CAMDEN TOWN
Camden Town and Mornington Crescent
Camden Road
Conservation Area
Camden Local Heritage
Goldington Crescent
Course of the River Fleet
This area was the northern edge of Pancras Wash, once a flood plain for the River Fleet rising in Hampstead. The Fleet passes underground on its way to the River Thames.
GOLDINGTON COURT
ST.PANCRAS was “the foulest parish” in all London. Here, together with PROSPECT TERRACE (East of Grays Inn Road) and FLAXMAN TERRACE.
Normally, the VESTRY, local government until 1900, controlled by the Conservatives, was unwilling to spend money in housing. Its members were powerful. slum landlords. A ROYAL COMMISSION and pressure by the medical officer, DR.SHIRLEY MURPHY were ineffective. He resigned frustrated. The Vestry became a disreputable public body, in league with house-sweaters and rack-renters, according to REYNOLDS NEWS
On its part the LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL (who had built the BOUNDARY ESTATE, a first) pressed the Vestry, under the 1890 Act for Housing the Working Classes, pointing out the local responsibility.
Finally the Vestry began to respond, in 1896, with PROSPECT PLACE and BANTUME PLACE schemes, and HERE, the build of a tenement block would be agreed and finally opened by the new ST.PANCRAS METROPOLITAN BOARD. 1904. Grand externally: corner quoins, terracotta, decorative gables, mansard roof, large courtyard, a covered playing place for children… But rent was too expensive for those displaced from slum clearances. In the 30s bath were installed. Renovated in 1964
Now ORIGIN HOUSING, renovated in 2011.
Nearby, on St.Pancras Way
Canalside: New development:
London's largest purpose built life science campus · 600,000 sq ft of state of the art laboratory space at the heart of London's Biotech cluster
Nearby, on Crowndale Road
Hiroshima - College Place - mural
Sewers
WORKING MEN COLLEGE
THEATRO TECHNIS
KOKO
Royal College St.
ROYAL VETERINARY COLLEGE
In the racing seasons of 1769 and 1770 a horse called Eclipse dominated English horse-racing. Eclipse was retired from racing in 1770 unbeaten and stood at stud until he died in 1789, at the age of 25.
Veterinary expertise was needed to understand the cause of Eclipse’s death and the secret of his racing success. The only qualified vet in the country at the time was Frenchman Charles Benoit Vial de St Bel, who was gaining support for his plan to establish a vet school. St Bel had the support of the Odiham Agricultural Society, whose members recognised the need for a better understanding of animal husbandry and disease. A London committee was set up to establish a vet school, whose members included Granville Penn, grandson of William Penn.
The first Veterinary College in the UK was f. in 1792. The original quadrangle is still standing, although the institution has been largely rebuilt (1937). Now, a constituent college of the UofL since 1949.
GRANVILLE PENN, grandson of WILLIAM (PENNSILVANIA!) founded a first group, following the first college in Europe, Lyon, 1762.
The new institute wanted to select a site close to London, but far enough to it to minimise the temptations of the students. The EARL,OF CAMDEN, who was making arrangements for the development of the area, offered to sell the site.
CHARLES BENOIT VIAL DE ST.BEL, from the LYON college was appointed principal. 4 students started in 1792 The first horse was admitted for treatment the following year.. EDWARD COLEMAN succeeded the deceased Frenchman in 1794. The institution was mainly concerned with horses in the first years, the range of animals increasing gradually
BEAUMONT ANIMALS HOSPITAL
LONDON BIOSCIENCE INNOVATION CENTRE
Building op. 1925. Found. stone, 1924,by DUKE/CONNAUGH. Startups hub, created in 2000. A cluster of commercial life sciences initiatives, housed in part of the RVC.
VERLAINE and RIMBAUD lived here
Verlaine and Rimbaud moved to London in September 1872 to escape a scandal in Paris caused by their tempestuous and illicit relationship; Verlaine was married with a child, and their affair shocked Parisian society. In London, they lived in various addresses, including Howland Street and later Camden Town, where they joined a community of political refugees and dissidents, including Communards and anarchists, and mingled with figures like Karl Marx. They found London stimulating and inspiring—Rimbaud admired the industrial energy, the docks, and the city’s vastness, while Verlaine was captivated by its railways and lively streets; both poets enjoyed exploring the city and its surroundings, such as Hampstead Heath and the British Museum. During their stay, they produced some of their most important works, including parts of Illuminations and A Season in Hell.
Right: former FURNITURE DEPOSITORY, now CENTRO. LEFT ?
Mandela St. Mews?
Site of BRITISH ANTI-APARTHEID MOVEMENT HQ
On the 20th anniversary of Mandela’s arrest on August 5, 1982 the United Nations Special Committee on apartheid called for an expansion of the campaign. On the heels of this call, came an initiative by the Greater London Council to rename Selous Street, home to the offices of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement in London, Mandela Street. There were some objections, though
Frederick Selous (1851-1917), a big game hunter and friend of Cecil Rhodes.
