Clerkenwell
Coordinates: 51°31′34″N 0°06′13″W / 51.52604, -0.103475 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...
OS grid reference	TQ315825
London borough	Islington
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	EC1
Dial code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Islington South and Finsbury
London Assembly	North East
European Parliament	London
List of places: UK • England • London

Clerkenwell Green and St James' church

Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. Clerkenwell was once known as London's "Little Italy" due to its extensive Italian population from the 1850s to the 1960s. It is bounded roughly by Cowcross Street to the south, St John Street to the east, Rosebery Avenue to the west, and Skinner Street to the north. Image File history File links Greater_london_outline_map_bw. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... Arms of Islington London Borough Council Islington Town Hall Islington is a borough of London to the north of the City of London, west of Hackney, east of Camden, and south of Haringey. ... 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This is a partial list of places in London, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Arms of Islington London Borough Council Islington Town Hall Islington is a borough of London to the north of the City of London, west of Hackney, east of Camden, and south of Haringey. ... Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated (or formerly populated) primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. ...

History

The Clerk's Well

Clerkenwell took its name from the Clerk's Well in Farringdon Lane. In the Middle Ages, the London Parish clerks performed annual mystery plays there, based on biblical themes. Part of the well remains visible, incorporated into a later (19th or perhaps early 20th century) building called Well Court. It is visible through a window of that building on Farringdon Lane. Mystery plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. ...

Monastic traditions

The nuns of St Mary's, Clerkenwell, lived on the site of the present St James' Parish Church. The Monastic Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem had its English headquarters in Clerkenwell. (The Blessed Gerard founded the Order in order to give medical assistance during the crusades.) St John's Gate (built by Sir Thomas Docwra in 1504) survives in the rebuilt form of the Priory Gate. Its gateway, erected in 1504, and remaining in St John's Square, served various purposes after the suppression of the monasteries, being, for example, the birthplace of the Gentleman's Magazine in 1731, and the scene of Dr Johnson's work in connexion with that journal. In modern times the gatehouse again became associated with the Order, and was in the early 20th century the headquarters of the St John Ambulance Association. An Early English crypt remains beneath the neighbouring parish church of St John, where the notorious deception of the "Cock Lane Ghost," in which Johnson took great interest, was exposed. Adjoining the priory was St Mary's Benedictine nunnery, St James's church (1792) marking the site, and preserving in its vaults some of the ancient monuments. The Charterhouse, near the boundary with the City of London, once served as a Carthusian monastery. The Charterhouse later became a school and almshouse, which latter still remains. For other uses, see Nun (disambiguation). ... Gabriel delivering the Annunciation to Mary. ... Saint James can refer to the following: Several men mentioned in the New Testament, whose various epithets and euphemisms cause some uncertainties: James, son of Zebedee, an apostle, brother of John the Apostle; also called Saint James the Great. ... Baron Vassiliev, a 19th-century Knight Commander The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, the Knights of Malta, the Knights of Rhodes, and the Chevaliers of Malta) was an organization that began as an Amalfitan hospital founded in... John the Apostle (Hebrew: Johanan ;Greek Ιωάννης, see names of John) was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate 50... Gerard ( 1040–1120), variously surnamed Tum, Tune, Tenque or Thom, founder of the order of the Knights of St. ... This article is about historical Crusades . ... St Johns Gate is one of the few tangible remains from Clerkenwells monastic past, it was built in 1504 by Prior Thomas Docwra as the south entrance to the inner precinct of the Priory of the Knights of Saint John - the Knights Hospitallers. ... Thomas Docwra (1458? - 1527) was Grand Prior of the English tongue Knights Hospitaller. ... 1504 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events 10 Downing Street becomes the official residence of the United Kingdoms Prime Minister when Robert Walpole moves in. ... This article is about the literary figure. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... St. ... Salisbury Cathedral, built c. ... Crypt is also a commonly used name of water trumpets, aquatic plants. ... Adjacent to Londons Smithfield market and only a few minutes walk from St Pauls Cathedral, is a short alleyway known as Cock Lane. ... Munichs city symbol celebrates its founding by Benedictine monks—the origin of its name A Benedictine is a person who follows the Rule of St Benedict. ... This article is about an abbey as a religious building. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Charterhouse in 1770. ... The City of London is a geographically-small city within Greater London, England. ... Coat of arms of the Carthusian order Monasterio de la Cartuja, a former Carthusian monastery in Seville The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. ... Monastery of St. ... The Almshouse at Sherborne, Dorset The Almshouse at Woburn, Bedfordshire West Hackney Almshouses in Stoke Newington, London. ...

