London stories

London’s most famous graveyard, where the tomb of Karl Marx attracts fans, critics and the curious

In the face of widespread death and disease, early Londoners turned to the supernatural

How some extremely elongated footwear caused controversy in the capital

How a prince made this graveyard a desirable resting place for the Victorian dead

One of the defining industrial disputes of the 1970s happened in a north-west London suburb

A freed enslaved man whose life story drove the abolition of the British trade in enslaved Africans

And the campaign for LGBTQ+ rights gained momentum in the 1970s

Taming a city’s-worth of sewage

Fasting, feasting and wassailers at your door

Exploring histories of pain and exploitation in one English novelist’s writing desk

A vital narrative of enslavement that boosted the abolitionist movement

The appalling case of 130 enslaved Africans murdered for an insurance claim

It’s survived three bombs – and a struggle to keep it standing

When a mudlark recovered Britain’s prestigious medal for valour

The Victorian author charts the turbulent life of a beloved London clown

In the past and present, Londoners have experimented with different forms of money

And the history of London’s traffic stoppers

A royal story of love – and loss