Blake, Defoe & Street Poetry Workshop

London rewards readers, but this experience asks you to become a writer. Joe Pierson’s private poetry workshop links Bunhill Fields, the Barbican, Smithfields, and St. Giles Cripplegate through short writing exercises inspired by each place. I like the mix of literary sightseeing and actual creative work, and I like that beginners are welcome rather than expected to arrive with polished poems.

The workshop also offers two useful forms of variety: William Blake and John Milton give you serious literary context, while street poetry and Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders bring the city closer to everyday life. The main consideration is the price, $103.35 per person for about two hours. That is fair if you want expert feedback and a private session, but less attractive if you only want a conventional walking tour or a quick look at historic sites.

What makes this workshop different

• Blake starts the writing: You use William Blake’s visionary poetry as a prompt at Bunhill Fields.
• The route has four distinct settings: A burial ground, the Barbican Centre, St. Bartholomew the Great, and St. Giles Cripplegate each shape a different exercise.
• You create together: The Barbican portion includes street poetry and a collaborative response.
• Defoe adds narrative energy: Moll Flanders provides a lively link to the Smithfields area and its criminal adventures.
• Milton and Defoe close the session: The final writing exercise takes place near their resting places at St. Giles Cripplegate.
• The group is private: Only your party takes part, which makes it easier to ask questions and share unfinished work.

Why this London workshop works for writers

Most literary tours ask you to listen. This one asks you to stop, observe, write, and then bring your words into the discussion. That small change matters. You are not simply passing sites connected with famous authors. You are using those places as material.

The workshop is led by Joe Pierson, an award-winning novelist. His role is not only to explain the writers connected with the route. He also gives feedback on your poetry and guides the exercises. That makes the experience useful for someone who wants a gentle push to write, as well as for someone already working on poems.

You do not need to be an expert on Blake, Defoe, or Milton. The workshop is designed for all writing levels, and the prompts provide a clear way into the work. If a blank page usually stops you, the setting and structure should help. You are given something to notice, a short task, and a chance to shape a response.

I also like the balance between private instruction and shared activity. You can get personal feedback, but the Barbican exercise brings the group together for a joint piece. That keeps the session from feeling like a private lesson conducted in a room with no connection to London.

Bunhill Fields and William Blake’s grave

The meeting point is Bunhill Fields Burial Ground at 38 City Road, a short walk from Old Street Underground Station. This is a practical starting place, since you can reach it by public transport and do not need to find a distant meeting point in an unfamiliar part of the city.

The first half hour centers on William Blake’s grave. Blake is a strong choice for a poetry prompt because his work is known for its visionary quality, and the exercise uses that imaginative energy rather than treating his grave as a quick photo stop.

You can expect an introduction to Blake, followed by a writing exercise shaped by his poetry and the place around you. The setting matters here. A burial ground naturally slows the pace, and the workshop encourages you to examine your surroundings carefully before putting words on paper.

This is one of the strongest parts for anyone who likes reflective writing. You are asked to notice the setting rather than rush through it. The focus on mindful observation can help you see a burial ground, a church, or a city garden as more than scenery.

The limitation is simple: you may want more time for Blake himself. About 30 minutes is allotted to the stop, and that includes the introduction and writing exercise. Think of it as a creative starting point, not a full lecture on Blake’s life and work.

Street poetry at the Barbican Centre

From Bunhill Fields, the group heads to the Barbican Centre for another half hour. The mood shifts here. Instead of concentrating on a single poet’s grave, you explore street poetry and create a collaborative response.

This change gives the route a useful rhythm. Blake can lead you toward inward and visionary writing. The Barbican asks you to respond to the public city and to work with other people’s ideas. It is a good reminder that poetry does not have to live only in books, churches, or cemeteries.

The collaborative element may be especially helpful if you are nervous about sharing your work. You are not asked to produce a perfect finished poem alone. You are contributing to a group response, which makes the exercise more social and less exposed.

At the same time, this stop will suit some people more than others. If you prefer quiet individual writing, the shared task may feel less comfortable than the Blake exercise. The private format helps, but a workshop still requires some willingness to read, discuss, or build on ideas with your own group.

The Barbican also gives the tour a modern London setting. That helps connect literary tradition with the city you are actually walking through today. You get old poetry, contemporary street writing, and a practical writing task in the same short route.

Moll Flanders around Smithfields

The third stop is the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, with a 30-minute session linked to Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders. The focus is on the character’s criminal adventures in and around Smithfields.

This is a clever change of subject. Blake gives you visionary poetry, while Defoe gives you plot, character, risk, and movement. If you normally think of poetry as quiet or abstract, the Moll Flanders exercise can push you toward storytelling and dramatic detail.

The church provides a strong setting for this part of the workshop. You follow in the footsteps of a fictional character while standing in one of London’s historic religious spaces. The route is not only about famous names. It uses the contrast between sacred surroundings and criminal adventure to create a writing prompt.

You might find this exercise the easiest one if you prefer stories to symbolism. A character with a complicated past gives you something concrete to work with. You can respond to actions, motives, and setting rather than starting with a completely open page.

The drawback is again the short time. Thirty minutes is enough for a focused exercise, but not for a long reading of Moll Flanders or a detailed exploration of Smithfields. If you want a full Defoe-focused literary walk, this workshop is too compact. Its purpose is to spark writing, not provide a complete author study.

St. Giles Cripplegate and the final piece

The final stop is St. Giles Cripplegate on Fore Street, in the Barbican area. The session ends inside the church, where William Blake’s first prompt, the Barbican collaboration, and the Defoe exercise are brought together in a final piece.

