The ianVisits guide to September's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Thursday 1st September
Free
City Guide Jill Finch’s illustrated talk takes us through those momentous days in September 1666 when the Great Fire of London destroyed not just the City but a way of life.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
A monthly late opening of the restored Roman temple found near Bank in the City of London in the 1950s, and recently restored to its original subterranean location.
5pm to 8pm
City of London
On the first Thursday of the month, Holborn's Novelty Automation has a bar in the store for their late-night opening.
6pm to 9pm
Holborn
More London events on Thursday 1st September
Friday 2nd September
London is a city forged on history, yet how can we be utilising this to support equitable and inclusive regeneration and economic growth?
8am to 9:30am
Clerkenwell
Over four days, there will be a range of events taking place at King's Cross station to mark 25 years since the Hogwarts Express departed from Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
10am to 5pm
Kings Cross
Join Dr Ismini Pells as she evaluates the evidence of trauma in the British Civil Wars and considers what this can tell us about the psychological impact of conflict today.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
Occasional open day at the private gardens in Lambeth Palace, home to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
12pm to 3pm
Southwark
More London events on Friday 2nd September
Saturday 3rd September
London's only dedicated sea kayaking club CKC are running some taster sessions for newcomers to get a taste for kayaking on the River Thames
All Day
Chiswick
Monthly behind the scenes tours of the local theatre.
10am to 12pm
Hampton
Step into the historic Watermen’s Hall and discover the world of the famous Thames Watermen & Lightermen through the artefacts recovered by mudlarks.
10am to 5pm
City of London
Over four days, there will be a range of events taking place at King's Cross station to mark 25 years since the Hogwarts Express departed from Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
10am to 5pm
Kings Cross
An eclectic display of domestic items from the last century as well as agricultural machinery inside an old barn.
10:30am to 4pm
Upminster
Village fete style event held in Peckham Rye.
12pm to 5pm
East Dulwich
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
A note that a tall sailing ship, the SV Tenacious is arriving in London for a few days, and will pass through Tower Bridge on arrival.
5:20pm to 6:10pm
Southwark
More London events on Saturday 3rd September
Sunday 4th September
Step into the historic Watermen’s Hall and discover the world of the famous Thames Watermen & Lightermen through the artefacts recovered by mudlarks.
10am to 5pm
City of London
Over four days, there will be a range of events taking place at King's Cross station to mark 25 years since the Hogwarts Express departed from Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
10am to 5pm
Kings Cross
Better than half price entry to the Painted Hall on the first Sunday of the month.
10am to 5pm
Greenwich
Monthly open day at the museum to London's first international airport - in Croydon.
10am to 4pm
Croydon
Free
As well as the foreshore walk, there will be craft activities, object handling and family trails.
11am to 3pm
Fulham
An inspiring exotic jungle of lush big leafed plants and Southeast Asian influences.
11am to 4:30pm
Camberwell
Free
Watch three large wooden chariots taken from Hyde Park Corner to Trafalgar Square followed by a cultural and religious festival.
Starts at 12pm
Occasional open day of the windmill, which ceased working in about 1890, but most of the original machinery, including its two pairs of millstones, is still in place, and has recently been restored.
12pm to 5pm
Croydon
Free
Local village fete style event held in Northfields, West London.
12pm to 6pm
Ealing
Online events / webinars
Leigh Bowery soon established himself at the centre of London’s nightclub scene and has remained a cultish, iconic figure
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Sunday 4th September
Monday 5th September
Uncover the world of plasma physics, and discover the possibilities it gives to our understanding of the past and the future.
Starts at 7pm
Hanover Square
Online events / webinars
This will be an evening of captivating tales about the main characters of Asgard and the creatures that existed alongside them
7:30pm to 9pm
More London events on Monday 5th September
Tuesday 6th September
Two talks on haunted moments and macabre encounters
7:30pm to 10:30pm
Southwark
More London events on Tuesday 6th September
Wednesday 7th September
A beginner’s guide to the solar system.