Fashionable residential area

In the 17th century Clerkenwell became a fashionable place of residence. Oliver Cromwell owned a house on Clerkenwell Close, just off the Green. Before Clerkenwell became a built-up area, it had a reputation as a resort where Londoners could disport themselves at its spas, tea gardens and theatres. Sadler's Wells has survived, after rebuilding, as heir to this tradition. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Oliver Cromwell (April 25, 1599–September 3, 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for making England a republic and leading the Commonwealth of England. ... Resorts combine a hotel and a variety of recreations, such as swimming pools. ... A day spa is a business establishment which people visit for personal care treatments such as massages and facials. ... The interior of the Comédie-Française, Paris, showing the stage, boxes, galleries and orchestra sections of the house. ... The London Coliseum, home of the English National Opera The English National Opera (ENO) is Londons second opera company, after the Royal Opera at Covent Garden. ...

Clerkenwell was also the location of three prisons: the Clerkenwell Bridewell, Coldbath Fields Prison (later Clerkenwell Gaol) and the New Prison, later the House of Detention, notorious as the scene of a Fenian attempted prison break in 1867, when it was sought to release prisoners by blowing up part of the building. Clerkenwell Bridewell was a prison located in the Clerkenwell area of central London between c. ... Coldbath Fields Prison (later also known as Clerkenwell Gaol) was a prison in the Clerkenwell areas of the City of London, originally built during the reign of King James I. It took its name from its historic location in fields near an important well or medicinal spring. ... The New Prison was a prison located in the Clerkenwell area of central London between c. ... Fenian is a term used since the 1850s for Irish nationalists (who oppose British rule in Ireland). ... Cunt BAg Twat Fuk suck my penis ring 0778851865!!!!!!Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Industrial revolution

The Industrial Revolution changed the area greatly. It became a centre for breweries, distilleries and the printing industry. It gained an especial reputation for the making of clocks and watches, which activity once employed many people from around the area. Flourishing craft workshops still carry on some of the traditional trades, such as jewellery-making. Clerkenwell is home to Witherbys, England's oldest printing company. The company, which was established in 1740 and whose shareholding is mainly family-held, produces a wide variety of commercial work from business cards through to Report & Accounts. A Watt steam engine. ... The entrance of a brewery. ... Distillation is a means of separating liquids through differences in their boiling points. ... For other articles which might have the same name, see Print (disambiguation). ... A clockmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs clocks. ... A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. ...

Clerkenwell in 1805.

Clerkenwell Green lies at the centre of the old village, by the church, and has a mix of housing, offices and pubs. In conveying some impression of its history it probably gives the appearance of one of the better-preserved village centres in what is now central London. In Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, Clerkenwell Green is where Fagin and the Artful Dodger induct Oliver into pickpocketing amongst shoppers in the busy market once held there. Indeed Dickens knew the area well and was a customer of the Finsbury Savings Bank on Sekforde Street, a street linking Clerkenwell Green to St John Street. The London Government Act 1899 incorporated the civil parish of Clerkenwell into the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The parish included also the Pentonville area. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (712x758, 253 KB) Summary A plan of Clerkenwell in London by James Tyrer, 1805. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (712x758, 253 KB) Summary A plan of Clerkenwell in London by James Tyrer, 1805. ... Dickens redirects here. ... Oliver Twist (1838) is Charles Dickens second novel. ... Thomas Seckford (1515-1587), born near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. ... The London Government Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. ... A civil parish (usually just parish) in England is a subnational entity forming the lowest unit of local government, lower than districts or counties. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury was a metropolitan borough within the County of London from 1899 to 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Islington to form the London Borough of Islington. ... Pentonville is an area of London in the borough of Islington, around the Pentonville Road. ...

