Borough

Islington

About:

Islington is an inner-city borough of London to the north of the City of London. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book in the 11th century, and in an earlier Anglo-Saxon charter. According to one early writer it was a savage place, a forest "full of the lairs of wild beasts", where bears and wild bulls roamed. On the edges of the forest was a pasture for hogs.

From the days when it was a small village on the outskirts of London, Islington has been home to many famous men and women.

Charles Dickens moved to Pentonville in 1837, at the age of 25. Like many authors and poets after him, his fascination with the borough is reflected in the amount of references he makes about Islington in many of his novels, including "Oliver Twist".

Douglas Adams, science-fiction and comedy writer, lived in Duncan Terrace during the 1980s, whilst he enjoyed huge success with his "Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series of popular books.

Comedy actor extraordinaire Peter Sellers (1925-1980) was a pupil at St Aloysius College, in Hornsey Lane, from the age of 10. He returned to the borough in 1956, when he filmed 'The Ladykillers' with Sir Alec Guiness in Frederick Street.

Routes that go through Islington:

Capital Ring:

Section 12 (Highgate to Stoke Newington)

Jubilee Greenway:

Section 3 (Camden to Victoria Park)

Population:

175,797 which is 2.5% of the total London population (2001 Census)

Area:

15 square kilometres

Tube:

The borough is served by the Victoria, Northern, Piccadilly, Hammersmith & City, Circle and Metropolitan lines. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/ for more information.

Rail:

Islington is well served by the national rail network with services provided by Silverlink Metro, First Capital Connect, WAGN and Thameslink. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/rail/ for more information.

Bus:

The borough is served by a comprehensive network of bus routes. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/ for more information.

Green space:

The London Borough of Islington is surprisingly short on large open spaces, with the lowest ratio of open space to built-up areas of any London borough. The largest continuous open space in the borough, at 29 acres, is Highbury Fields. However, Islington has excellent access to large open spaces in the neighbouring boroughs of Camden, Hackney and Haringey.

Local Authority:

Islington London Borough Council