6:30pm to 8pm
Soho
Online events / webinars
Laws of the Leaves: what can the criminalisation of marijuana & patenting of ayahuasca vine tell us about legal controversies and taxonomy?
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Professor David Wright explains the history of Downs syndrome, within healthcare and beyond.
6pm to 7pm
Join authors Siobhan Clarke and Linda Collins in conversation about their new book Gloriana: Elizabeth I and the Art of Queenship, wherein they paint a portrait of the Tudor monarch as she has never been seen before.
7:30pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 7th September
Thursday 8th September
An evening bat walk on Hampstead Heath to find out all about these fascinating creatures and their habitats.
7pm to 9pm
Kentish Town
A Chiswick resident for 40 years, Dame Eileen Atkins will be in conversation with Torin Douglas, Director of Chiswick Book Festival, about her memoir ‘Will She Do? Act One of a Life on Stage’.
Starts at 7pm
Chiswick
Free
This talk will look at the folkloric roots of the modern vampire and tell the tale of one of the most feared yet popular of the undead.
Starts at 8pm
Walworth
Online events / webinars
Museum Director, Matthew Morgan, examines the evidence, and places the destruction of Turner’s erotic works, whether real or imagined, in its context.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
An illustrated Zoom talk on this particular form of magical house protection, with Brian Hoggard.
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Thursday 8th September
Friday 9th September
Around 40 vintage vessels will assemble in St Katharine Docks, and some will be open to the public to go on board.
3pm to 5:30pm
Wapping
A talk exploring how London’s Theatreland became the scene for criminal justice reform in the 18th Century.
5:30pm to 6:30pm
Covent Garden
£15.00
Come to this special Friday Late celebrating the opening of the Capital’s new high-speed railway, the Elizabeth line.
6:45pm to 10pm
Covent Garden
More London events on Friday 9th September
Saturday 10th September
The Santander cycle hire scheme will be closed all weekend.
All Day
Free
A chance to go inside Temple Bar next to St Paul's Cathedral.
10am to 4pm
City of London
Church open, exhibitions, graveyard talk and tour and bell tower ringing room open.
10am to 4pm
Mitcham
Around 40 vintage vessels will assemble in St Katharine Docks, and some will be open to the public to go on board.
11am to 6pm
Wapping
Go behind the closed doors of Littleton Pumping Station to marvel at this historic Thames Water site.
11am to 4pm
Staines
An open weekend to see inside "the most significant church built after WWII in Britain"
11am to 5pm
Bow
Temple Lodge is an oasis in the heart of London. Perennials and grasses with long seasons of interest provide changing colour, movement and structure throughout the yr.
11am to 5pm
Hammersmith
Free
The Great River Race is London's River Marathon. A spectacular boat race up the River Thames, it attracts over 330 crews from all over the globe.
11:15am to 4:15pm
All the fun of the classic funfair, with vintage fairground rides dating from the 1890s to the 1960s.
12pm to 10:30pm
Rickmansworth
Learn about the project to restore Canons House and surrounding open spaces.
12pm to 4pm
Mitcham
Visit the 52 acres of Nunhead's Victorian Cemetery - access the chapel and crypt (normally closed) by taking one of the free conducted visits.
1pm to 5pm
Peckham
See the archaeological excavations and Tudor foundations at Scadbury Moated Manor – which still has its moat around it.
2pm to 5pm
Chislehurst
More London events on Saturday 10th September
Sunday 11th September
The Santander cycle hire scheme will be closed all weekend.
All Day
Free
A chance to go inside Temple Bar next to St Paul's Cathedral.
10am to 4pm
City of London
£19.95
Every conceivable vehicle and pieces of apparatus used in the emergency services will grace the Museum site.
10am to 5pm
Weybridge
Annual village fete style event taking place between Putney and Wimbledon.
10:30am to 5:30pm
Wimbledon
Around 40 vintage vessels will assemble in St Katharine Docks, and some will be open to the public to go on board.
