Economist walks around London

Follow in the footsteps of some of the world's greatest Economists


London has been associated with many important individuals in the histories of economics and statistics. The story of the city's roles in the early developments of the disciplines is told in the accompanying narrative from which it can be seen that a great deal is known about specific locations for significant individuals. In these pages we organise some of these locations into a series of walks. Anyone sufficiently interested, with a desire to stretch their legs over an hour or so and perhaps familiar with or indifferent to the usual tourist sites, can take a tour around the former homes, workplaces and gravesites of intellectual predecessors.

The first walk is the easiest to find, starting at the British Museum. The second in Soho is only fifteen minutes' walk away as is the third which begins near LSE and continues to Westminster. The others are slightly further afield though easily accessible by public transport. The fourth walk, for example, ends at the site of Sunday's reception in St Paul's.

A warning is in order. The fact that we know of a location does not mean any part of the house still stands there so don't be surprised if it doesn't. If the site was occupied more than 150 years ago the building is probably no longer there. We can trace, for example, almost the complete history of Ricardo's homes in London but so far as we know there is not a brick still standing at any of them (though you can still visit his childhood synagogue).

Not all sites could, of course, be included. There are locations south of the river, for example, associated with Ricardo, Marshall and Babbage but they are simply too spread out to make a coherent walk. If you want to visit any site listed that doesn't figure in a walk then email and we can tell you how to find it.