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This discreet wall plate on a school in Bath Street, Finsbury commemorates the ‘French Hospital’, founded in 1718. Then this Islington Borough green historic plaque marked the adjacent site of the rather more sinister-sounding City Pest House, established in 1593; sadly, it appears to have been mislaid during some recent building work. Bath Street … Read More
Introduction The area of Finsbury has a strong connection with Medicine, and to start off, here is a post that looks at the Bethlehem Hospital – in the City of London, but just outside the Moorgate. The hospital led to many Doctors and Physicians living in the area around Finsbury Circus, and this led to … Read More
Squeezed tightly into the corner where Carleton Road meets Tufnell Park Road is the unusual building shown above. Known as The Rock Tower, it has a large circular central section, with attached structures of various shapes and sizes, and a separate bell tower – now linked to the building by a modern extension. The Rock … Read More
If you happen to find yourself in Barnsbury on a Tuesday afternoon, then I can recommend a visit to London’s smallest nature reserve. This is Barnsbury Wood and it has equally small opening hours; just 2-4pm on Tuesday afternoons (although slightly longer in the month of August). The wood is the creation of George Thornhill … Read More
Sit in the gardens of Canonbury Square – east or west – and, despite the din of the lorries heading down the Canonbury Road that divides it, something of the peace and quiet of a London square still remains. The attractive gardens, maintained by a dedicated band of local volunteers, with some unusual and exotic … Read More
The guides at Islington Guided Walks have been working over the last few weeks to build a new Visit Islington set of pages – we’ve divided the borough into ten areas, and for each area a page that looks at why you should visit the area, more on the area history and lists some of … Read More
Why Visit? Whether you’re after fitness, festivals, food or fashion – you’ll find Finsbury Park well worth a visit! The neighbourhood has a long-standing reputation for entertainment. You can visit the site of the iconic Rainbow Theatre and/or try some bowling or Karaoke at Rowan’s Tenpin Bowl. The impressive shopping and dining options reflect the … Read More
Why visit? This is a vibrant, diverse community with one of the youngest average ages of any London borough. The Upper Street area is lined with lively restaurants, bars and shops. The area has significant entertainment links. It includes the sites of some of the country’s early purpose-built cinemas, one of which still functions as … Read More
Why visit? Caledonian Road is an interesting place to visit because of the fascinating history provided by the Caledonian Asylum and the Caledonian Market. Today the road shows marked contrast between the western section dominated by post-war housing developments and the eastern side which was developed as fine Victorian housing. Running through the southern end … Read More
The borough of Islington is full of interesting areas – this section of our website provides you with an overview of the different areas that you might want to explore with our guides Clerkenwell – Medieval Monasteries, Entertainment, Revolutions, Craftspeople, Prisons and Theatre, The Fleet Finsbury – Archery, Burial grounds, Medical history, Poverty and Nonconformist … Read More