‘Beating the Bounds’ of Islington from the Regent’s Canal to Old St

This boundary walk between Islington and Hackney boroughs weaves around the areas either side of the Regent’s Canal, City Rd Basin and City Rd. There’s a wealth of interest in the old boroughs of Finsbury and Shoreditch, and the edge of the City in Moorfields. A varied mix of City Livery Company history, ironworks, canal basins, WWII devastation, the lost hospitals quarter, a natural swimming pool and a mediaeval well.

This is one of a series of walks exploring the borders of today’s Islington Borough (with Hackney and Camden), looking at how this has evolved over the centuries due to a mix of changing land ownership, parish church catchments, significance of early settlements and roads, and natural features such as springs and ponds.