September in London 2017 brought the first signs of autumn: shorter days, cooler walks and a return to warm lunches at the market. I began beside the Thames in Westminster, then followed the changing season through the City, Borough Market, Kensington Gardens, Columbia Road and Little Venice.
This archive follows footage filmed during September 2017 and originally published on 8 October 2017. The visits, shops and event references describe London at that time.
Westminster at the start of autumn
The month began on the north bank of the Thames, opposite the London Eye. There were still green leaves overhead, but the light was changing and the evenings were drawing in. It felt like coat weather again.
In the film I mention the Thames festival, Open House and the summer opening of Buckingham Palace. However, this month’s outings focus on the everyday pleasures of the season: walking, eating, exploring markets and finding a pub at the end of a route.
At Westminster, scaffolding was climbing around the Elizabeth Tower. Big Ben had fallen quiet during the works, making the familiar view feel rather different.
Leadenhall Market and a Barbour errand
Before heading further outdoors, I needed to look after my old Barbour jacket. It had been with me for more than ten years and needed another coat of wax. Rather than send it away and be without it as the weather turned, I took the Underground from Westminster to Monument to buy dressing.
From the Monument, I walked to Leadenhall Market. Its covered passages brought back a family connection: my great-grandfather had worked here as a butcher. By this visit, the shops, bars and restaurants catered to a very different working City, although traces of the old market remained above the shopfronts.
The Barbour shop had the wax I needed. Back at home, I read the tin’s instructions and prepared the jacket, then left it hanging overnight. The following morning the finish was a little uneven, but I was pleased to have it ready for another outing.
The jacket sequence also appears in our dedicated Barbour re-waxing guide. That article covers the process in more detail, including the need to match the treatment to the garment.
Borough Market: coffee and a warm lunch
The next stop was London Bridge. A month earlier I had been enjoying cold drinks by the river in a T-shirt and shorts. Now the sky was grey and I wanted coffee followed by something warm to eat.
That change of appetite is one of the pleasures of a London market. The stalls may be familiar, but a cooler day makes different food catch your attention. At Borough Market, the queue for pies and Scotch eggs was longer than the queue for smoothies.
I started at Monmouth with a Kenyan filter coffee. Then came a difficult choice between two favourites: a Kappacasein toasted cheese sandwich and a duck confit sandwich from the stall opposite the coffee shop.
The duck won. It was rich and comforting, with a little salad and what I thought was plum sauce cutting through it. This was the sort of lunch I had been looking forward to as the temperature dropped.
An autumn walk through Kensington Gardens
After the market, the film moves to Kensington Gardens. Most of the trees were still green, with only a few beginning to turn. Early autumn had arrived, but the full display of colour was still ahead.
I headed towards the Italian Gardens before continuing beside the water. Near the edge of the park, traffic and sirens remained part of the soundtrack. Further inside, the pace felt calmer, with space to walk and look around.
The Italian Gardens made a particularly attractive starting point. Even a Rolls-Royce ice-cream van caught my attention before I carried on through the park. The film shares a few highlights of the walk rather than every step.
Sunday flowers on Columbia Road
Another morning began early in the East End. I took the Underground to Bethnal Green and walked to Columbia Road, arriving shortly after eight on a Sunday while there was still room to browse.
I bought dried lavender and a bunch of roses. Around me, the traders called out their offers and the stalls filled the street with plants and flowers. By the time I had finished shopping, the market was already becoming busier.
Beside the Royal Oak, I explored the small lane and courtyards used by coffee shops and food businesses. They offered a quieter corner away from the main run of stalls. It was still early, so I headed home with the flowers and the rest of Sunday ahead.
Little Venice and the Warwick Castle
By the last week of September, summer felt further away. On a bright day, I arrived at Paddington and followed the water towards Little Venice. The canal gave the walk a different character from the Thames: boats, towpaths and a gentler pace.
At the broad meeting point of the waterways, I stopped to look across the water and towards the Waterside Café. Then I went up onto the bridge for views along the canal. The trees still held plenty of leaves, and there was enough light to linger.
A short walk between the surrounding houses brought me to the Warwick Castle. After the canal, a drink at a traditional pub felt like a fitting finish to the month. The route also has its own Little Venice canal walk article.
Watch September in London 2017
The full film brings these outings together, from the first Westminster walk to the final stop at the Warwick Castle. It is a record of how familiar London places felt as summer gave way to autumn.
The original autumn preview
Before the full September film, I published this short preview on 27 September 2017. It brings together Borough Market, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, Columbia Road Flower Market and Little Venice, finishing at the Warwick Castle. The original “Coming Soon” ending belongs to that first release.
