After finishing my architecture degree and moving back home to Shoreditch, I found myself looking at my own neighbourhood with fresh eyes, with more curiosity about its history, its buildings, and all the stories tucked away behind them. One day, I walked past the John Wesley Chapel & Museum on City Road, a place I’d passed a million times before without a second thought, and on a whim, I signed up to volunteer there to learn more.

To my surprise, I stumbled into this hidden gem packed with local history. Its roots stretch out across Shoreditch, connecting places like Moorfields Eye Hospital, Old Street, and Liverpool Street, and even link all the way to the Americas through its religious and historical ties. The Chapel itself is just one part of it: there’s the beautiful main Chapel (plus the old Foundry Chapel), the cosy Museum tucked away in the basement, and John Wesley’s House, which you can visit alongside his grave and the peaceful little garden that surrounds it.