The ianVisits guide to September's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Sunday 1st September
Set over nearly 2 acres, they offer space for quiet contemplation, family fun and make a great backdrop for events.
10:30am to 4:30pm
Clapham
The display will feature: now and then photos; stories and memories from twenty people about working and living by the canal.
11am to 5pm
Islington
A monthly opening of the Victorian museum of industrial testing equipment.
11am to 5pm
Southwark
Occasional open day at the heritage windmill in Croydon.
12pm to 5pm
Croydon
Around 100 stalls in this annual local community fete.
12pm to 7pm
Palmers Green
Tours of best plots. Fresh allotment produce, chutneys, jams, honey, cakes & light refreshments for sale.
1pm to 4:30pm
New Southgate
Monthly(ish) open days at 250 acres of the estate originally laid out by Capability Brown.
1pm to 5pm
Reigate
This 100m-long unique and award winning garden is home to the Corokia National Collection along with a great number of other unusual exotic plants
1:30pm to 6pm
Muswell Hill
Eleanor Gordon-Smith tells six lucid, gripping stories that show the limits of human reason. She discusses some of these stories with Little Atoms podcaster Neil Denny.
3pm to 4:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Sunday 1st September
Monday 2nd September
An evening in conversation with Chuka Umunna MP, hosted by Lib Dem candidate for London Mayor, Siobhan Benita.
6:30pm to 8pm
Twickenham
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous polymaths ever to live. But did the polymath mind die with the end of the Renaissance?
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
The author of a books on the architecture of Lambeth, Edmund Bird, presents a talk showing the diversity of architecture seen in underground stations.
Starts at 8pm
Streatham
More London events on Monday 2nd September
Tuesday 3rd September
Free
The Cromwell Association holds an annual service of commemoration by the statue that stands by the Palace of Westminster.
Starts at 3pm
Whitehall
Explore the legacy and impact of the New Towns movement through archive films, including rare footage of Stevenage, Milton Keynes and Peterborough.
Starts at 6:30pm
Barbican
Who should be responsible for the care of historic churches? A lively debate in the lecture theatre at the Victoria and Albert Museum with a welcome from Dr Tristram Hunt
6:30pm to 9pm
South Kensington
Ilona Karwińska and David Hill will show their fabulous images from Poland’s ‘era of neon propaganda’ and tell the story of Europe’s first neon museum.
7pm to 9pm
City of London
Why Christianity is the most enduring and influential legacy of the ancient world.
7pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
Discover the history and landscape of the source of the Lindisfarne Gospels
7:15pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Tuesday 3rd September
Wednesday 4th September
Up to six young watermen will row under 11 bridges on the 4 mile 7 furlong course in the oldest river race in the UK.
Starts at 2pm
£5.00
Join historian William Buckingham for this talk marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem.
Starts at 6pm
Chelsea
More London events on Wednesday 4th September
Thursday 5th September
Monthly late night opening at the modernist HQ of the ancient Royal College Of Physicians.
5:30pm to 8pm
Camden
Learn more about the prison with the author of the newly published The House on the Hill.
Starts at 7pm
Brixton
£12.00
This event goes behind the scenes of the Marvellous Moons exhibiton and explores the 'Creativity and Curiosity' sci-art project.
7:30pm to 9pm
Greenwich
Bridget Kendall explores the Cold War through the eyes of those who experienced it first-hand.
7:30pm to 9pm
Richmond
The boat tours offer the opportunity to sail underneath the bridges and view the beautiful latticework of these architectural structures artistically lit for the first time.
9:15pm to 10pm
Southwark
More London events on Thursday 5th September
Friday 6th September
Free
The London Art Book Fair is an annual event which celebrates the best of international contemporary art publishing.
11am to 6pm
Whitechapel
Samantha Philo-Gill examines the formation of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1917 and the experience of those who served in France.
Starts at 11:30am
Chelsea
With over 40 vintage sailing and motor boats to view and explore, the Festival lets visitors chat to the boat owners and even climb on board the vessels.
12pm to 6pm
Wapping
The Archbishop's garden is open for a few hours each month between April and September.
12pm to 3pm
Southwark
Principal Medieval Records Specialist Dr Paul Dryburgh will introduce seals, sealing practices and how sealing changed over time, with an accompanying document display highlighting some of the finest examples in our collection.
2pm to 3:30pm
Richmond
£7.50
A late night event focussing on our only flying mammal – the bat.
7:30pm to 9:30pm
Forest Hill
More London events on Friday 6th September
Saturday 7th September
There will be apple pressing (and tasting) and garden goodies to take home.
