Islington

For other uses, see Islington (disambiguation).

Islington
OS grid reference	TQ315845
London borough	Islington
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	N1
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Islington South and Finsbury Islington North
London Assembly	North East

Islington is an inner-city district in North London. The name is often used to refer to the London Borough of Islington (in particular when areas close to Upper Street such as Barnsbury and Canonbury are involved).

Modern definition

Islington constitutes two main areas. The most familiar is approximately the area bounded by Liverpool Road to the west and Essex Road to the southeast. Its northernmost point is at Crouch Hill. The main high street, Upper Street, runs roughly north-south through this. However, it should be noted that the historic district of Canonbury is an exception here and should not be included. In addition, the area around Chapel Market, which once would have been considered part of Pentonville is more usually considered to be part of Islington or the Angel these days.

Less well-known but larger in area than the shopping and entertainment district round Upper Street is the area bounded by Essex Road, New North Road, the Regent's Canal, Shepherdess Walk and City Road. This part of the borough includes the period houses of the Arlington Conservation Area (centering around Arlington Square and surrounding streets) and it's here Islington meets Hoxton and De Beauvoir Town in Hackney. South of the City Road is the Finsbury district of St Luke's.

Finally adding more complexity, in modern times it has become customary to refer to a large area round Angel tube station as a district in its own right, The Angel, Islington. The northern part of this area (from the Liverpool Road junction northwards) is also in the district of Islington, while the southern half is in Finsbury.

History

Etymology

Islington was originally named by the Saxons Giseldone (1005), then Gislandune (1062). The name means 'Gīsla's hill' from the Old English personal name Gīsla and dun 'hill', 'down'. The name then later mutated to Isledon, which remained in use well into the 17th century when the modern form arose. In medieval times, Islington was just one of many small manors hereabouts, along with Bernersbury, Neweton Berewe or Hey-bury, and Canonesbury (Barnsbury, Highbury and Canonbury - names first recorded in the 13th and 14th centuries).

1861 Royal Agricultural Hall, view from Liverpool Road. Now the rear entrance to the Business Design Centre

1861 Cattle show at the Royal Agricultural Hall

Origins

Some roads on the edge of the area, including Essex Road were known as streets by the medieval period, possibly indicating a Roman origin, but little physical evidence remains. What is known is that the Great North Road, from Aldersgate came into use in the 14th century, connecting with a new turnpike (toll road) up Highgate Hill. This was along the line of modern Upper Street, with a toll gate at The Angel, defining the extent of the village. The Back Road, the modern Liverpool Road, was primarily a drovers' road where cattle would be rested before the final leg of their journey to Smithfield. Pens and sheds were erected along this road to accommodate the animals.

Islington lay on the estates of the Bishop of London, and the Dean and Chapter of St Pauls. There were substantial medieval moated manor houses in the area, principally at Canonbury and Highbury. In 1548, there are 440 communicants listed and the rural atmosphere, with access to the City and Westminster, made it a popular residence for the rich and eminent. The local inns, however harboured many fugitives and recursants.

The Royal Agricultural Hall was built in 1862, on the Liverpool Road site of William Dixon's Cattle Layers. The hall was 75 ft high, and the arched glass roof spanned 125 ft, it was built for the annual Smithfield Show in December, but was popular for other purposes, including recitals and the Royal Tournament. It was the primary exhibition site for London until the 20th century. It had been requisitioned for use by Mount Pleasant sorting office during World War II, and never re-opened. The main hall has now been incorporated into the Business Design Centre.

A statue of Hugh Myddleton, creator of the New River, surmounts a drinking fountain at Islington Green. (November 2005)

Water sources

The hill on which Islington stands has long supplied the City of London with water, the first projects drawing water through wooden pipes from the many springs that lay at its foot, in Finsbury. These included Sadlers Wells, London Spa and Clerkenwell.

By the 17th century these traditional sources were inadequate to supply the growing population and plans were laid to construct a waterway, the New River, to bring fresh water from the source of the River Lee, in Hertfordshire to New River Head, below Islington in Finsbury. The river was opened on September 29, 1613 by Sir Hugh Myddleton, the constructor of the project. His statue still stands where Upper Street meets Essex Road. The course of the river ran to the east of Upper Street, and much of its course is now covered and forms a linear park through the area.

The Regents Canal passes through Islington. For much of its length, it travels through an 886m tunnel that runs from Colebrook Row, just east of the Angel, to emerge near King's Cross. The subterranean stretch is marked with a series of pavement plaques, so that canal walkers may find their way from one entrance to the other above ground. The area of the canal east of the tunnel and north of the City Road was once dominated by much warehousing and industry surrounding the large City Road Basin and Wenlock Basin. Those old buildings that survive here are now largely residential or small work units. This stretch boasts one of the few old canal pubs with an entrance actually on the tow-path, The Narrowboat.

The canal was constructed in 1820, to carry cargo from Limehouse into the canal system. There is no tow-path in the tunnel, and bargees had to walk their barges through, braced against the roof. Commercial use of the canal has declined since the 1960s.

