Hidden Garden Haiku Walkshop
- City of London

Event Information

A 90-minute walkshop exploring hidden gardens in the City of London near Monument. You will compose and recite haiku (traditional Japanese three-line poems) inspired by your surroundings.

Novice or expert, this is a relaxed walking activity where you’ll write and share short haiku poems, with selected work published online. Be inspired by the quiet beauty of hidden green spaces just moments away from the busy Square Mile.

• Find no better way
• To be inspired by gardens
• Claim calm from bustle

What you’ll explore

Here in the heart of the City of London, it is hard to believe how much can be hidden. On this walk, we may explore:

• Churchyards tucked away behind city streets

• A Roman garrison and remnants of the Roman wall

• A sunken garden

• A rooftop garden with skyline views

• St Paul’s Cathedral seen from unexpected angles

• Britain’s earliest street

• A hidden churchyard garden behind a blue door (time permitting)

What’s included

We will provide a writing journal and pen/pencil for the session

Participant feedback (previous walkshops)

What I like best about the event | What I found surprising | How much I enjoyed it (maximum 5 stars) and why?

• Walking slowly and hearing others’ writing | How large the City feels when you slow down | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Taking time to look and listen | How quickly ideas turn into poems | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• The setting and atmosphere | Learning about ‘signifiers’ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Being present and mindful | How creative they felt | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Contributors

Andrew Stuck - Walk Listen Create.

Urban Tree Festival founder. Andrew is a podcaster and walking artist whose long-running series Talking Walking—now in its nineteenth year with over 180 episodes—features conversations with creatives who use walking as a catalyst for their practice. Inspired by early audio walks, he has spent nearly two decades exploring and supporting this field, founding the Museum of Walking (2006–2025) and later developing Sound Walk Sunday, which grew into the global Sound Walk September. His work continues through walk · listen · create, which now hosts the Museum’s archive and champions new walking-based creative work.

Sponsors

City of London

This programme is supported by the City of London Corporation, whose funding enables the development and delivery of inclusive cultural, environmental, and wellbeing activities across the City of London. Their support helps bring nature-based engagement, creative programming, and community participation into the heart of the City, ensuring that residents, workers, and underrepresented groups can access high-quality experiences that promote wellbeing, connection, and a greater understanding of the urban environment.

Location of event

Start Location: City of London 2 - East, Fish Street Hill exit of Monument tube station

What3Words: ///navy.gums.model

Who: This event is sponsored by City of London and is open to people who live in or have a connection to the City of London.