11am to 5pm
Wapping
Free
A day dedicated to the colourful, versatile and deliciously painful chilli plant.
11am to 3pm
All the fun of the classic funfair, with vintage fairground rides dating from the 1890s to the 1960s.
12pm to 8pm
Rickmansworth
Chance to step inside Coombe Conduit, part of a Tudor drinking water supply system for Hampton Court Palace.
12pm to 4pm
Norbiton
An open weekend to see inside "the most significant church built after WWII in Britain"
12pm to 5pm
Bow
Visit the 52 acres of Nunhead's Victorian Cemetery - access the chapel and crypt (normally closed) by taking one of the free conducted visits.
1pm to 5pm
Peckham
See the archaeological excavations and Tudor foundations at Scadbury Moated Manor – which still has its moat around it.
2pm to 5pm
Chislehurst
More London events on Sunday 11th September
Monday 12th September
Part personal memoir, part lyrical meditation, London Clay takes us deep in to the nooks and crannies of a forgotten city.
7pm to 8pm
Southwark
Online events / webinars
First, my talk will provide a brief overview of Lilith’s presence within folklore, art, and literature from antiquity to the present
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Monday 12th September
Tuesday 13th September
Online events / webinars
This illustrated talk by City Guide Pete Smith follows the story of a Thames-side fishing village that launched a thousand ships.
2pm to 3pm
More London events on Tuesday 13th September
Wednesday 14th September
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Wednesday 14th September
Thursday 15th September
Usually only accessible on a guided tour, you will be able to spend 30 minutes exploring the beautifully refurbished room.
10:30am to 4:15pm
Clerkenwell
Meet members of the Conservation team to have a tour of the LMA conservation studios and find out about the essential work which preserves our records for future generations.
2pm to 3pm
Clerkenwell
A talk about the early days of the mobile phone revolution in the UK by the man who launched Cellnet in 1985 (now O2).
Starts at 2:30pm
City of London
A late opening of the Bank of England museum with a range of talks and events focused on banknotes.
5pm to 8pm
City of London
Join author and broadcaster Catherine Pepinster for an explorative talk on the British monarchy and religion
6:30pm to 8pm
Southwark
Online events / webinars
Folklorist Mark Norman takes us through the real world folklore, urban myth and legend that populates the cartoon universe of Scooby-Doo.
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Thursday 15th September
Friday 16th September
Come visit this perhaps lesser known London ‘curiosity’ – the Roman Baths which aren’t.
11am to 3pm
Strand
Join David Wells as he reflects on the impact of the British Army’s engagements in the Caribbean during the 18th century.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
More London events on Friday 16th September
Saturday 17th September
Go behind the closed doors of the King George V pumping stations, one of Thames Water's historic sites.
10am to 4pm
Ponders End
Bellringers will be available to give tours and demonstrations of the bell room in the church tower.
10:30am to 4pm
Lewisham
Come and see the 17th Century Grade II Listed building and garden.
11am to 3pm
Norbiton
Go behind the closed doors of Walton Water Treatment Works to marvel at the historic Thames Water pumping station.
11am to 4pm
Walton on Thames
The Anarchist Bookfair provides a unique hub of activity for the alternative and radical political community.
12pm to 5pm
City of London
All the fun of the classic funfair, with vintage fairground rides dating from the 1890s to the 1960s.
12pm to 10:30pm
Rickmansworth
Come and visit this green oasis in an urban setting it is a one of the many local green lungs in Forest Hill where you can find some interesting wildlife.
2pm to 5pm
Forest Hill
A conversation with author Ken Kwenu Nimo, followed by a Q&A section as well as a screening of 'Fashioning West Africa' by Arieta Mujay-Barg
2pm to 5pm
Southwark
Online events / webinars
A new aesthetic or ‘mere decoration’? Architectural Sculpture in Britain 1850-1914
This conference has been co-organised by the Victorian Society and the Public Statues and Sculpture Associatio
10am to 5pm
More London events on Saturday 17th September
Sunday 18th September
Come and see the 17th Century Grade II Listed building and garden.