Radicalism

Clerkenwell Green has historically been associated with radicalism, from the Lollards in the 16th century, the Chartists in the 19th century and communists in the early 20th century.^[1] In 1902, Vladimir Lenin moved the publication of the Iskra (Spark) to the British Social Democratic Federation at 37a Clerkenwell Green, and issues 22 to 38 were indeed edited there. At that time Lenin resided on Percy Circus, less than half a mile north of Clerkenwell Green. In 1903 the newspaper was moved to Geneva. It is said that Lenin and a young Stalin met in the Crown and Anchor pub (now known as The Crown Tavern) on the Green when the latter was visiting London in 1903. In the 1920s and 1930s, 37a Clerkenwell Green was a venue for Communist Party meetings, and the Marx Memorial Library was founded on the same site in 1933. Clerkenwell's tradition of left-leaning publication continues today, with The Guardian and The Observer having their headquarters a short walk away - although both papers will move to Kings Cross in 2008. Lollardy or Lollardry was the political and religious movement of the Lollards in late 14th century and early 15th century England. ... A movement for social and political reform in the United Kingdom during the mid_19th century, Chartism gains its name from the Peoples Charter of 1838, which set out the main aims of the movement. ... This article is about communism as a form of society, as an ideology advocating that form of society, and as a popular movement. ... “Lenin” redirects here. ... The first edition of Iskra Iskra (Spark) was a political newspaper of Russian socialist emigrants. ... This article is about the British political party. ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314... In modern usage, the term communist party is generally used to identify any political party which has adopted communist ideology. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Kings Cross is an place in the London Borough of Camden. ...

Post-war decline and revival

After the Second World War Clerkenwell suffered from industrial decline, though the area benefited from several acclaimed social housing projects commissioned by Finsbury Borough Council. Modernist architect and Russian émigré Berthold Lubetkin's listed Spa Green Estate, constructed 1943-1950, has recently been restored. Finsbury Estate Constructed 1968 includes flats in a typical Brutalist style. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury was a metropolitan borough within the County of London from 1899 to 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Islington to form the London Borough of Islington. ... Berthold Lubetkin (1901-1990) was a Russian emigré architect who pioneered modernist design in Britain in the 1930s. ... Finsbury Estate is embedded in a network of large-scale buildings. ... Brutalism is an architectural style that spawned from the Modernist architectural movement and which flourished from the 1950s to the 1970s. ...

A general revival and gentrification process began in the 1990s, and the area is now known for loft-living young professionals, nightclubs, restaurants and art galleries. It also houses many professional and business offices as an overspill area for the nearby City of London and West End, alongside social housing. Yuppies (or young urban professionals and young upwardly mobile professionals[1]) is a market segment whose consumers are characterized as self-reliant, financially secure individualists who do not exhibit or aspire to traditional American values. ... The City of London is a geographically-small city within Greater London, England. ... The interior of Covent Garden Market in the West End The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the citys major tourist attractions, businesses, and administrative headquarters. ...

Entertainment

Pubs

London's first gastropub, The Eagle, opened in Clerkenwell in 1991. The Eagle has been joined by, among others, The Well, The Peasant, The Coach and Horses and The Green, Clerkenwell pubs which have since been converted to gastropubs. A gastropub is a British term for a public house (pub) which specializes in high-quality food a step above the more basic pub grub. The name is derived from gastronomy and was coined in 1991 when David Eyre and Mike Belben opened a pub called The Eagle in Clerkenwell... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

Restaurants

Clerkenwell is said to be home to some of London's best restaurants.^[2] Examples are St John, a traditional English restaurant often listed as one of the best and most influential restaurants in the world and the Spanish/Moroccan restaurant Moro. St John is a restaurant on St John Street in Smithfield, London. ... Restaurant magazine produces an annual list of the 50 best restaurants in the world based on a poll of international chefs and critics. ...

Nightclubs and bars

Clerkenwell is the home of two of London's largest nightclubs, Turnmills and Fabric. The nightlife is centred on the north side of Smithfield market, revellers gathering alongside delivery teams from across Europe at the meat market on nights throughout the week. Several pre-club bars such as Smith's of Smithfield, Meet, The Castle and Bed Bar have flourished in the area. Turnmills is a London nightclub, on the site of Turnmills Street, Clerkenwell and Farringdon. ... Fabric is a nightclub in Central London, United Kingdom. ...

A number of traditional pubs also line the market and the surrounding warren of streets. Those which serve the Smithfield meat workers are allowed to open at 5.30am. These are Nicholson's former gin palace The Fox & Anchor, The New Market, The Hope and The Cock (which is situated within the market itself). A label from a bottle of Nicholsons Brown Ale Nicholsons was a small, British brewery operating from 1840 to 1960 in Maidenhead, England. ... A gin palace is an English name originally for a lavish bar selling gin, later transferred by association to late Victorian pubs designed in a similar style. ...

