Brick Lane Soundmap Audio Walk Review

Brick Lane Soundmap Audio Walk

The Brick Lane Soundmap audio walk is narrated by Tarquin Hall, author of Salaam Brick Lane and former resident of Brick Lane. I liked his storytelling style and the way the audio walk brought to life episodes from Brick Lane's history while I was standing at the actual landmarks.

About Soundmap

1. A bit obvious this, but do wear comfortable shoes.
2. Be aware of your surroundings. London is a busy city. Make sure you stop against a wall and not near the curb when listening to your audio guide.
3. Take spare batteries for your CD player or MP3 player.
4. Don't forget your camera - and some spare batteries!

Pros

• Good for independent travelers
• Fascinating insight from someone connected to the area
• Don't have to wait for other people
• Can always hear the guide
• Can walk at your own pace
• Can stop anywhere you choose

Cons

• Can't ask questions like you can with a 'live' tour guide
• Can't share the experience with others

I love this vibrant and multicultural part of town but know that it's really busy on Sundays - due to Brick Lane Market - so I tried this audio walk on a Saturday morning. This was a great time as the streets were quiet and when I finished the walk the shops were just opening. (Most shops open at 11am on Saturdays.)

The Brick Lane Soundmap audio walk is narrated by Tarquin Hall, author of Salaam Brick Lane and former resident of Brick Lane. I liked his storytelling style and the way the audio walk brought to life episodes from Brick Lane's history while I was standing at the actual landmarks.

The walk only takes an hour and you don't have to pause your MP3/CD player as there is music and the sound of walking to fill the time as you move around the streets. I didn't feel rushed and although I was strolling I saw a lot of the Brick Lane area in such a short time.

The background sounds were appropriate but I know some people aren't keen on them. I found the recording volume high enough so I could hear everything over the busy sounds of the streets of London.

Brick Lane is known locally as Banglatown as it is the heart of London's Bangladeshi and Bengali communities.

The street has been home to immigrants for hundreds of years including the French Huguenots, and later the Jewish community. This means you buy bagels on Brick Lane, as well as sample some of London's best curry houses.

The tour starts at the top of Brick Lane at the famous Beigel Bakery open 24/7.

I learned how Brick Lane got its name from the fact that bricks were made nearby. Brick Lane and the roads coming off of it were bumpy and horse drawn carts carrying bricks would often lose some of their loads around here. After the Great Fire of London most bricks used to rebuild the city would have traveled through here.

You'll hear a lot about the area's history and rightly so as it's had such a varied past. Don't be put off when you hear about the troubles as Tarquin Hall is right to say, "Brick Lane is an extraordinarily tolerant place".

Look out for 19 Princelet Street where the book Rodinsky's Room is written about; a disused synagogue where a recluse vanished and the room remained untouched for years.

I've known Brick Lane since I was a child as my family would come to shop at the nearby Petticoat Lane Market and the wholesalers on Commercial Street. I adore the architecture of the old Huguenot Georgian buildings and am really pleased to see the area thriving these days. It used to be really run down but now many of these terraced homes have been renovated and look stunning.

Brick Lane has a gritty, urban vibe and it's always a fun place to visit. I enjoyed strolling around Brick Lane and discovering places I had never noticed. And that's what makes taking an audio tour so worthwhile. I'd recommend staying in the area when you finish the audio walk. I made a day of it by having lunch, doing some shopping, taking some photos, then grabbing a curry for dinner before hanging out at a cool bar in the evening. Yes, it is a great area!