This closing structure gives the workshop a sense of purpose. You are not completing four unrelated tasks. Each one feeds the next, and the last exercise asks you to gather the material you have created along the way.

St. Giles Cripplegate is also connected with John Milton and Daniel Defoe, whose resting places are here. That gives the final stop real literary weight, but the workshop keeps the focus on your own writing. The historic setting supports the exercise instead of taking it over.

I like the choice of an atmospheric church for the finish. After working in an open burial ground, a modern arts center, and the Smithfields area, you end in a place that encourages concentration. You can look back at your notes and see how the route has moved between poetry, public art, fiction, and history.

The final 30 minutes may be the most satisfying part for writers who enjoy revision. It gives you a chance to shape separate fragments into something more complete. Still, do not expect a finished poem ready for publication. The practical value is the method: observe a place, respond to a prompt, receive feedback, and revise.

What the private format adds

This is a private activity, so only your group participates. That is a meaningful advantage at this price. In a large public workshop, feedback can be brief and the exercises may need to suit a wide mix of people. Here, Joe Pierson can respond to the needs and level of your group.

A private format also suits families, friends, or a small writing group that wants a shared London activity. You can give each other encouragement without being placed beside a large crowd of strangers. It may also be a good choice for someone who wants to write but feels uneasy about joining a public class.

The format has a trade-off. A private session depends on your group’s energy. If only one person wants to write or share, the collaborative sections may feel thin. This works best when everyone arrives ready to take part, even if nobody considers themselves a poet.

The available morning and afternoon sessions make it easier to fit the workshop around a London day. You can choose the time that best matches your plans, though the exact meeting time should be checked when booking.

Is $103.35 per person good value?

At $103.35 per person, this is not a cheap way to see four London locations. The admission cost at each stop is free, and the tour lasts about two hours. If you measure value by sightseeing time alone, the price may seem high.

The calculation changes if you want instruction. You are paying for a private workshop led by an award-winning novelist, guided writing prompts, feedback on your poetry, and a route built around four literary settings. That is closer to a small creative class with a London walk attached than to a standard city tour.

I would consider it good value for a committed writer, a student, or a couple looking for a focused cultural activity. It is also useful for a small group that wants professional guidance without booking a full private course.

It is weaker value for someone who mainly wants background information on Blake, Milton, or Defoe. The 30-minute stops leave limited time for detailed literary history. You will get context, but the main product is writing time.

The experience has a current rating of 4 out of 5 from two ratings. That is a positive sign, though the sample is small. I would treat the score as a modest indication rather than a firm prediction of your own experience.

Who should book this experience?

I would point this workshop toward:

• Beginners who want structured prompts rather than a blank notebook
• Experienced writers seeking fresh settings and outside feedback
• Readers interested in Blake, Defoe, Milton, and London literary connections
• Couples, friends, or small groups who want a private creative activity
• People who enjoy quiet observation and short writing exercises
• Visitors who prefer participation over a guide talking for two hours

I would be more cautious if you want a conventional walking tour, a long academic discussion, or lots of free time at each site. The workshop moves through four stops in two hours, so the pace is purposeful.

You should also be ready to write. That sounds obvious, but it is the key point. If you would rather listen and take photographs, some of the session may feel like work. If you want a reason to put your phone away and pay attention to London, that same structure is the appeal.

Practical details before you go

Meet at Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, 38 City Road, London EC1Y 2BG. The location is a short walk from Old Street Underground Station, and the experience finishes at St. Giles Church, Cripplegate, on Fore Street in the Barbican area.

The route uses public places and historic buildings, so comfortable shoes make sense. The supplied information does not specify how much standing or walking takes place between stops, so you should be prepared to move through central London for the full two hours.

A mobile ticket is provided. Confirmation arrives when you book, and service animals are allowed. Most people can participate, but the available information does not give detailed accessibility notes for every stop, so contact the provider if you have specific mobility needs.

The workshop requires good weather and a minimum number of participants. If poor weather or low enrollment cancels the session, you can choose another date or experience, or receive a full refund. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Inside that 24-hour window, refunds are not available and changes are not accepted.

Should you book the Blake, Defoe and Street Poetry Workshop?

Book it if you want London to give you material for your own writing. The route has a pleasing range: Blake at Bunhill Fields, street poetry at the Barbican, Moll Flanders around Smithfields, and Defoe and Milton at St. Giles Cripplegate. Joe Pierson’s feedback and the private format make the $103.35 price easier to justify.

Skip it if your priority is a traditional literary tour with long talks and extensive time inside each historic site. This is a workshop first and sightseeing second.

For writers, curious readers, and anyone who wants a thoughtful break from ordinary sightseeing, I think it is a worthwhile choice. Bring a notebook, accept that the first line may be awkward, and let the city do some of the work.

FAQ

Where does the workshop start?

It starts at Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, 38 City Road, London EC1Y 2BG, a short walk from Old Street Underground Station.

Where does the workshop finish?

It finishes at St. Giles Church, Cripplegate, on Fore Street in the Barbican area, London EC2Y 8DA.

How long does the experience last?

The workshop lasts approximately two hours, with about 30 minutes at each of four stops.

Is the workshop suitable for beginners?

Yes. It is designed to be accessible to all writing levels and is beginner-friendly.

Is this a private activity?

Yes. Only your group participates in the private tour or activity.

Are morning and afternoon sessions available?

Yes. You can choose between morning and afternoon sessions.

What happens if the tour is canceled or I need to cancel?

You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations inside 24 hours are not refunded. If poor weather or an insufficient number of participants causes cancellation, you will be offered another date or experience, or a full refund.