Bayswater lies north of the Bayswater Road between Notting Hill to the west, and Mayfair to the east. To the south are Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. Bayswater is more mixed than Kensington - not as chic and certainly not so well cared for. There are more multi-occupancy dwellings, small hotels, rooming houses, and large properties both in need of renovation as well as undergoing improvement. The sound of building works echoes through Bayswater even more than in neighbouring boroughs.

The size of the properties, the width of the roads, the feeling of space, and the grand if somewhat rundown squares characterises Bayswater. The triange of Lancaster Gate, Westbourne Street and Sussex Gardens forms a natural divison between West and East Bayswater, and so I have split the walk in two. This first part is the westernmost section, running from Notting Hill Gate passing Queensway and finishing at Lancaster Gate. In a later podcast I will walk from Lancaster Gate to Marble Arch, forming the eastern section of the Bayswater walk.

Notting Hill Gate is on the Central, Circle and District Lines in Zone 1. Leaving the Underground, we walk along Notting Gate and Bayswater Road, turning left at St Petersburgh Place where there is a large synagogue with a prominent rose window (1877 - 79) nearly opposite St Matthews Church (1882). Try and get to the church as the carillon clock chimes the hour.

Just round the corner is the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Moscow Road (1877 - 82). The walk continues through grand squares, emerging in the corridor of Westbourne Road full of the smells of restaurants and food shops from all over the world. The old Queens Cinema with its Egyptian facade closed in the 1980's and was for a long time occupied by TGI Fridays. This has not ceased trading and the cinema is once again empty, leanding a forlorn appearance to the junction with Queensway. The shopping centre formed from the old Whiteleys Department Store still looks good, and we walk through the centre from north to south. Here you can cut the walk short at either Bayswater or Queensway Undergroudn Stations - actually very close together, despite what you might conclude by looking at the iconic London Underground map.

We then continue along Leinster Place and Leinster Gardens past 1960's public housing and finish this section of the walk at Lancaster Gate (Central Line Zone 1).

This walk starts at Angel Underground station on the Bank branch of the Northern Line in Zone 1. Angel can be reached by taking the Central Line and changing at Bank.

Clerkenwell is a former monastic settlement. The land was originally donated to the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1140. Clerkenwell is a mixed area where ancient buildings, Georgian houses, and loft apartments occupied by media professionals jostle together with wine bars, office blocks, converted warehouses and workshops.

The area is full of history. Once a den of thieves, robbers and pickpockets, with the highest murder rate in London during the 19th century, it is now firmly on the road to 'gentrification' albeit that the mixed character of the streets will never have the cohesion and grace of Kensington, belgravia, Mayfair or Chelsea.

The Northernmost part of the walk passes the New River and reservoirs used to supply London from Hertfordshire. We then pass Sadler's Wells Theatre before passing Spa Fields where a riot of parliamentary reformers took place in 1816.

In the fascinating church of St James we see the memorials to the martyrs burned at the stake in Smithfield between 1400 and 1558. After that, we enter on Priory lands just past Clerkenwell Green. We see the headquarters of the Order of St John. The St John's Gate Museum is free, and there are guided tours of the Priory Church and the area.

The walk continues through the Smithfield Meat Market to St Bartholomew's Hospital. The gem of this walk is the oldest church in London, St Bartholomew the Great. Don't miss this - if it's not open, go back there when it is.

Finally we walk round Charterhouse Square, and finish at Barbican Underground (Zone 1 on the Hammersmith & City and Circle Lines).