10am to 5pm
Camden
Lambeth’s local history fair is a treat for
anyone interested in the history of the area.
10:15am to 4:15pm
Brixton
A delightful old barn now packed full of "clutter" that's oddly enjoyable to visit.
10:30am to 4pm
Upminster
With over 40 vintage sailing and motor boats to view and explore, the Festival lets visitors chat to the boat owners and even climb on board the vessels.
11am to 6pm
Wapping
Free
The London Art Book Fair is an annual event which celebrates the best of international contemporary art publishing.
11am to 6pm
Whitechapel
Monthly open day at one of London's more curious and delightful museums, devoted to the history of the sewing machine.
2pm to 5pm
Tooting
More London events on Saturday 7th September
Sunday 8th September
A range of vintage buses will be running routes around Epping and Ongar.
All Day
See a wide-range of fabulous cars, some dating back to the 1920’s and the Annual Rally of the North London, Middlesex Morris Minors Club.
10am to 5pm
Enfield
Over 60 stalls, animal shows and the horses will be back for this annual festival.
10:30am to 5pm
Wimbledon
An annual summer event featuring around 170 stands and over 10,000 teddy bears for sale.
10:30am to 4pm
Kensington
With over 40 vintage sailing and motor boats to view and explore, the Festival lets visitors chat to the boat owners and even climb on board the vessels.
11am to 5pm
Wapping
Free
The London Art Book Fair is an annual event which celebrates the best of international contemporary art publishing.
11am to 4pm
Whitechapel
The Royal Naval Volunteer Band Association will lead the parade of Merchant Navy Standards and Standards of other Associations.
Starts at 12:30pm
Tower Hill
More London events on Sunday 8th September
Monday 9th September
£15.00
Join Dan Jones, author of the Sunday Times bestseller The Templars as he tells the three-hundred-year story of the Crusades – the sequence of religious wars fought across the high medieval period.
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
Told through contemporary chronicles, stories and poems, Selina O’Grady explores the intertwined histories of the Muslim, Christian and Jewish persecutors and persecuted.
7:30pm to 9:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Monday 9th September
Tuesday 10th September
Join Totally Thames Director Adrian Evans in this talk exploring the stories of the river in London.
6:30pm to 9:15pm
Poplar
Who were these brave young brides, and why did they agree to travel to a wild and dangerous land, where most European settlers died within their first few years?
Starts at 7pm
Barking
£16.00
Find out how will we get around in the world of the future in this event supported by the Faraday Institution.
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
Jonathan Summers, Curator of Classical Music at the British Library Sound Archive, explores some of the earliest recordings of Gilbert and Sullivan’s work.
7:15pm to 8:30pm
Camden
On the eve of the highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, an exclusive live cinema broadcast of Margaret Atwood in conversation.
Starts at 7:30pm
Barbican
The boat tours offer the opportunity to sail underneath the bridges and view the beautiful latticework of these architectural structures artistically lit for the first time.
9:15pm to 10pm
Southwark
More London events on Tuesday 10th September
Wednesday 11th September
Known for its appearance in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and Aphex Twin’s ‘Come to Daddy’ video, Thamesmead is one of London’s most iconic post-war estates. This talk explores its history and lasting significance today.
6:30pm to 8pm
Kensington
A talk about the lost mansions of Red Post Hill and their occupants.
Starts at 7:45pm
Herne Hill
More London events on Wednesday 11th September
Thursday 12th September
Join historian Roger Moorhouse as he discusses the German invasion of Poland, which started the Second World War.
Starts at 6pm
Chelsea
This opening event will showcase Conway Hall Library's National Lottery Heritage Funded project to digitise its collection of over 1300 nineteenth-century pamphlets and make them freely available online
6:30pm to 9pm
Holborn
7pm to 9:30pm
Camden
Take a frank look at our current political climate with journalist, economist and rising voice of the political left Grace Blakeley as she discusses her searing new book Stolen: How to Save the World from Financialisation.
7pm to 8pm
Soho
The boat tours offer the opportunity to sail underneath the bridges and view the beautiful latticework of these architectural structures artistically lit for the first time.
9pm to 9:45pm
Southwark
More London events on Thursday 12th September
Friday 13th September
Tom Holland discusses his new book; an account of Christianity as the most enduring and influential legacy of the ancient world, informing how we came to be what we are, and how we think the way we do.
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
Join Henry Hemming to discover how the British used fake news to manipulate American public opinion and bring the US into the Second World War.
