London stories

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

A dreamlike opening ceremony. A successful haul of golds. And an area of east London transformed

Don’t let the name fool you – this major transport hub isn’t in Clapham

London’s oldest surviving Thames bridge

The punk pioneers who defined a generation

An East End victory over fascism

This 2017 blaze killed 72 people – a preventable tragedy which triggered calls for justice

The Chinese communities who lived in this pocket of the East End

After gaining his freedom, this 18th-century writer became one of the first Black voters in Britain

Put on your finest costume and join revellers on London’s fashionable 18th-century dancefloors