Travel Islington Map

Travel to Islington Map

Islington tourist guide map of landmarks & destinations by Walkfo

Islington history

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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 Gāsla and dun (“hill”) The name later mutated to Isledon, which remained in use well into the 17th century .

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 . 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 . The Royal Agricultural Hall was built in 1862 on the Liverpool Road site of William Dixon’s Cattle Layers .

Water sources

The Regent’s Canal passes through Islington in an 886-metre (2,907 ft) tunnel that runs from Colebrook Row east of the Angel to Muriel Street near Caledonian Road . The canal was constructed in 1820 to carry cargo from Limehouse into the canal system . 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 good place for growing vegetables to feed London . By the 18th century there were 56 ale-house keepers in Upper Street, also offering pleasure and tea gardens, and activities such as archery, skittle alleys and bowling . Many public houses were built to serve the needs of excursionists and travellers on the turnpike .

Housing

In 1801, the population was 10,212, but by 1891 this had increased to 319,143 . The 19th century saw the greatest expansion in housing, soon to cover the whole parish . The poor were being displaced by clearances in inner London to build railway stations and goods yards . The area fell into a long decline, and by the mid-20th century, it was largely run-down and a byword for urban poverty . From the 1960s, the remaining Georgian terraces were rediscovered by middle-class families .

  

Islington map & travel guide with history & landmarks to explore

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Tourist Guide to Islington Map

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Walkfo Islington travel map key: visit National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top travel destinations in Islington