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Islington, history and present-day details...
Islington was once green roaming fields of pasture, supporting the main milk flow and dairy produce for the people of London. It is said that King Henry VIII hunted in the area when there were all but a few manor houses whose residents owned and farmed the land.
Islington's growth was quite rapid from the late 18th century where it became a desirable area to live in new dwellings amongst the rural back-drop, which was a popular weekend visit for many Londoners. With the rise in population came the need to entertain the crowds, and so theatres were built and Islington was a popular night spot in the 19th century. In the latter half of the 19th century and certainly into the 20th century, Islington started to decline. The older houses became slums, breeding poverty and ill-health.
The blitz was disastrous for London in WW2 with many lives lost. Islington was dramatically redeveloped like many areas of London and slums gave way to new housing estates.
Today Islington is a bustling Borough and residential area of London with thousands of visitors each year.
This is a sample of the attractions or services associated with Islington, placed within broad categories. If you are looking for full listings or something specific you may prefer to use the Directory for a detailed search.
Past To Present
William Heath Robinson 1872 - 1944
The much used term, "Heath Robinson [contraption]", is used to suggest that a machine, or more often today - a process, is way too complicated for such a simple output. It is coined from William Heath Robinson who, amongst writing and performing in pantomime, drew caricature cartoons of inventors in the late 1800s. The age was all about industrial progress and great inventions, but Robinson's cartoons depicted the self-indulgence of some inventors who appeared to produce colossal or overly complex machines that did very little. The phrase was in wide-spread use in the early 1900s.
William Heath Robinson studied at Islington Art school in the 1880s before going on to the Royal Academy.
During the Great War and WW2 his cartoons were sent to the troops to boost morale. He had three sons who fought in WW2. William Heath Robinson died in 1944 having gone into hospital for an exploratory operation.
Search for somewhere to stay in the London Islington area. We have great Hotels, B&Bs, Inns and Guest Houses to suit all tastes and budgets. If you like quiet country living and dining or the drama and life of the city, we have something to suit.