11am to 3pm
Norbiton
Drop in to explore the collection of magazines, pamphlets, posters, ephemera, t-shirts and artefacts from these collections at your own pace.
12pm to 5pm
City of London
All the fun of the classic funfair, with vintage fairground rides dating from the 1890s to the 1960s.
12pm to 8pm
Rickmansworth
More London events on Sunday 18th September
Monday 19th September
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 19th September
Tuesday 20th September
Online events / webinars
This presentation will look at historical documentation from women who corseted, men who had opinions about it
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Tuesday 20th September
Wednesday 21st September
A bat walk, starting at Grosvenor Square and finishing in Hyde Park.
10:30am to 4pm
Mayfair
Join an immersive virtual reality experience by Digital Urban exploring the design for future small and medium-sized stations across the UK.
12:30pm to 4:30pm
South Kensington
This talk examines the art collected by the Christian Church throughout history—perhaps the greatest curated collection in existence.
Starts at 6pm
Picadilly
A lecture by Dr Chris Miele celebrating the 150 anniversary of St Mary Abbots, Kensington.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Kensington
£10.00
Nerd Nite London is a monthly event where three speakers give 18-21 minute fun-yet-informative talks across all disciplines, while the audience drinks along.
Starts at 7pm
Bethnal Green
Come and explore the museum after dark.
7pm to 9pm
Southwark
Online events / webinars
Kate Macdonald will be in conversation with Amara Thornton and Katy Soar about the pitfalls of archaeology in literature and the detail of the digging in supernatural archaeological fiction.
5pm to 6pm
This talk explores the historical events, the myths and moral panics, that have resulted in the criminalisation of the production, supply, and possession of drugs throughout the world.
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 21st September
Thursday 22nd September
You are invited to step inside this vast edifice, view the photographs and visit the rooms where many famous names got hitched.
12pm to 1pm
Marylebone High St
A selection of our 300 members will open their studios, workshops, labs and offices to showcase their practices.
2pm to 5pm
Strand
£30.00
An evening of Italian art, food and culture to mark the final week of Canaletto’s Venice Revisited, the exhibition at the National Maritime Museum.
5:30pm to 9pm
Greenwich
Hear from architects Projects Office and Wandsworth Council about their design for Arch 42.
6pm to 7:30pm
Battersea
Online events / webinars
This talk describes the main changes in the papermaking production, the quality of paper and what conservators are doing to stabilise and repair the paper to delay its natural degradation.
4pm to 5pm
Prof Christian Rutz will present Insights from the most ambitious animal tracking study ever conducted, the COVID-19 Bio-Logging Initiative.
6pm to 7:30pm
More London events on Thursday 22nd September
Friday 23rd September
A spectacular showcase of the very best of British-grown flowers, foam-free sustainable floristry, and the design creativity of the UK’s leading floral designers.
11am to 4pm
Twickenham
Uncover the huge breadth of human innovation with Harry Parker as he explores how technology is redefining what it means to be human.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
Free
A free demonstration of a Japanese tea ceremony, given by members of the Urasenke Foundation London Branch.
1pm to 2:30pm
Russell Square
Projekt Mkt – the UK’s ONL* specialist vintage poster market – is returning to Copeland Gallery in Peckham for three days.
3pm to 8pm
Peckham
Online events / webinars
This lecture will showcase personal coats of arms featuring symbols of parliamentary tradition, such as portcullises, maces and other regalia, from the 1500s to the present.
6pm to :
More London events on Friday 23rd September
Saturday 24th September
Serried ranks of vintage coaches will occupy the principal running bays at VCS – for one day only.
All Day
Sloane Square
Come along to explore the fascinating history of Egypt through craft activities and tours of the collections.
10am to 4pm
Clerkenwell
A demonstration of Victorian surgery techniques in an old operating theatre.
