Approaching St John's Waterloo's bicentennial celebration in late 2024, at The Bridge At Waterloo we are embarking on a heritage project which will remember and memorialise Cardboard City and the related ephemeral and neglected heritage of homeless people in the area. This is being funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grant programme, celebrating working class histories.

‘The Lost City of Cardboard’ project will be led by artists who experienced homelessness. It will engage directly with individuals who resided in Cardboard City, those who provided support to its inhabitants, and local residents with recollections of or an interest in shedding light on this heritage.

The physical history of Cardboard City has all but vanished and the memories are fading from the collective consciousness of Londoners. Those whose lives are entwined with it are passing away, placing us at risk of losing their accounts.

Over the course of 2024, we will be reaching out to people to get involved directly with this project. If you have a related story or memory to share or are interested in being involved, please get in touch!