Not surprisingly in a city as old and rich in history as London, there’s a wealth of public monuments, statues and memorials: in fact London probably has more statues than any other major city in the world. It’s streets, squares, parks and gardens are packed with monuments to kings and queens, military heroes, politicians and local worthies, artists and writers, and notables from every walk of life – including a few anti-heroes such as Cromwell and Wat Tyler. Many monuments celebrate great victories – not surprisingly – but there are also those that recall less momentous events, and even some that we may wish to disown today Everywhere you look in London there are statues to be seen: there are literally hundreds of major artworks. Many subjects remain famous (or infamous), some once-famous, while others are obscure and known only locally – but all contributed to this great city and nation in some way and most are deserving of their place in history. Some are works of art, others less so, but most are worthy in some way. What’s more, we haven’t just included statues and monuments, but also magnificent fountains, wall reliefs, street art and furniture, graffiti and murals, and more. Our 20 walks take in most of the city’s great monuments, statues and memorials, but also many obscure, but no less interesting, other public works of art. All you need to enjoy them is a stout pair of shoes, a sense of adventure – and this book. We hope you find them as enjoyable and rewarding as we did.