Discover Your Westminster

A course for Westminster residents who want to learn more about the fantastic history and culture of their local area. The course aims to help participants to:

Explore Westminster’s amazing places and hidden history
Meet other people and share discoveries
Improve digital skills

The course so far

We’ve been running a series of short courses and walks since early 2021.

A typical short course includes:

Week One: Discovering Westminster: A glimpse into Westminster’s wonderful history and some quick research tips.

Week Two: Discover More: Using local archives and a range of resources tools/ websites.
Week Three: Special Places: Virtual Tour of Westminster Guide Carey Green’s favourite spots. Researching our own Westminster place/person/ event.
Week Five: Presenting our findings: Using images & creating presentations + exploring presentation styles.
Week Six: Sharing our discoveries! Our own virtual group tour of Westminster. Feedback.

Below you can find an example discovery.

Cato Street Conspiracy Example

The Cato Street Conspiracy was an attempt to murder all the British cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister Lord Liverpool in 1820. The name comes from the meeting place near Edgware Road in London. The police had an informer; the plotters fell into a police trap.

How widespread the Cato Street conspiracy was is uncertain. It was a time of unrest; rumours abounded.[1] Malcolm Chase noted that “the London-Irish community and a number of trade societies, notably shoemakers, were prepared to lend support, while unrest and awareness of a planned rising were widespread in the industrial north and on Clydeside. (from Wikipedia).

Key facts:

1820 a new and unpopular King (George IV) is crowned.
End of Napoleonic Wars 1815 plus unemployment, high cost of living, Peterloo massacre and the Six Acts.
Only 11% males could vote.
Arthur Thistlewood – Leader / Spencean Philanthropists.
Plot to killed PM (Lord Liverpool) and all cabinet while at dinner.
Failed (Spy: George Edwards – second in command)
Role of ‘Bow Street Runners’.
Thistlewood killed a Bow Street Runner with a sword. Some conspirators surrendered peacefully, while others resisted forcefully. William Davidson was captured; Thistlewood, Robert Adams, John Brunt and John Harrison slipped out through the back window, but were arrested a few days later.
The Cato Street Conspirators were arrested on February 23rd and 5 were executed at Newgate on 1 May 1820. Another 5 transported to Australia.

Please visit www.catostreetconspiracy.org.uk for more info.

Walks

Our Discover Your Westminster walks have explored: Victoria Embankment gardens, Pimlico and Paddington with Westminster residents and course participants. You can find some photos below.