Great Fire and The Blitz.

Read all about the church’s fascinating history here: https://lookup.london/st-katharine-cree-city-churches/

29/07/2026

This week’s new blog is all about the story of Grosvenor Square, whose gardens recently reopened and are rather wonderful…

Read more here:

An elite address with an interesting backstory...

26/07/2026

The incredible remains of St Mary Spital in Spitalfields, 14th century ruins that give us a clue about the area’s fascinating history

23/07/2026

St Pancras Gardens was once a burial ground and probably had around 100,000 people buried here.

As well as the famous Hardy tree (which sadly blew down in a storm in 2023) there are many interesting figures to be found in this peaceful spot today.

From a cross-dressing spy to the mother of modern feminism, read more here:
https://lookuplondon.substack.com/p/6-fascinating-graves-in-st-pancras

22/07/2026

It’s one of the oldest structures in London but you can only see it for an hour or so each day!

Incredible to imagine the Ancient, Bronze Age site of Vauxhall and how much has changed in 3,000 years.

16/07/2026

Did you know that one of Europe’s largest biomedical laboratories hosts free exhibitions?

The Francis Crick Institute has just opened a new exhibition about Ancient DNA and I was invited along for a sneak peek.

The curators have used playful, interactive games to get the audience to unlock puzzles about DNA, just as the archaeologists and then scientists decode the DNA of ancient skeletons to make sense of their story.

As Mary Beard said in her speech, “Ancient DNA makes historians challenge their preconceptions and gives a voice to people otherwise lost to us”.

You can find out more here: https://www.crick.ac.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/we-go-way-back

15/07/2026

Between Soho and Covent Garden is a small green oasis that has survived against all odds.

This is the story of The Phoenix Garden, a community space that rose from the ashes of a Second World War bomb site but has a far longer history behind it! 👇🏼

The West End oasis that's defied all odds of survival...

13/07/2026

Found this old (probably c.2000) photograph from the top of the Monument. Fun to play spot the difference between the current(ish) view in 2025.

Most striking is probably the former City Hall (currently being deconstructed and remodelled) on the south side of the River but in a way it’s interesting how little has changed.

08/07/2026

Ahead of England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 facing Norway 🇳🇴 in the World Cup on Saturday I was invited onto radio to talk about London’s historic Norwegian connections.