Starts at 11:30am
Chelsea
Exhibition curator Mark Dunton delves into Security Service files in our collection to uncover how the authorities managed to unmask Fuchs and secure his confession, and reveals a fascinating local connection with Kew.
2pm to 3:30pm
Richmond
An evening of futurism to explore the history and politics of the Middle East
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
£14.00
Hosted in the former engineering depot of Mail Rail, a one-off performance that combines music, theatre and museum charts the role of letters in creating the classical soundscape of the 20th century.
7:30pm to 8:45pm
Farringdon
One of the most highly regarded architects of his generation, Sir David Chipperfield joins us to discuss his practice.
Starts at 8pm
Barbican
More London events on Friday 13th September
Saturday 14th September
Monthly opening of the only surviving windmill in inner London.
10am to 4pm
Brixton
Visit the Hawksmoor church and get a chance to visit the galleries which are not always open to the public.
11am to 3:30pm
Greenwich
Free
Some three hundred and thirty crews will start The Great River Race from Docklands to Ham, to find the UK Traditional Boat Champions.
Starts at 11am
Bermondsey Street Festival is an annual celebration of music, dance, arts, cuisine and creativity
11am to 6pm
Southwark
Bellringers will be available to give tours and demonstrations of the bell room in the church tower
11am to 1pm
Lewisham
£12.00
A special close-up look at the Transport Museum’s poster collection and some of the artworks behind the posters.
Starts at 11am
Acton
Complete with a musical finale with a song that was once heard in many music halls up and down the land, join Sheldon from the Cemetery Club to discover a real gem of London's heritage and personally meet some long-gone Londoners.
1:30pm to 3pm
Barnes
Author Lee Jackson guides us through the underbelly of the Victorian metropolis, sharing tales of how past Londoners struggled to stem a rising tide of pollution and dirt.
2pm to 3pm
Poplar
As part of the Battle of Britain commemorative day at Bentley Priory, there is expected to be a flypast by a Spitfire.
2:30pm to 2:30pm
Stanmore
More London events on Saturday 14th September
Sunday 15th September
Monthly opening of the only surviving windmill in inner London.
10am to 4pm
Brixton
Get up close to the concrete dinosaurs on the off-limits island.
11am to 4:30pm
Anerley
Meet the Shire Horses that work across the Royal Parks and enjoy live music and refreshments. Kids and adults alike will be able to roll their sleeves up and take part in the big dig of the potato crop and get involved in some seed sowing and other fun activities, such as bug hunts.
Starts at 11am
Paddington
A note that there will be a military flypast over Central London, centering on Westminster Abbey.
11:55am to 12:55pm
Pimlico
More London events on Sunday 15th September
Monday 16th September
This talk will explore how English readers in the 16th and 17th centuries interacted with books on church history.
Starts at 6pm
Southwark
Speakers will present updates on the air quality challenge in London, and address how engineers can tackle some of the key challenges associated with pollution in the capital.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Pimlico
A discussion of ocean currents, some of the more unusual objects found in the sea and why these items wash up where they do
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
Iain will be sharing smelly riverside histories, sights and scents and submerged Thames memories.
7:12pm to 9:12pm
Southwark
In the summer of 2008 Kimberley Motley quit her job as a public defender in Milwaukee to join a program that helped train lawyers in war-torn Afghanistan.
7:30pm to 9pm
Holborn
Writer and archivist Jon Newman uncovers the history and course of what is arguably the least-understood of London’s underground rivers, the Heathwall.
Starts at 8pm
Clapham
More London events on Monday 16th September
Tuesday 17th September
In these short talks and panel discussion, Dr. Claire Jones and Dr. Sasha Scambler will discuss the pervasive fear that people have of the dentist.
7pm to 9:30pm
Southwark
£7.70
People who work in museums on stage talking about their discoveries, and horrors.
7:30pm to 9:45pm
Harley Street
More London events on Tuesday 17th September
Wednesday 18th September
Medieval and historic graffiti can be found in churches, cathedrals, and other buildings all over the country, but did you know there are examples in Southwark Cathedral?
6:30pm to 8pm
Southwark
An intimate reckoning with the catastrophic failure of one of the world’s most powerful companies.
6:45pm to 8:30pm
St James
More London events on Wednesday 18th September
Thursday 19th September
A talk about the ongoing works at Amarna, the ‘House of the Aten’ the centre of Akhenaten's cult of the sun
Starts at 12am
Russell Square
Learn about how an old church school has been transformed into a Buddhist temple.
