THE radical history of Clerkenwell Green is set to be uncovered by a new project at the Marx Memorial Library.

The Green has written itself into London’s political folklore, with centuries of radicalism – and the library, working with the nearby Peel Centre and Finsbury Estate, will bring together neighbours and civic groups to create a new appreciation of the Green’s rich history of activism.

The MML announced this week it had won funding from the Association for Independent Museums, supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund, for a community exhibition project called “People & Protest: Radical Clerkenwell Reinterpreted”.

Director of the Marx Memorial Library Meirian Jump said: “The exploration of workers’ rights, women’s liberation, protest and democracy remains relevant today. This project is an exciting opportunity to bring these stories to life and share them with a broader audience.”

With the rise of socialist and communist movements in the 1920s, the Green became a favoured meeting spot and in 1933 the Marx Memorial Library moved into its home.

An early Protestant group who became known as The Lollards met there to talk about the translated English language Bible. The Chartists in the 19th century held mass rallies there, while at the turn of the 20th century it began its long association with communism.