When Horses Ran London
Chalk Farm tube station, London
Guided by Charlie
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 July 2026 | Special | 10.45 am | 12.45 pm | Summer |
Without its horses, London in 1900 would have ground to a halt – no buses, no deliveries, no goods trains. Come on a walk that reawakens this city’s cab stands, its multi-storey stables, its marshalling yards, its fashionable rides, its hay markets.
They’re all still there, but do we notice them? This is an amazing eye-opener into a lost city.
Find out just how much horsepower each bus route needed, and why flogging a dead horse wasn’t just a turn of phrase.
Here was a city so full of horses it was worried it would get buried in its own horse manure. Instead, the end was nigh – and we’ll cover that ground too, pick up on how the internal combustion engine cleaned the air, and the Great War was the great cull.
If you like horses you will love this, if you like London this will change the way you see the city.
In the words of walker Alison Bloomfield, “as ever Charlie’s walks are crammed with facts and fascinating stories. I remembered 300,000 horses, the number 24 omnibus route, the Vinot car company, the hidden canal basin allotments, and the mews for carriage or car. Don’t ask about the poleaxe – too gruesome! Do ask about the number 24.”
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING
WHEN HORSES RAN LONDON – THE MEETING POINT
The meeting point is just outside Chalk Farm Tube. The walk was created and is guided by Charlie.
Sophie Stutter –
An excellent walk , lots of detail. An extremely well informed and enthusiastic guide.
Andy Grainger –
Thoroughly enjoyed this walk despite the rain. Why buy Gore-tex if you are not prepared to go out in it? Charlie is highly knowledgeable and engaging and the walk built on my visit to the London Transport Museum yesterday. I learnt about cabbies and Black Beauty and the origins of the RSPCA. The mega infrastructure project that was Camden Lock in the 1820’s linking road, rail and canal with horses. Gilbey’s Gin! The John Nash master design to supply his newly constructed West End. The lovely houses at Primrose Hill backing on to the Canal. And the horses – I used to ride horses of 10-12 years old, in 1900 they were mostly dead by 6 or 7. Electric largely replaced horses for public transport in a moment. Many thanks Charlie, for guiding me around that moment.