10am to 5pm
Fitzrovia
£13.38
Lovingly manicured, they offer an oasis of peace from the outside world, but beneath these paved churchyards - or paveyards - are the noisy stories and bones of Londoners past.
6:15pm to 8pm
Barbican
Paul Griffiths will be with us this evening to talk about the Transatlantic air race and the restoration of his Harrier XV741
7:30pm to 9pm
Weybridge
More London events on Thursday 19th September
Friday 20th September
Senior pupils from Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, led by the School’s famous Band will parade through the City.
Starts at 12am
Visit three beautiful courtrooms and explore the building's extensive artwork collection.
9:30am to 4:30pm
Pimlico
Dr David Kenyon uses the example of the D-Day operation to discuss the code-breaking site and the legacy of its intelligence triumphs.
Starts at 11:30am
Chelsea
A dramatically-lit Late casting light on the stories behind the Soane.
6pm to 1am
Holborn
With Steve Levine in conversation with David Quantick
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Friday 20th September
Saturday 21st September
Free
A great big annual weekend where hundreds of buildings across Greater London open their doors for free.
All Day
Monthly opening of the only surviving windmill in inner London.
10am to 4pm
Brixton
Learn about how an old church school has been transformed into a Buddhist temple.
10am to 5pm
Fitzrovia
£6.00
Come along for honey sales, candle rolling and the opportunity to see an observation hive with the bees!
10am to 5:30pm
Enfield
Head down to the river to toast the end of the summer and enjoy fun for all the family with lots of games and activities for children of all ages.
11am to 9pm
Erith
£26.79
Join Sheldon of Cemetery Club an enthusastic and knowleadable storyteller for a tour to celebrate the lives of the quarter of a million people buried here.
11am to 1pm
Bow
Waterloo Classics is a monthly classic car show/meet in central London.
12pm to 4pm
Southwark
This is an artist trail open to the public as visitors will be able to explore studios in action and also purchase art pieces hot off the easel, computer or photographic lens.
1pm to 2pm
The oldest surviving German church in the country, with an impressive Georgian interior and fascinating social history, particularly in the 1930's.
8pm to 9pm
Whitechapel
More London events on Saturday 21st September
Sunday 22nd September
Free
A great big annual weekend where hundreds of buildings across Greater London open their doors for free.
All Day
Monthly opening of the only surviving windmill in inner London.
10am to 4pm
Brixton
Learn about how an old church school has been transformed into a Buddhist temple.
10am to 5pm
Fitzrovia
Rare chance to go inside the only remaining free-standing chantry chapel in England.
10am to 2pm
Norbiton
£16.00
Lots of aircraft on display, revving their engines, and some flying in for a visit.
10am to 5pm
Weybridge
£6.00
Come along for honey sales, candle rolling and the opportunity to see an observation hive with the bees!
10am to 5:30pm
Enfield
A bustling mixture of over 100 antique, vintage and craft stalls, along with artisan food, music and entertainment
11am to 5pm
St John's Wood
Semi-regular days where they fire up a Victorian steam engine.
12:30pm to 4:30pm
South Tottenham
This is an artist trail open to the public as visitors will be able to explore studios in action and also purchase art pieces hot off the easel, computer or photographic lens.
1pm to 2pm
Join Richard Dawkins as he helps us rethink the big questions, and challenges us all, young and old, to understand how our world came into being.
Starts at 7:30pm
Southwark
The oldest surviving German church in the country, with an impressive Georgian interior and fascinating social history, particularly in the 1930's.
8pm to 9pm
Whitechapel
More London events on Sunday 22nd September
Monday 23rd September
What do you need to know about getting old and having sex? An honest and open discussion about sex and ageing.
6pm to 8pm
Harley Street
£12.00
With David Hare and Ben Okri. Chaired by Samira Ahmed.
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Monday 23rd September
Tuesday 24th September
Discover some of the most exciting artists of the 1920s avant-garde
7:15pm to 8:30pm
Camden
More London events on Tuesday 24th September
Wednesday 25th September
This lecture will survey this ‘black legend’ and ask what made it so enduring – and why some parts of the story, such as the Inquisition’s genocidal campaign against Spanish Jews, received so much less attention than others.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
In a top-secret takeover featuring talks, activities and workshops, the Science Museum will reveal the stories that have underpinned secret communications over the course of a century and explore the future of intelligence in the digital age.
6:45pm to 10pm
South Kensington
Free
Hear stories of some of his most fascinating finds, evoking a forgotten London that can be rediscovered through those fragments of history lost and found along the Thames.
