Secret Islington and Clerkenwell delves into this historic area's often
unknown but colourful past. It takes the reader on a fascinating journey
from the time when these villages were rural communities up to the
thriving, vibrant neighbourhoods they are today. You will discover what
made the area initially so attractive to farmers and dairy maids, why so
many monastic communities settled here in the Middle Ages, and how a
17th century waterway supplying water to Londoners was not only built in
the district but is still providing water to the capital today. The book
highlights the role that great revolutionary figures such as Wat Tyler,
Lenin, Mazzini and Garibaldi have played in Clerkenwell as well as the
contribution made by its very many immigrants, especially the Huguenots,
Italian and Irish. You will discover how in the late 1800s extreme
poverty and squalid living in unsanitary rookeries led to great criminal
activity and how benevolent philanthropists stepped in to provide the
local population with improved facilities and social housing. With tales
of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked away or disappeared
historical buildings and locations, Secret Clerkenwell and Islington
will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of these areas
of London.