Former Anglican, now ALL SAINTS, GREEK ORTHODOX Cathedral
Originally opened as the Camden Chapel in 1824 as part of the Camden family’s development of the area.The architects were William Inwood and his son, Henry, who had recently completed the nearby St. Pancras New Church. In both cases, they drew on Classical Greek architecture for their inspiration. In the case of All Saints, the inspiration for the tower had been Lysicrates' monument in Plaka in Athens (known from the 17th century as Diogenes' Lantern). It would later become dedicated to St. Stephen, then becoming All Saints, a dedication which the Greek community preserved when taking over the church. A group of Greek-Cypriots for the creation of a second Greek Orthodox church in London to meet the needs of the Orthodox Community under the pastoral care of METROPOLITAN GERMANOS, and which had grown rapidly following the influx of immigrants after the Second World War.
Former ST.GEORGE’S Churchyard, now gardens
In 1801 the site of St Martin's Gardens was farmland and fields called Upper Meadow and Upper Brook Meadow.
In 1802 an Act of Parliament was passed to turn the 4 acre site into a burial ground.
The area was handed over to St Martin's in the Fields (Trafalgar Sq) for the burial of its parishioners. The Act included the building of a chapel and buildings for the clergy for the purposes of "to officiate in burying the dead".
. The Act stated that
the cemetery must be enclosed by a
"substantial brick wall"
'. It's believed that
the north wall is the original.
On 12th September 1805 the site was consecrated by the Bishop of London.
The stone plaque near the centre of the north wall is assumed to be the consecration stone.
Archibald Primrose, later 5th Lord Rosebery, reputedly had three aims in life: to marry an heiress, to win the Derby and to become Prime Minister. Archibald managed to achieve all three.
ALMSHOUSES
In 1817 an Act of Parliament was passed so that the trustees of the cemetery could give up some land to build Almshouses. This was complete in October 1818.
In 1854 an Act of Parliament was passed to grant leases on unused portions of the burial ground for building development. This included the demolition of the chapel and clergy buildings on the site.
In 1855 excavations began. Newspaper accounts at the time told of a public outcry as bodies were exhumed. Thousands of people turned up including a lot of Police. At one point a part of the hoarding was pulled down and the "navvies" were pelted with stones. The stench was said to be "abominable".
The Under Secretary of State visited the site and immediately applied for an injunction to stop the dig. One Churchwarden was summoned to Clerkenwell Police Magistrates to explain. A meeting took place at St Pancras Vestry where other churchwardens denied any truth in the reports and that any bones found would be old dry bones.
It is thought that the large mound in the centre of the gardens, being much larger than the original mound, is the site of a large pit containing these bodies.
In 1879 some additional rooms, an infirmary and a chapel were built, specifically for the residents of the Almshouses.
In 1883 the enlargement of the Almshouses, dating back to the purchase of the land in March 1843, was completed by Architect William McIntosh Brookes of Adam St.
More to the North
BOO ARMSTRONG worked here
RUTH FIRST and JOE SLOVO lived here
Ruth First, 1925 - 1982, Joe Slovo, 1926 - 1995, South African freedom fighters, lived here, 1966 - 1978.
Cypriot community. Greek restaurants
Portuguese Community
STOCKWELL’ s LITTLE PORTUGAL https://medium.com/@anavrosario13/walking-through-portugal-in-the-middle-of-south-london-8043dbe3135f
Plender St.
THE WESLEY HOTEL. NEW CAMDEN CHAPEL
A unique collaboration mixed-use project with The Wesley working closely with its owner The Methodist Church and Manalo & White Architects to create a new worship space for the church on the lower ground floor of the building with hotel rooms on the floors above. The church space will also be widely available for community groups to use. The Wesley Camden Town offers 38 bedrooms with modern contemporary design by HL interior design architects reflecting the vibrancy of the Camden area.
CAMDEN HIGH ST
Shops and eateries
Miller St
THREE FIELDS ESTATE
Arlington Road
Former transformer depot for the LCC tramway network. Now, SERENDIPITY HOUSE, offices
It is home to Serendipity Studios, hub for various creative businesses and initiatives, involving music, podcasts, and content creation. Additionally, Sacred Space, a real estate agency, and Allegra Group, a company focused on intelligence, data, and events, are also based there. The building is also associated with environmental initiatives like the Camden Clean Air Initiative
In ISLINGTON https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6218005
Surviving businesses: Traditional coffee roaster and Caribbean restaurant
Not surviving: the pub (?) and the borough (ST.PANCRAS)
BELGIANS!. Former monastic community of OUR LADY OF HAL (HALLE, near Brussels)
1919. After the 1st World War Belgium, the cockpit of Europe, lay devastated. The Belgium’s are one of the great missionary peoples of Catholicism (remember Fr Damien of Molakai) and the Missionary Fathers of Scheut, also known as the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, were determined to establish a base from which they could direct their missionary efforts and be safe from the disruption of invasion. Their eyes turned towards their wartime ally – Britain. Many Belgian refugees were already resident in London and a church here would serve the double purpose of being a refuge for the Belgian community of London and a base for missionary activities.
