At David Parr House, we are excited to announce a new guided walking tour through Cambridge, celebrating the launch of our F. R. Leach & Sons Walking Map of Cambridge. The map will be released on National Walking Day and invites visitors to explore the city's remarkable Arts and Crafts heritage on foot.
To mark the occasion, we are hosting a special Easter Saturday tour that retraces the daily journey of Victorian artworkman David Parr as he walked home from work through the streets of Cambridge.
Beginning at All Saints' Church and ending at his home at David Parr House on Gwydir Street, the tour offers a unique opportunity to discover the hidden decorative history of the city and the skilled craftspeople behind some of its most admired interiors.
Celebrating the Legacy of F. R. Leach & Sons
F R Leach & Sons Trade card, Copyright David Parr House CIO
The new walking map highlights the surviving work of the Cambridge decorative firm F. R. Leach & Sons, where David Parr worked for much of his life. Founded in 1862 by Frederick Richard Leach, the firm played an important role in the Arts and Crafts Movement and the Gothic Revival.
Their team of highly skilled artworkmen collaborated with leading designers, including William Morris and George Frederick Bodley to create richly decorated interiors in churches, colleges and houses across Britain.
Many of these works remain in Cambridge today, though they are often hidden behind closed doors. The new map highlights these sites and encourages visitors to discover the city through the stories of the craftsmen who created them.
Retracing David Parr's Walk Home
Our guided tour brings the map to life by retracing a route David Parr himself may have taken after finishing work at the Leach workshops.
Led by an expert guide, the tour includes stops at key locations connected to the firm's work, including:
- All Saints' Church
- Jesus College Chapel
- 35–37 City Road, the historic site of the F. R. Leach & Sons workshops
- David Parr House
The walk concludes inside David Parr's extraordinary home, where visitors can experience the intricate decorative schemes he created in his spare time. Inspired by the designs he worked on professionally, Parr transformed his modest terraced house into a remarkable example of Arts and Crafts craftsmanship within a working-class home.
Agnus Dei from the Ceiling Designs, Over the Choir in All Saints' Church Image. Credit & Copyright Adrian Powter
Book David Parr's Walk Home: Cambridge Arts and Crafts Tour (Morning)
Book David Parr's Walk Home: Cambridge Arts and Crafts Tour (Afternoon)
Discover the Map and Continue Exploring
At the end of the tour, visitors will have time to browse the shop at David Parr House and purchase the newly launched F. R. Leach & Sons Walking Map of Cambridge.
The map highlights surviving examples of Leach's work across the city, encouraging visitors to continue exploring Cambridge's decorative heritage beyond the tour.