Where is Dalston? A London Festival of Architecture Walk

A walk focusing on the architecture and urbanism around Hackney, led by Historic England’s Inspector of Historic Buildings and Areas in London - Billy Reading.

Historic Dalston in the London Borough of Hackney is a notoriously slippery concept. Exactly where the area’s boundaries lie is a complex question. The identity of an area can be influenced by a great many factors, from the physical environment to socio-economics. How neighbourhoods are identified could also be seen to change over time and can mean different things to different people.

The festival’s theme of Boundaries will take the question ‘Where is Dalston?’ and discuss this through the themes of place, urban morphology and identity. The walk will make use of maps, to explore the both the literal and more abstract ideas surrounding Dalston’s place in London. Attendees are invited to consider the entirety of the district within Hackney, deciding for themselves where Dalston is.