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Revision as of 18:44, 9 March 2007
Template:Infobox London place Islington is an inner-city district in north London. The name is confusing, because it is very 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). However there is a core district of Islington that falls into none of the surrounding areas.
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 Highbury and Islington station. 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.
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. Perhaps this is because this area contains a great deal of social housing and old industry. Here Islington meets Hoxton and De Beauvoir Town in Hackney, while 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).
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 road up Highgate Hill. This was along the line of modern Upper Street. 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 accomodate the animals[1].
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 towpath, The Narrowboat.
The canal was constructed in 1820, to carry cargo from Limehouse into the canal system. There is no towpath in the tunnel, and bargees had to walk their barges through, braced against the roof[2]. Commercial use of the canal has declined since the 1960s.
Georgian period
Because of its proximity to the City of London, Islington developed as a fashionable area in the nineteenth century, with large well-built houses. However changes in residential patterns led to a decline in its popularity, and by the mid-twentieth century it was largely run down and a by-word for urban poverty.
Gentrification
From the 1970s the district experienced a rapid process of gentrification. A number of the central figures in the New Labour movement lived there, including Tony Blair before his victory in the 1997 general election.
According to the The Guardian, Islington "is widely regarded as the spiritual home of Britain's leftwing intelligentsia" [3].
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.
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.
- 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.
- Sir Walter Raleigh, writer, poet, courtier and explorer lived in Upper Street between 1575 and 1581.
- Simon Rattle, conductor, has a residence in Lonsdale Square.
- 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.
- Charlie Watts, drummer of The Rolling Stones, was born and raised in Islington.
- Samuel West, actor.
Nearby places
Transport Links
Education
- For education in the area, see the London Borough of Islington article.
See also
External links
References
- ^ 'Islington: Communications', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8: Islington and Stoke Newington parishes (1985), pp. 3-8 accessed: 09 March 2007
- ^ Alan Faulkner "The Regent's Canal: London's Hidden Waterway" (2005) ISBN 1-870002-59-8
- ^ David Clark - "Accusations of anti-semitic chic are poisonous intellectual thuggery"; Monday March 6, 2006. The Guardian accessed: 09 March 2007
- 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)