A Morning's Walk from London to Kew

Walking from London towards Kew gives Richard Phillips occasion to examine the society around him as closely as the scenery. Published in 1817, this account combines local travel with arguments about public life, education, wealth and scientific reasoning. Its route includes Chelsea, Wandsworth, Barnes and Mortlake, while its subjects range from factories and footpaths to workhouses and church bells. Phillips makes individual happiness a measure of public policy and openly challenges inherited opinions.

A visit to the former Kit-Cat Club rooms shows how readily a building can lead him into reflection. Their decay prompts thoughts about age and humility before he traces the history of the club's portraits and recalls earlier inhabitants of Barnes Elms. Readers interested in London and its surroundings can follow a pedestrian observer whose descriptions continually open into social criticism, historical recollection and philosophical speculation.