The Thin Veil of London

We are taking bookings for:
Monday 25 May 2026 | 17:00 – 19:30

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A most unusual walk around the lesser-known corners of Holborn and Bloomsbury, interwoven with mysteries from the stories of Arthur Machen (1863-1947), a foremost pioneer of ‘folk horror’.

Machen’s stories teem with sinister ancient horrors – troglodyte races and malevolent fauns – that lurk just beneath the surface of modern life. Yet they also contain a positive theology that invite the visionary to step through the veil of illusion into another world; a magical world. Sometimes the lifting of the veil occurs on ancient tumuli in the Welsh countryside of his childhood; often it can be found in a back street of London.

The Thin Veil of London combines a history tour with theatrical elements, taking in the deeply atmospheric places off Theobalds Road – Coram’s Fields, Conway Hall, Great Ormond Street – to create a vivid journey into the worlds of faery and science, madness and ecstasy, and what Machen called ‘the eternal beauty hidden beneath the crust of common and commonplace things; hidden and yet burning and glowing continually if you care to look with purged eyes’.

Our companion book expands upon the stories and personalities on the walk, and plunges into the deep well of philosophies, theories and wild beliefs that Machen draws on.

A quiet city street in a suburb with parked cars lining both sides and a row of multi-story brick buildings with large windows on either side. Trees are visible along the right side, and the sky is partly cloudy with soft evening light.
Black and white photo of a narrow alleyway between brick and concrete buildings with a quote on the left side about mystery and adventure, attributed to Arthur Machen from "The Hill of Dreams."
A green-lit street lamp on a dark post against a backdrop of cloudy sky and trees, with a black background with white text of a quote from Arthur Machen's 'The Three Impostors' appearing on the left side.
A narrow sidewalk scene outside Conway Hall, with brick buildings on each side and trees in the background. There is a lit sign reading 'Conway Hall' hanging from a building.
Black and white photo of a statue of a seated woman holding two animals, situated on a pedestal in a city street with residential buildings and trees, accompanied by a quote from Arthur Machen's 'Far Off Things'.
A city street at sunset with parked cars lining both sides and trees on the sidewalk. The sky is partly cloudy with the sun visible behind the trees. On the left side, there is a black section with white text from Arthur Machen's 'The Hill of Dreams' describing the shadowy, amber-lit gloom of the city.

‘The best guided walk I’ve ever been on. A surprise round every corner’ – Matt Brown, Londonist

‘A daring, fascinating and witty exploration of the concepts of madness and childhood, a look at the pagan history of London, a brief debate about the philosophy of material objects and a piece of performance art. The narrative arc is probably better than most of the books I’ve ever read, and Robert is a brilliantly erudite and impish guide. I definitely recommend joining them on their adventures.’ – Mike Shallcross, journalist

‘On this fantastical dusk walk around Holborn and Bloomsbury, Rich Cochrane and Robert Kingham seamlessly entwine centuries of history, myth, philosophy and literature to weave a wholly engrossing journey (with a couple of pub stops) that will completely change how you see the city.’ ★★★★★ – James Drury, Londonist

‘I can heartily recommend the latest venture from Robert Kingham and Rich Cochrane … a cross between a literary walk, a pub crawl, a history lesson, a multi-media investigation of madness, a ghost story, and a psychogeographic voyage through Victorian and Edwardian London. It’s loosely based on the writings of Arthur Machen but even if, like me, you’ve never read anything by him, it’s still a tremendous and fascinating experience. Go book your tickets now.’ – John Lewis, journalist

A city street with row houses, parked cars, leafless trees, and a building silhouette against the evening sky.
Photograph of a historic red brick building with intricate white architectural details and rounded windows, alongside a tree and a cloudy sky.
Photo of a three-story building with a pub called 'The Queen's Larder' on the ground floor, featuring a black awning, potted flowers, and a few people sitting outside. The building is gray with red brick accents, and there's a tree in the upper right corner. The left side contains a quote from Arthur Machen's 'The Three Impostors' on a black background.
A black and white photo of a white multi-story building with several windows, a person walking on the sidewalk, and bags on the ground near a fence in front of the building.
Close-up of a black, ornate streetlamp post with a tree and sunlight in the background.
An alleyway between buildings with cobblestone pavement, a person running with a backpack in the middle, parked cars, and an overlay of a quote from Arthur Machen's 'The Three Impostors'.