Market gardens and entertainments

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the availability of water made Islington a place for growing vegetables to feed London. The manor became a popular resort for Londoners, due to this rural aspect and many public houses were founded to serve the needs of both visitors and travellers on the turnpike. By 1716, there were 56 ale-house keepers in Upper Street, also offering pleasure and tea gardens, and activities such as archery, skittle alleys and bowling. By the 18th century music and dancing were offered, together with billiards, firework displays and balloon ascents. The King's Head Tavern, now a Victorian building, with a theatre, has remained on the same site, opposite the parish church, since 1543. The founder of the theatre, Dan Crawford, who died in 2005, disagreed with the introduction of decimal coinage. For twenty-plus years after decimalisation (on 15 February 1971), the bar continued to show prices and charge for drinks in pre-decimalisation currency. By the 19th century, many music halls and theatres were established around Islington Green. One such was Collins' Music Hall, the remains of which is now incorporated into a bookshop. It stood on the site of the Landsdowne Tavern, where the landlord had built an entertainment room for customers who wanted to sing (and later for professional entertainers). It was founded in 1862 by Samuel Thomas Collins Vagg, by 1897 this had become a 1,800 seat theatre with 10 bars. This theatre suffered damage in a fire in 1958, and has not reopened. Between 92 and 162 acts were put on each evening and performers who started there included Marie Lloyd, George Robey, Harry Lauder, Harry Tate, George Formby, Vesta Tilley, Tommy Trinder, Gracie Fields, Tommy Handley, and Norman Wisdom.

An 1805 map of Islington

The Islington Literary and Scientific Society was established in 1833 and first met in Mr. Edgeworth's academy, on Upper Street. Its object was to spread knowledge through lectures, discussions, and experiments, politics and theology being forbidden. A building was erected in 1837 in Wellington (later Almeida) Street, designed by Roumieu and Gough in a stuccoed Grecian style. It included a library, with 3,300 volumes in 1839, reading room, museum, laboratory, and lecture theatre seating 500. The subscription was 2 guineas a year. The library was sold off in 1872 and the building sold or leased in 1874 to the Wellington Club, which occupied it until 1886. In 1885 the hall was used for concerts, balls, and public meetings. The Salvation Army bought the building in 1890, renamed it the Wellington Castle barracks, and remained there until 1955. The building became a factory and showroom for Beck's British Carnival Novelties for a few years from 1956 then remained empty until in 1978 a campaign began to turn it into a theatre. A public appeal was launched in 1981 and a festival of avant-garde theatre and music was held there and at other Islington venues in 1982, and the successful Almeida Theatre founded.

Housing

Some development took place to accommodate the popularity of nearby Sadlers Wells, which became a resort in the 16th century, but the 19th century saw the greatest expansion in housing, soon to cover the whole parish. In 1801, the population was 10,212; by 1891 there were 319,143 inhabitants in the borough. This rapid expansion was partly due to the introduction of horse-drawn omnibuses in 1830. With large well-built houses and fashionable squares, clerks, artisans and professionals were drawn to the district. However, from the middle of the 1800s, the poor were being displaced by clearances in inner London to build the new railway stations and goods yards. They settled in Islington, with the houses becoming occupied by many families. This, combined with the railways pushing into outer Middlesex, reduced Islington's attraction for the better off, and the area fell into a long decline; and by the mid-twentieth century the area was largely run down and a by-word for urban poverty.

World War II caused much damage to Islington's housing stock, with 3,200 dwellings destroyed. While before the war, municipal housing had not had much impact, after the war many bomb sites were redeveloped, both by the Metropolitan Borough of Islington and the London County Council. Clearance of the worst terraced housing was still undertaken, but Islington continued to be both the most dense (least open space), and the borough with the highest level of overcrowding.

From the 1960s the Georgian terraces were rediscovered by middle class families, and many of the houses were rehabilitated, with the area becoming newly fashionable. This displacement of the poor by the aspirational has become known as gentrification. Among these new residents were a number of the central figures in the New Labour movement, including Tony Blair before his victory in the 1997 general election. "Islington is widely regarded as the spiritual home of Britain's left-wing intelligentsia" (The Guardian). The Granita Pact, between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, is said to have been made at a, now defunct, restaurant on Upper Street.

The completion of the Victoria line and redevelopment of Angel tube station has created the conditions for developers to build many blocks of small flats, popular with young professionals, intensifying use of the area. The many inns of the 17th century are now replaced with busy public houses and trendy wine bars. The many small shops selling bijou items are increasingly priced out of the area, and replaced by national (and international) chains. Islington remains a place in constant flux.

Monopoly fame

The area is also well-known due to its inclusion in the British version of Monopoly which features The Angel, Islington. However, in the game the Angel is the third cheapest property on the board. 'The Angel, Islington' was included as the licensees considered the names of places they were to use over tea in the Lyon's Corner House, built on the site of the original Angel Inn.

