adm1n It is unknown whether William Shakespeare ever passed through Holloway in his lifetime, but his literary presence was felt strongly in the area in 1976, when the St. George’s Theatre was opened at the junction of Tufnell Park Road and Carleton Road. The theatre was housed in the former St. George’s Church, designed by George … Read More
It’s February now and all Londoners know what that means, the circus is coming to town. Perhaps that concept has been lost in the last hundred years but it was often the case that February was the month in which the circuses started to perform in the Capital. In this blog post we remember a … Read More
If you walk north along Southgate Road from the Rosemary Branch pub, you could easily miss the plaque at number 97. It marks the house where Nelly Power, once a famous 19th century music hall singer and actress, lived and died. Lottie Walker, a member of Islington Guided Walks and herself a performer, discovered Nelly … Read More
Highbury lends its names to many things – a Place, a House, a Terrace, a Barn, some Fields, a Hill, and even a Hill House – to name some. In the 1700s it was a pleasant largely rural place to be. There was a lot of woodland and dairy farming around and being on slightly … Read More
Crackers invented in Finsbury As Christmas approaches and we start to prepare for the festival season, putting up the tree and decorations, buying the presents and starting to think just how big that turkey will be! Have you ever thought about those essential Christmas Crackers – where for a few days a year we laugh … Read More
A little way to the west of Canonbury Square, at the junction of Alwyne Place and Canonbury Place, is a square brick tower with many windows set on a diagonal, indicating the presence of a rising staircase inside. Passers-by are often intrigued by this building and its staircase which apparently goes nowhere. Those who investigate … Read More
Visitors to Caledonian Park who approach it from Caledonian Road will notice the railings that face Market Road and Fred White Walk. They date from 1855 when the Metropolitan Cattle Market opened on the site that later became the park. The railings were built to withstand pressure from the two-legged and four-legged creatures that thronged … Read More
Those who journey to Islington and make their way to Canonbury Square via Upper Street and Canonbury Lane are pleasantly surprised to find an unexpected gem on their walk. Situated at the corner of Canonbury Square and Canonbury Road is a large Georgian property which is home to the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art. … Read More
Highbury New Park is a wide mid-Victorian tree-lined avenue. It effectively links two green spaces – Highbury Fields and Clissold Park. Along both sides of this lovely leafy street there are impressive villas aimed at the prosperous Victorian middle classes of that time. The houses are similar in style, but they are not exactly alike, insofar as … Read More
Islington Guided Walks host a variety of free Health and History walks in the borough’s parks. Oonagh Gay is leading the next one on Sunday 20 November in Wray Crescent Park. Here Oonagh explains how three of Islington’s small parks came to be. There are several small parks in North Islington, in contrast to the … Read More