They explored London and eventually settled on a site in Camden Town. They were impressed by the cheapness of the property market here!!! They built a small chapel (the Little Hut) on the opposite side of the road from the present church and threw open their doors to the local Catholic community in early 1922. It was the first Catholic church in the immediate area and was soon bursting at the seams, particularly as the Irish became the dominant migrant group in Camden town.
By 1933 the Belgian Fathers felt a permanent Church was justifiable and they commissioned the Irish architect, Wilfred Mangan, to design and build a place of worship for them that would reflect its Belgian origins. The Fathers did not forget where they came from. A copy of the original, miraculous statue that still stands as protectress of the people of Hal was placed in a chapel in the south side of the church and the result is the Our Lady of Hal that we know today.
Nearby
Albert St.
THE JEWISH MUSEUM
THE SPREAD EAGLE P.H.
Camden High St.
Market
Inverness St.
Shops, Eateries and Street lMarket
Former ROWNTON HOUSE, now ARLINGTON
WIKIPEDIA: “Rowton Houses was a chain of hostels built in London, England, by the Victorian philanthropist Lord Rowton to provide decent accommodation for working men in place of the squalid lodging houses of the time.
George Orwell, in his 1933 book Down and Out in Paris and London, wrote about lodging houses:
The best are the Rowton Houses, where the charge is a shilling, for which you get a cubicle to yourself, and the use of excellent bathrooms. You can also pay half a crown for a 'special', which is practically hotel accommodation. The Rowton Houses are splendid buildings, and the only objection to them is the strict discipline, with rules against cooking, card playing, etc.[1]
Nearby
CAMDEN CATACOMBS
The Camden Catacombs are a system of underground passages in Camden Town in north London underneath part of the Camden markets, constructed in the 19th century, and as of 2012 owned by Network Rail. They are not true catacombs as they were never used as repositories for dead bodies, instead being an underground area originally used as stables for horses and pit ponies working on the railways.
SUPERMARKET and HOUSING by NICHOLAS GRIMSHAW
TV AM
Further to the N
THE ROUNDHOUSE
A rare early railway engine shed, operated 1847 - 1855 and made obsolete as locomotives outgrew its turntable.
Further to the S
Jamestown Road
THE ICE WORKS
Former GILBEY’S warehouse
Gilbey’s Yard
Former GILBEY’S now ASSOCIATED PRESS
Further N.
Site of CAMDEN GOODS YARD
Oval Road
Former factory. PIANOS. COLLIER & COLLIER
The Goad Fire Insurance map shows that Collard & Collard had a concentration of factories at the end of Oval Road. Each part of the process had its own space - case-making, fall-making, the ‘ware room’, and ‘bellying’ (whatever they were) ‘finishing’, and others. Behind the Oval Factory, in the triangle bounded by the houses in Gloucester Crescent, Arlington Road and Jamestown Road (now occupied by the flats built by Community Housing) was a range of other buildings, each with its specialist use. Veneer store, timber stores, engineers’ shops, french polishing, fret-cutting and wood turning, glue boiling, stringing shops, key loading, where the keys were balanced with lead weights to make them return rapidly, and further rooms where a dozen other specialist skills were performed.
https://www.locallocalhistory.co.uk/ctown/p050/pages55-59.htm
Back in the 1870s, Camden was the centre of the world’s piano manufacturing business, at a time when every good home wanted to own one. The happy confluence of canal, road and rail in the area meant transportation of raw materials and bulky finished products was relatively easy, leading to over 100 piano works establishing themselves in the industrial hotspot stretching between Camden Town and Tufnell Park.
While the entire industry collapsed in the face of the gramophone, two world wars, cinema, radio and ultimately electronic keyboards, it left behind some really rather handsome factories and solid Victorian infrastructure.
Former factory
Victorian
1960s
Regent’s Park Terrace
Regent's Park Terrace runs alongside Oval Road within the curve of Gloucester Crescent. It was constructed in the 1840s. Notable nineteenth century residents include the artist Samuel Cousins and the Hungarian leader Louis Kossuth.[6] The documentary filmmaker Humphrey Jennings lived there from 1944 and is now commemorated by a blue plaque.[7]Numbers 1-22 are all Grade II listed
Gloucester Avenue
Nearby, PARKWAY
Shops and eateries
DUBLIN CASTLE P.H.
Nearby, Regent’s Park Rd., an alternative route to PRIMROSE HILL
CECIL SHARP HOUSE
The English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS, or pronounced 'EFF-diss ) is an organisation that promotes English folk music and folk dance. EFDSS was formed in 1932 when two organisations merged: the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society. The EFDSS, a member-based organisation, was incorporated in 1935 and became a registered charity in 1963.
Former stables and Victorian housing and the “BT TOWER”
REGENT’S CANAL
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