In literature

Islington features extensively in modern English literature and culture:

• Douglas Adams lived in Islington and used it as a setting in his novels.
• In Neil Gaiman's best selling novel Neverwhere Islington is an angel that lives under London, named after the Angel tube station.
• Martha Grimes' fictional detective, Richard Jury, lives in a flat in Islington.
• Simon Gray's play Otherwise Engaged is set in Islington. It was written in the 1970s.
• In The Zoo, a comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and B. C. Stephenson, two of the main characters are the Duke of Islington and his beloved, whom he asks to become the Duchess of Islington.

Notable residents, past and present

• Douglas Adams, writer, lived on Duncan Terrace later renting his house to comedian Angus Deayton.
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, actor was born here.
• Lily Allen, singer and daughter of actor Keith Allen.
• Nina Bawden, Author, has lived in Islington for many years
• Neve Campbell, actress.
• Dido, singer, was born in Islington and owns a property there.
• Colin Firth, actor,is a resident.
• Kate Greenaway, children's writer and book illustrator, lived on Upper Street for 20 years before moving to Holloway.
• Tony Hadley, lead singer of Spandau Ballet and solo artist, was born in Islington in 1960.
• Edmund Halley, Astronomer Royal and discoverer of Halley's Comet lived in Islington (exact location unknown) from 1665.
• Charlie G. Hawkins, actor of Darren Miller in EastEnders.
• William Hogarth, artist, was born in Bartholomew Close in 1697 and spent his early years in Islington.
• Charles Lamb, writer, lived in Chapel Street from 1796 and later in Colebrook Row.
• V.I. Lenin lived at 30 Holford Square from 1902 and later at 16, Percy Circus.
• Leona Lewis, singer, winner of the third series of The X-Factor.
• Sheree Murphy, actress was born here.
• Joe Orton, playwright, lived and was murdered in a flat in Noel Road, Islington.
• George Orwell, writer, lived at 50 Lawford Road.
• Sir Walter Raleigh, writer, poet, courtier and explorer lived in Upper Street between 1575 and 1581.
• Ronnie Ronalde, music hall performer famous for his singing, whistling, yodelling and imitations of bird song was born and raised in Islington. As a young boy, he performed informally in the streets of Islington on a number of occasions.
• Jon Ronson, author, columnist, documentary maker.
• Peter Vowell, Schoolteacher, executed for High Treason.
• Charlie Watts, drummer of The Rolling Stones, was born and raised in Islington.
• Samuel West, actor.
• Tash Aw, Whitbread Book Award winning author.

Transport

The area is well served with bus routes, with a major bus interchange located near Angel tube station. Red route and residents' parking restrictions apply throughout the area

Nearby places

• Angel
• Barnsbury
• Canonbury
• De Beauvoir Town
• Finsbury
• Highbury
• Hoxton
• Holloway
• King's Cross
• Pentonville
• St Luke's

Nearby stations

• Angel tube station
• Essex Road railway station
• Highbury & Islington station

Education

For education in the area, see the London Borough of Islington article.

Listed Buildings

The Grade II* listed St Paul's Church seen from Essex Road. This was built in 1826 to a design by Sir Charles Barry, who went on to build the current Houses of Parliament. (March 2007)

The Egyptianate former Carlton cinema on Essex Road is Grade II listed, and has now closed. (November 2005)

Grade II*

English Heritage lists three Grade II* listed buildings within Central Islington (and many more in surrounding districts):

• The Union Chapel
• 3 Terrett's Place (An 18th-century house on Upper Street)
• St Paul's Church, St Paul's Road (Designed by Sir Charles Barry, now the St Paul's Steiner Project)

Grade II (selected):

The area is perhaps most notable for its houses, shops and pubs. Many whole terraces are listed including much of Liverpool Road (one side of which is in Barnsbury) and Islington High Street/Upper Street. Other multiply listed streets include Camden Passage, Compton Terrace, Colebrooke Row, Cross Street, Duncan Terrace, Essex Road, Gibson Square and Milner Square).

Other Grade II listed structures include:

• The Almeida Theatre.
• The Angel Baptist Church, Cross Street.
• The Angel public house (the original one, now a Co-op bank - not the newer Wetherspoon's), Islington High Street.
• The Business Design Centre (part of which is the former Royal Agricultural Hall), Upper Street.
• The Camden Head public house, Camden Passage.
• The Hope and Anchor public house, Upper Street.
• Islington Town Hall.
• M Manze's Pie and Eel Shop, Chapel Market.
• Mecca Bingo Hall, Essex Road (once the Carlton Cinema).
• The Old Queen's Head public house, Essex Road.
• St John's Church, Duncan Terrace.
• St Mary's Church, Upper Street (rebuilt after World War 2 - only the spire remains from the original).
• South Library, Essex Road.
• The York public house.

See also

• Almeida Theatre
• Business Design Centre
• Crafts Council
• Islington Green
• The Union Chapel

External links

• Islington Council
• Islington Archaeology & History Society
• Islington Literary & Historical Strolls
• St Mary's Church (The main parish church)

References

• A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8 (Note that even this largely refers to the old parish, considerably larger than the modern district)