For Lambeth Heritage Festival Month 2026: Vauxhall walks, talks and events – a round-up

In Lambeth Heritage Month a short reminder of some upcoming Vauxhall-relevant walks and talks in September.

Walks: Irish Stories South of the River

Join Lambeth Tour Guide Christina Fitzgerald for a two-hour walk discovering Irish figures and events, their stories, struggles and achievements including local London history, on the streets in the northern part of the borough of Lambeth, ending in historic Kennington Park. A linear, accessible walk.

Talk: “Seven turkeys, five sucking pigs, and three miniatures” – A History of Lambeth’s own art school, the City and Guilds of London Art School

The story of the City and Guilds of London Art School, from its foundation as the Lambeth School of Art providing instruction to working artisans, to today’s highly regarded, distinctive, educational institution. Come early and visit our MA degree show beforehand to see what our current students are creating.

Talk: Henry Doulton’s ‘Lady Artists’

This illustrated talk looks inside Doulton’s Lambeth Art Pottery, Vauxhall to discover what conditions were like for professional women artists, and why many chose long careers over marriage. We highlight those who lived in and around Herne Hill and look at a range of 1870s to 1920s vases.

Walk: The Lily Savage Mince Around Vauxhall

The former Vauxhall residence of Paul O’Grady, star of stage and screen, has become the latest site to be marked with a Rainbow Plaque. Hear more about Paul’s drag alter ego Lily Savage who was well known and loved in Vauxhall’s queer venues. Learn more about Paul’s life and Lily’s exploits. A 90-minute circular walk.

Walk: Artists’ Footsteps: A Guided Art Tour of Vauxhall & Kennington

Discover stories of art and artists, from the first gallery to today’s exciting new spaces. We will hear about artists across the centuries and explore where they exhibited and practised their craft. This walk with Lambeth Tour Guide Lucia van der Drift takes two hours and ends opposite Kennington Station.

Walk: Unseen Vauxhall – the Vanished and the Unnoticed

Vauxhall is rich in historical interest and there are lots of little details. Let’s look for the hidden histories and hear the stories from the past, including the disappearing statue, a slurry wheel, an Oxford vs. Cambridge fixture, Sister Mary of the Cross, a hidden river, and a Helping Hand.

Talk: “Hard Streets” with Jacqueline Riding

Jacqueline Riding explores the lost world of working-class London in the streets around the Durning Library. She considers Charlie Chaplin, music hall stars, political reformers and sculptor George Tinworth, examining a time and place where hardship was endemic, but where talent, determination and luck could bring opportunity and success.

Walk: Work and Play in the historic neighbourhood of Vauxhall

Discover the essence over time of this enigmatic corner of the capital at Vauxhall, which has been long associated with music, singing and dancing and, in sharp contrast, area has also been a hive of industrial activity. A circular walk of about 90 minutes, step free and accessible by public transport. Barbara Wright is a qualified Lambeth and Westminster tour guide.

Walk: Renfrew Road: Lambeth’s Forgotten Civic Quarter

A short, guided walk around the cluster of civic buildings on and around Renfrew Road, built as the public face of the parish in the second half of the 19th century. Starting at the former courthouse, now Buddhist Centre, we take in the neighbouring fire station, police station and the site of the Lambeth Workhouse, exploring how policing, welfare and justice were once concentrated in a single quarter, and what has become of these buildings since.

Walk: Unseen Vauxhall 2 – More Vanished and More Unnoticed

Whose private railway station was in Vauxhall? Who invoked the wrath of anti-vivisectionists? And why were boy scouts’ legs covered up? These and other burning questions will be answered in Unseen Vauxhall 2. About 1.75 miles. Approx 105 minutes.