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Clerkenwell, EC1
Clerkenwell is a distinctive central London district occupying the hilly south-western edges of the Borough of Islington. Immediately to the south is the City of London, and to the west is the West End. Clerkenwell is close to King’s Cross and St. Pancras offering the Eurostar and many intercity rail services. With the arrival of the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon Station in 2023, Clerkenwell has become one of the best-connected Central London districts.
Clerkenwell attracts house hunters looking for characterful period conversions or new contemporary homes. The improved transport links have unlocked new housing investments throughout the area, most of which are qualified as infill projects. Postmark is a major new home development in Clerkenwell with over 600 apartments built on the site of the old Royal Mail sorting office within the historic Mount Pleasant location.
Known as ‘London’s design district’ the area is home to over 100 showrooms and many global art, architecture, media and design brands.
St John’s Street, Clerkenwell Road and Roseberry Avenue are the main thoroughfares defining the district’s vibrancy. Behind those streets, often hidden at the back of large showrooms and warehouses, are many lush gardens and historic squares making Clerkenwell a quiet, idyllic neighbourhood compared to the stern City of London next door.
History
In the 12th century, Clerkenwell was a hamlet that grew around St Mary’s Nunnery and the Priory of St John of Jerusalem. With plentiful water supply from The Fleet River, also known as the ‘River of wells’, the hamlet became an ideal place to relocate to from the crowded City next door. During the Great Plague and after The Great Fire of London many Clerkenwell mansion houses were abandoned.
The newcomers that moved to the area next were craftsmen and refugees who couldn’t settle in the City. At the start of the 1700s, the district became the setting for many clockmakers, jewellers, printers, and brewers relying on the good water sources of the area. With the fast urbanisation that followed, fine new townhouses were built. The hilly district of Clerkenwell became a setting for entertainment and garden party culture that grew around its water wells. One such location was Thomas Sadler’s Garden, which would later become Sadler’s Wells.
London’s industrialisation and population explosion after the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) had a great impact on Clerkenwell. Its fields became overrun by homeless, slums and industrial grime. There was also the Smithfield cattle markets, a huge hazard for an increasingly urban, densely populated neighbourhood.
The newly established Farringdon Road and Clerkenwell Road cut through the area, and along with the construction of new infrastructure of the Farringdon Railway Station in 1862, the housing was widely demolished. By the end of the 19th century, Clerkenwell was defined by overcrowding and poverty. The best part of the 20th century was marked by further decay, population and industry decline, further demolition of heritage buildings and the rise of slums.
Radical urban improvements started taking place only in the 1990s. Since then, some old housing estates have been restored and many abandoned warehouses and workshops have been converted into showrooms or private dwellings. Sadler’s Wells new theatre was opened in 1998. Followed by advertising and broadcasting companies (the Guardian, the Independent Television News) many City firms moved to Clerkenwell in the first decade of the 21st century.
Culture and entertainment
Clerkenwell’s sophisticated urban vibe combines fascinating historic sites, vibrant village markets and cutting-edge art studios. This is a neighbourhood where design-minded Londoners get inspired, work, and live.
The Museum of the Order of St John in Clerkenwell dates to the 16th century and has a vast collection of objects detailing the history of the Order of St John and the 900-year-old charity. The historic Church of the Holy Redeemer from 1888 is located on Exmouth Street. Further south, close to Farringdon Station is St. Peter’s Italian Church, one of the ‘most beautiful London churches with a painted ceiling and stained glass’.
Smithfield Market is the largest of all Clerkenwell markets. Until recently, the intricate Grade II listed Victorian building served as a meat wholesaler but is currently being transformed into a new space for the London Museum. Other street food markets in the area are the Leather Lane and the iconic Exmouth Market.
Set in the heart of trendy Clerkenwell, Exmouth Market was a working-class street market in the 1890s. Revamped in the 1990s, the market takes place twice a week along this vibrant Victorian terraced street that also boasts modern bars and restaurants. Next to Exmouth Street is the charming Spa Fields Park, the biggest open green space in the district with playgrounds, tennis, and football courts.
The Postal Museum is one of the most significant visitors’ attractions added to the area recently. It offers resources for researching the postal history and has a fantastic display of artefacts from its rich collection. A visit to the museum includes an exciting, underground train ride beneath the operational Mount Pleasant Post Office site.
Clerkenwell Design Week is the UK's leading design festival taking place at the end of May. The event involves over 130 resident showrooms as well as exhibitors and design brands from all over the world.
Sadler’s Wells Theatre is a leading London performing arts venue specialising in ballet, modern dance and shows for children. Located on Rosebery Avenue, it occupies the site of the historic 17th-century pleasure gardens.
For club lovers, Clerkenwell is home to Fabric, the iconic dance music venue that is spread across 25,000 sq. ft.
Council, Islington
Check the current Islington Council Tax rates HERE
Transport (Zone 1)
Farringdon and King’s Cross St Pancras are the major London Underground and the National Rail stations providing Clerkenwell with superb transport.
In addition to the Eurostar and the national mainline trains, there are services by the Elizabeth Line, Thameslink intercity trains, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern, Victoria and Piccadilly Line.
New Homes and Developments
· The Lincolns
· Hatton Gardens
· 95-97 East Road
· Avantgarde Place, Avantgarde Tower
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