London postal district shown (in red) against the Greater London boundary (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Inspired by “the Ladies who Bus” who have travelled London one bus route at a time, and building on the work I have done to become a walking tour guide, this blog is about walking London one postcode at a time. There are over 100 London postcode districts so that should keep me busy!
I decided to start in the SW postcodes because I realised that most of my working life has been in jobs based in SW1 and for all my adult life I have lived in SW postcodes. So I will walk first in the SW postcodes going in numerical order and work round London clockwise until I get to SE. Then I will go into the central ones of EC and WC. Who knows maybe after all that I will be strong enough to go through the outer postcodes like CR and RM. As you can see from the map, there is still quite a bit of Greater London which is outside the London post code area.
So a few grounds rules. I will aim to do a walk in each post code area which features around ten or twelve places, buildings or stories of that area. As this is a postcode walk I will start at a post office, usually the main one. I reserve the right to hop on a bus or train if this makes for a better outcome. And for those few mainly central London postcodes which have sub divisions (eg SW1A, SW1Y etc) I am only covering this once (eg as SW1) in the part of my choosing!
To see the full listing of London postcodes and links to the posts I have done click here
Walking London one postcode at a time 
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for this blog, as someone interested in geography (and specifically geocoding) and who has lived in London’s SW4 (Clapham) for 7 happy years.
Can you advise me of the whereabouts of Buxton Road, Bethnal Green as at the Census of 1911. My grandparents were registered there and my father was born in 1912. He would talk of first going to see films at Smart’s Cinema (which your E2 walk features) – indicating that this was close to their home.
When I now look for Buxton Road, I find it in E15; there is now, however, a Buxton Street in E2.
I can’t think that the Census record is in error but I find no reference to any change of name of a former Buxton Road in E2.
Do you know a source for this – or could refer me to the nearest London History Centre for advice?
With thanks
Stephen Massil
Not sure I can help much. The task is made difficult because the numbers were only added to the post districts after 1911 and because so much of Bethnal Green was bombed and/or redeveloped. I think your best bet is to go to Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives. They will have the local information on Bethnal Green. https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/leisure_and_culture/local_history/local_history__archives/local_history__archives.aspx
Good luck!
Have now taken a walk on every page of the A-Z, and visited all tube stations, so suppose I’ve covered most postcodes. Will have to check.
Hullo Stephen, stumbled onto this site while doing some research for a writing project. I have a question or two about the Earl’s Court area in particular which maybe you can’t answer, but no matter if so. Just drop me a note. Thanks so much, love the site!
Thanks for your post. Glad you like my site. Do feel free to email at stephen@londonpostcodewalks.co.uk if you have some questions you think I may be able to help with.
Hi Stephen, just wanted to pass on our thanks for your great site! We are working our way through the postcodes local to us on our daily exercise walks during the covid-19 lockdown and it makes them so interesting! Great work!
Thanks for the lovely message. Glad you are finding the site useful!
Thanks so much for your SW19 and SW20 blogs which cover the area I know so well. Pity you didn’t extend your SW20 up Martin Way to Merton Mansions because No 7 is where Oliver Reed the film actor spent much of his childhood and where his father and stepmother ( my aunt) lived until he was rich enough to buy them a house in Epsom.
Thanks for your comments. Glad you enjoyed the post. Interesting connection with Merton Mansions which I had not heard before. It is a challenge to cover all these kind of things