In 1253 land in the area was granted to the Canons of St Bartholomew's Priory, Smithfield, and became known as Canonbury. The area continued predominantly as open land until it was developed as a suburb in the early 19th century.[2]
In common with similar inner London areas, it suffered decline when the construction of railways in the 1860s enabled commuting into the city from further afield. The gentrification of the area from the 1950s included new developments to replace war-damaged properties in Canonbury Park North and South as well as restoration of older buildings.
Geography
Canonbury is traditionally an area of the London Borough of Islington, and has never been an administrative unit in its own right. For this reason it has never had formally defined boundaries, but approximates to the area between Essex Road, Upper Street and Cross Street and either side of St Paul's Road. The Canonbury electoral ward within the London Borough of Islington extends as far east as Southgate Road.
In the east is the Marquess Estate, a 1,200 dwelling council estate, completed in 1976 on 26 acres (110,000m2), and designed by Darbourne & Darke.[2] A dark red brick, traffic free estate, it was praised as an example of municipal architecture, but acquired a bad reputation and has since been extensively redeveloped to improve security for residents.
Canonbury Square – Developed between 1805 and 1830, it includes a variety of distinct styles. In 1812, when few properties had been built, the New North Road turnpike, now known as Canonbury Road, was constructed and bisects the square. Many significant figures from the arts and literary worlds have lived on the square, including the writers George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh, and the actor Samuel Phelps.
New River Walk – The New River, an aqueduct built by Sir Hugh Myddelton to supply fresh water to London, was completed in 1613. The walk is in two parts, with a break at Willowbridge. The southern section received an early National Lottery grant, and has a back-pumping scheme which simulates the water flow of the original aqueduct.
Arlington Square – voted one of the UK's best garden squares.[3]
Literary and artistic connections
Canonbury Square
George Orwell moved to 27b Canonbury Square in the autumn of 1944 – he and his wife having been bombed out of their previous flat, in Mortimer Crescent, on 28 June 1944.[4]Evelyn Waugh lived at 17a Canonbury Square from 1928 to 1930.[5]Charles Dickens wrote a Christmas story about a lamplighter in Canonbury, which features the Tower.[6] Leslie Forbes, the travel and detective story writer,[7] and pseudohistorianGavin Menzies both lived in the area.[8]M. V. Hughes (née Thomas) lived at 1 Canonbury Park North (the house is no longer standing) as a child, and describes life there in her memoir A London Child of the 1870s.[9]
Churches
St Paul's Church, now a school
St Paul's, at the junction of Essex Road and Balls Pond Road, was designed in 1826-28 by Charles Barry for the Church of England.[10] Its parish was merged with St Jude, Mildmay and since 1997 the building has been used as a Steiner school.[11][12]
St Stephen's Church, Church of England, is on Canonbury Road and was built in 1839.[13][14]
The Canonbury Society aims to conserve the special character of Canonbury by monitoring development.[15]
Islington & Stoke Newington (T.S Quail) Sea Cadet Unit
The Islington Society was founded in 1960 to safeguard and improve the quality of life in Islington. It focuses on the built environment and public transport, but also takes a special interest in public services and open spaces.[16]
Politics
Canonbury forms part of the Islington South and Finsbury parliamentary constituency. The constituency's MP is Labour politician Emily Thornberry. The Islington councillors representing Canonbury are Alex Diner, Clare Jeapes and Nick Wayne (Labour).
Demography
The 2011 census showed that the population of Canonbury ward was 72% white (53% British, 15% Other, 4% Irish), and 6% Black African.[17]
Canonbury Road School, now Canonbury Primary School, opened in 1877.[19] It is a Community primary school taking boys and girls from 3 to 11 years of age. In 2010, the school was placed in special measures.[20] By 2013, when Ofsted inspected Canonbury Primary School it was rated as a "Good" school.[21] In 2013, there were 460 pupils on the school roll.[22]
Founded as a charity school in 1710, St Mary's Church of England Primary School has, since 1967, been situated on Fowler Road in Canonbury.[23] When Ofsted inspected the school in 2012 it was rated as a "Good" school and there were 178 pupils on the school roll.[24]
Molly Hughes, educator and author, chronicled her childhood in Canonbury in A London Child of the 1870s growing up in a house that "stood at the corner of two roads" with a view down the length of Grange Grove (1 Canonbury Park North)[9]
George Orwell, writer, lived at 27b Canonbury Square
Evelyn Waugh, writer, lived at 17a Canonbury Square
Professor Sir Basil Spence, architect, lived and worked at 1 Canonbury Place from 1956 until his death in 1976. He is commemorated with a blue plaque[29][30]
Dame Flora Robson, actress, lived in Alwyne Villas
Louis Macneice, poet, lived at 52 Canonbury Park South from 1947 to 1952 and is commemorated with a blue plaque
Gareth Morris, principal flute, Philharmonia and New Philharmonia Orchestras (1948–1972) also principal flute professor of Royal Academy of Music (1945–1985), resident of 4 Alwyne Place from 1945 to 1987
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