10am to 11am
Southwark
Projekt Mkt – the UK’s ONL* specialist vintage poster market – is returning to Copeland Gallery in Peckham for three days.
10am to 6pm
Peckham
Occasional open weekend of the London Transport Museum's Acton depot.
11am to 5pm
Acton
A spectacular showcase of the very best of British-grown flowers, foam-free sustainable floristry, and the design creativity of the UK’s leading floral designers.
11am to 4pm
Twickenham
Free
The Friends of the London Fire Brigade Museum in conjunction with London Design Festival and their ‘The Running Towards’ exhibition, will be displaying historic fire appliances, uniforms and innovative new ephemera.
12pm to 6pm
Clerkenwell
Free
A festival showing off the culture and food from Japan's Okinawa
12pm to 4pm
Rotherhithe
At dusk, an illuminated flotilla of over a hundred and fifty boats, including Gloriana The Queen’s Rowbarge, will float down the River Thames through central London from Chelsea to Tower Bridge.
7pm to 9pm
More London events on Saturday 24th September
Sunday 25th September
Throughout the day, Freemen of the City of London will be taking sheep across London Bridge, and there will be a livery fair around the Monument.
10am to 4pm
City of London
Occasional open weekend of the London Transport Museum's Acton depot.
11am to 5pm
Acton
A spectacular showcase of the very best of British-grown flowers, foam-free sustainable floristry, and the design creativity of the UK’s leading floral designers.
11am to 4pm
Twickenham
Projekt Mkt – the UK’s ONL* specialist vintage poster market – is returning to Copeland Gallery in Peckham for three days.
11am to 5pm
Peckham
Once a month, the oldest building in Hackney, St Augustine's Tower is open, so you can climb up to the top.
2pm to 4:30pm
Hackney
More London events on Sunday 25th September
Monday 26th September
Online events / webinars
Explore the successes and failures of all the world’s major empires and countries.
7pm to 8pm
More London events on Monday 26th September
Tuesday 27th September
Cross-dressed to Kill - Women Who Went to War Disguised as Men by Vivien Morgan answers the question of why young women dressed as men to fight as soldiers in the 17th to 20th centuries.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Kensington
Hear from former Audience Development Manager Rachel Morrison about the restoration of Marble Hill house
7pm to 8pm
Twickenham
Explore the technology behind autonomous vehicles and the measures needed to ensure safety and accountability.
Starts at 7pm
Hanover Square
A rare opportunity to view Avenue House from top to bottom and learn more of its 138-year history.
7pm to 8pm
Finchley
Online events / webinars
Learn how single women lived in London in the interwar years by looking at their lives in fiction, biography and memoir.
2pm to 3pm
This talk is designed to consider those interactions, and the representations since 1700 of Druids as patriotic heroes, sages and scholars.
7:30pm to 9pm
More London events on Tuesday 27th September
Wednesday 28th September
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Wednesday 28th September
Thursday 29th September
A talk about the plans to upgrade the Piccadilly line on the London Underground.
6pm to 7:30pm
Pimlico
A talk by Jordan Osserman about his recent book, short art performances by Martin O’Brien and FYTA, and discussion with Professor Lisa Baraitser.
6:15pm to 8:15pm
Southwark
Is craft an essential means of artistic expression or merely a posh luxury signalling uneven glaze on an overpriced ramen bowl, fake etsy sellers flogging ‘hand-made’ tat, and the fetishisation of manual labour?
7pm to 9:30pm
Whitechapel
An evening with Rob Wilkins, author of Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes, to celebrate the publication of this biography on the day of its release.
Starts at 7pm
Picadilly
Discover the paradox of aiming to prevent impairments, yet believing that life with impairments can be good.
Starts at 7:20pm
Hanover Square
More London events on Thursday 29th September
Friday 30th September
Join Professor Andrew Hoskins and Dr Matthew Ford as they discuss how digital devices have shaped the ways in which contemporary war is viewed, understood and fought.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
