Photos: BLM Oregon & Washington, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Julian Herzog (Website), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: BLM Oregon & Washington, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Julian Herzog (Website), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Electric Avenue, Britain's first electrically lit street
Your local guide
Aaliyah Bennett
View profile
Highlights
- One of Britain's first electrically lit streets
- Original Victorian ironwork overhead
- Old fittings adapted, not removed
- Everyday infrastructure history
- A short walk with a genuine first
About this tour
This session walks Electric Avenue, a Victorian shopping street notable for being among the first in the country lit by electricity, a detail most visitors have no idea about. It covers the original ironwork canopy and the old fitting brackets still visible above some shopfronts today. It is a short, focused session on one specific piece of infrastructure history.
We start at one end of the covered street with its 1880s history, then walk its length pointing out the surviving original fittings. Questions about the street's naming and its later history come up naturally. I close with a note on how the street connects to the wider market around it.
It suits anyone interested in infrastructure and everyday history rather than grand landmarks. It also works well as a short add-on to the market session nearby.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of London before heading out.
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Covered street 15 min
The camera holds on the street's Victorian ironwork canopy, and I explain how it was built in the 1880s as one of the first shopping streets in the country lit entirely by electricity.
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Old fittings above shopfronts 15 min
Looking up, you can still see some of the original fitting brackets above certain shopfronts, and I point out how they were later adapted for modern lighting rather than removed.
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Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about London: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Sunday roast and Shoreditch, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through London, showing you Covered street and Old fittings above shopfronts live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on a video call along the covered market street, pointing out details above the shopfronts as we go.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Fri 6 Nov · 10 seats left From 18,00 €
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