Spread across the northern reaches of inner London, Islington covers a broad residential stretch running from Islington’s High Street through to Highbury Fields and the Regent’s Canal. The area falls within the London Borough of Islington and takes in some of the capital’s busiest streets, including Upper Street, Essex Road and Southgate Road to the east. It is classified as part of Inner London and draws a mix of long-term residents and newcomers attracted by its central position.
A Name with Saxon Roots
The name Islington traces back to the Saxons, who recorded the manor as Giseldone in 1005 and Gislandune in 1062. The meaning is generally understood to be “Gīsla’s hill”, combining the Old English personal name Gīsla with dun, meaning hill or down. Over centuries the name shifted to Isledon, a form that stayed in common use well into the 17th century before the modern spelling took hold. By the 13th and 14th centuries, the original manor had begun to fragment into smaller estates with names such as Neweton Berewe, Bernersbury, Hey-bury and Canonesbury, though the ancient parish of Islington continued to serve both the remaining manor and the newer divisions that had broken from it.
Roads, Water and Medieval Origins
Some of the roads bordering Islington, including Essex Road, were already described as streets during the medieval period, which has led historians to suggest a possible Roman origin, though little physical evidence has survived. The Great North Road from Aldersgate came into regular use during the 14th century, running along what is now Upper Street and passing a toll gate at The Angel, which effectively marked the boundary of the old village. The route now known as Liverpool Road – then called the Back Road – functioned primarily as a drovers’ road, where cattle heading to Smithfield were rested in pens and sheds before the final leg of the journey. The first recorded church, St Mary’s, was built in the twelfth century and later replaced in the fifteenth. By 1548, the parish recorded 440 communicants, and the area’s rural character combined with easy reach of the City and Westminster made it a favoured address for wealthy residents. The hill on which Islington rises also supplied the City of London with water for centuries, drawing from springs at its foot in Finsbury – sources that included Sadler’s Wells, London Spa and Clerkenwell. When these proved insufficient for a growing population, plans were drawn up for the New River, a purpose-built waterway channelling fresh water from the source of the River Lea in Hertfordshire down to New River Head in Finsbury. The project was completed and the river opened on 29 September 1613 by Sir Hugh Myddelton, whose statue still marks the achievement.