7pm to 8pm
Southwark
The Science Museum has joined forces with CompBioMed to assemble a panel of experts to explore the future of this incredible technology.
7:30pm to 8:30pm
South Kensington
More London events on Wednesday 25th September
Thursday 26th September
Professor Eddie will be reviewing the past, present and future of tunnelling and underground space technology with a particular emphasis on railway applications.
6pm to 8pm
Pimlico
Join Grace van Mourik, Library and Digital Archives Manager, to hear about these activists and many more in a tour of the women’s and feminist history collections.
Starts at 6:30pm
City of London
Mudlarks Nick Stevens and Jason Sandy have discovered and recovered many historically significant artefacts which have been featured in books, magazines, newspapers and on television.
7pm to 8pm
Southwark
The UK has no official censorship – but does that fact make us too complacent?
7pm to 8:30pm
Camden
Author Hallie Rubenhold will discuss her fascinating new research, alongside a display of original documents which reflect womens’ lives, the context of their murders and late 19th-century Whitechapel.
7:30pm to 9pm
Richmond
More London events on Thursday 26th September
Friday 27th September
£16.00
A special event to mark the closure of the Epping to Ongar line by London Underground 25 years ago, on 30 September 1994.
All Day
Free
Join David Callaghan as he charts the history of the Victoria Cross.
Starts at 11:30am
Chelsea
A weekend of fermented fruitiness as Canopy Market celebrates all things cider
12pm to 8pm
Kings Cross
Join over 150 scientists and explore networks in nature, sustainable solutions to today's environmental issues, how digital technologies give us access to the latest research and how delving into the past is key to protecting the future of our planet.
6pm to 9:30pm
South Kensington
Join Lara Maiklem and her mudlarking friends for an evening of Thames tales and time travel, as they share with you their adventures and foreshore finds.
6:30pm to 8pm
Southwark
Tom Scott will explore how to deal with a world where view counts are often more important than truth.
7:20pm to 8:45pm
Hanover Square
More London events on Friday 27th September
Saturday 28th September
£16.00
A special event to mark the closure of the Epping to Ongar line by London Underground 25 years ago, on 30 September 1994.
All Day
£17.00
This is your chance to discover the latest board games, card games, roleplaying games, miniatures, wargames, and much more.
10am to 6pm
Wood Green
Visit the c.1397 Grade 2 listed ‘threshing’ barn, over 100ft x 40ft in size, with a fine crownpost roof.
10:45am to 1pm
Rickmansworth
A weekend of fermented fruitiness as Canopy Market celebrates all things cider
11am to 6pm
Kings Cross
Monthly open day at a wood and nature reserve that's next to the railway at Forest Hill.
1pm to 4pm
Forest Hill
See the Lord Mayor and various livery companies on the Thames, headed by the Queen’s Row Barge ‘Gloriana’.
1:30pm to 4pm
Wapping
More London events on Saturday 28th September
Sunday 29th September
Free
Expect hundreds of canoeists, paddle boarders and rowers to fill the Thames today.
All Day
The Thames Barrier is closed for a full test once per year for a full day -- and a convenient day to visit.
All Day
Woolwich
£16.00
A special event to mark the closure of the Epping to Ongar line by London Underground 25 years ago, on 30 September 1994.
All Day
£24.00
Three special screenings of James Bond movies and talks in one day
All Day
Southwark
Today, Freemen of the City of London will exercise their ancient right to drive sheep across London Bridge.
10am to 5pm
Southwark
£17.00
This is your chance to discover the latest board games, card games, roleplaying games, miniatures, wargames, and much more.
10am to 5pm
Wood Green
A monthly open day at a quirky transport museum housed in an old water pumping building.
10am to 4pm
Enfield Town
A weekend of fermented fruitiness as Canopy Market celebrates all things cider
11am to 6pm
Kings Cross
An annual Pearly Kings and Queens harvest festival held in the Guildhall yard.
Starts at 12:30pm
City of London
Monthly open day at a site of an important railway wildlife reserve.
1pm to 5pm
Forest Hill
Discover the history of the building and climb the 135 stairs for the best view of Hackney.
2pm to 4:30pm
Hackney
More London events on Sunday 29th September
Monday 30th September
Dr Simon Elliott will explain how this industry came to be, how the quarries were operated, how the stone was transported, and what became of the industry.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
Professor Vicky Pope will discuss the challenges of climate modelling and reduction of emissions; Dr Damien Short will talk about why we need to legislate against Ecocide; and Professor Geoffrey Beattie will discuss the psychology that stops us from taking action.
5:30pm to 7pm
Barbican
