Barnsbury

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Barnsbury
Coordinates: 51.5442° N 0.1171° W
OS grid reference	TQ305845
London borough	Islington
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	N1
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

Barnsbury is an area of north London in the London Borough of Islington. It is postally London N1.

Thornhill Square, Barnsbury. One of several grand Barnsbury squares. (February 2006)

The name is a corruption of villa de Iseldon Berners (1274),^[1] being so called after the Berners family, who gained ownership of the lands after the Norman Conquest and were powerful medieval manorial lords, owning a large part of Islington.The area of Barnsbury was predominantly rural until the late 18th century.

By the end of the 18th century, however, Barnsbury, like other parts of Islington, was being regarded as attractive part-rural suburbs by the comparatively wealthy wanting to move out of the cramped City of London and industrial Clerkenwell. The area is close to the City, and had strong local trade in its position as the first staging post for travellers making the journey from London to the north, and with considerable agricultural traffic and cattle driving to the nearby Smithfield cattle market in the City.

[edit] Famous residents

• Samuel Barnett, actor
• Tony Blair, Prime Minister lived at 1 Richmond Crescent.
• Benjamin Britten, composer lived at 99 Offord Road.
• Kenneth Cranham, actor.
• Chris Farlowe, singer lived in Offord Road.
• Sir Ian Holm, actor lived in Belitha Villas.
• Sir Peter Pears, singer lived in Offord Road.
• Thomas H. Shepherd, artist and printmaker lived in Batchelor Street.
• Walter Sickert, artist lived at 14 Barnsbury Park.
• VHS, a fictional character featured in the comedy series The Mighty Boosh, claimed to own a factory in Barnsbury.
• Simon Rattle, conductor, has a residence in Lonsdale Square.
• Colin Roberts, music journalist and DJ, lives on Offord Road.

[edit] Nearby areas

• Islington and Canonbury to the east
• Highbury to the north-east
• Holloway to the north-west
• Kings Cross to the south-west
• Clerkenwell to the south

[edit] Nearest stations

• Angel tube station
• Caledonian Road tube station
• Highbury and Islington tube station
• Caledonian Road & Barnsbury railway station

[edit] References

1. ^ Mills, D., Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names, (2000)