London residents will soon be able to discover the city’s postal heritage through a fresh walking experience launching this weekend.

The Postal Museum, situated in Clerkenwell, houses the subterranean Mail Rail attraction that has proved popular with visitors for years.

On Saturday April 18, specialists from the museum will venture beyond Islington to lead the inaugural outing of a brand-new guided series through the capital’s streets.

Attendees will trace the routes taken by mail carriers throughout history, examining the individuals, locations and pillar boxes that maintained communication across the metropolis for generations.

Long before electronic mail and instant messaging became standard, handwritten correspondence, busy sorting facilities and horse-drawn delivery vehicles ensured people remained connected.

This historical expedition retraces the paths of the postal workers who facilitated letter delivery throughout London’s thoroughfares.

The initial walking route commences at St Mary Woolnoth Church adjacent to Bank Station, encompassing the original post offices and Postman’s Park close to St Paul’s, where poignant stories of those who lost their lives attempting to rescue others are remembered.

The approximately 90-minute stroll covers 1.7 miles and concludes at The Postal Museum on Phoenix Place, directly beside the entrance to one of Royal Mail’s most active distribution hubs at Mount Pleasant.

The museum itself documents half a millennium of the British postal service, spanning from the world’s inaugural adhesive stamp, the Penny Black, through to telegrams, delivery uniforms, pillar boxes and the opportunity to ride the underground railway that transported mail beneath the city.

Places on the walking tours are priced at £15 each and must be reserved beforehand via the museum’s website at postalmuseum.org.

Excursions depart at 11:00am on 18 April, 2 May, 16 May and 30 May from St Mary Woolnoth Church, Lombard Street, London, EC3V.