In the streets north of Smithfield Market, the only pub owned and tied to the Suffolk brewer St. Peter's, The Jerusalem Tavern can be found on the site of a medieval tavern of the same name. Old Style Porter bottle St. ...

Famous residents (past and present)

• John Bell (Bishop of Worcester)
• William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle
• Earl of Clanricarde
• Oliver Cromwell
• Daniel Defoe
• V.I. Lenin
• John Weever
• Thomas Britton

John Bell LL.D (died 1556) was a Bishop of Worcester during the reign of Henry VIII of England. ... William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1592 - December 25, 1676) was an English soldier, politician and writer. ... Earl of Clanricarde is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. ... Oliver Cromwell (April 25, 1599–September 3, 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for making England a republic and leading the Commonwealth of England. ... Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (1660 [?] â€“ April 1731) was an English writer, journalist and spy, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. ... Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ( Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин  listen?), original surname Ulyanov (Улья́нов) ( April 22 (April 10 ( O.S.)), 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a... John Weever (1576 - 1632), English poet and antiquary was a native of Lancashire. ... Thomas Britton (14 January 1644 - 27 September 1714) was an English charcoal merchant best known as a concert promoter. ...

Nearby areas

Mount Pleasant postal sorting office, London's largest sorting office

• St Pancras to the west
• Bloomsbury to the west
• Holborn to the south-west
• Smithfield to the south
• Barbican Estate and Barbican Arts Centre to the south-east
• St Luke's to the east
• Finsbury Estate to the north
• Islington to the north
• King's Cross to the north-west

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2848 × 2136 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2848 × 2136 pixel, file size: 1. ... St Pancras is the name of a place in London. ... Bloomsbury is an area of central London between Holborn and Euston station, developed by the Russell family in the 17th and 18th centuries into a fashionable residential area. ... Holborn (pronounced ho-bun or ho-burn) is a place in London, named after a tributary to the river Fleet that flowed through the area, the Hole-bourne (the stream in the hollow). ... Smithfield meat market from the south Smithfield is an area in the north-west part of the City of London (which is itself the historic core of a much larger London). ... A small part of the Barbican, showing flats and café area Shakespeare Tower, one of the residential towers The Barbican Estate is a residential estate in the City of London, in an area densely packed with commerce and finance. ... Barbican Arts Centre and lakeside terrace Interior - concert hall foyer; library and gallery above The Barbican Arts Centre opened in 1982, after a long and at times painful gestation which dated right back to the area having been badly bombed during World War II. The Barbican is owned, funded and... St Lukes is an area in the London Borough of Islington in Greater London, close to the borders with the London Borough of Hackney and the City of London, near the Barbican and Shoreditch. ... Finsbury Estate is embedded in a network of large-scale buildings. ... Islington is an inner-city district in north London. ... Kings Cross refers to a district in two places: Kings Cross, London, England Kings Cross railway station, is a major London railway terminus and Kings Cross, New South Wales is a district in Sydney, Australia Kings Cross railway station, Sydney is an underground railway station in Sydney. ...

Nearest railway and London Underground stations

Farringdon station, which provides both mainline rail and tube services, is the only station in Clerkenwell itself. However Angel, King's Cross St Pancras, Chancery Lane and Barbican stations all lie near the fringes of Clerkenwell. The London Underground is a rapid transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... Farringdon station platforms Farringdon station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Farringdon, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington. ... Angel tube station Angel tube station is a London Underground station in The Angel, Islington. ... Kings Cross St. ... Chancery Lane tube station platform, eastbound Chancery Lane tube station platform, with arriving Central Line train Chancery Lane is a London Underground station in central London. ... Barbican tube station Barbican is a London Underground and mainline rail station serving the Barbican Centre in the City of London. ...

External links

• Map of Clerkenwell, showing location of the Clerk's Well
• Local History Trail (1.2 MB download)
• Description and history of Clerkenwell from an 1868 Gazetteer
• Information about Lenin's stay in Clerkenwell
• Clerkenwell Green Association
• St James Church Clerkenwell
• St Mark's Church, Myddelton Square, Clerkenwell
• Woodbridge Chapel, for many years known as Clerkenwell Medical Mission
• Guide to Bars and Clubs in Clerkenwell
• St John restaurant
• Fabric nightclub

Media:Example. ...

References

1. ^ Andrew Rothstein, A House on Clerkenwell Green, 1966. A history of 37a Clerkenwell Green and activism in the area.
2. ^ New York Times article on Clerkenwell's history and restaurant scene