Archway
Encyclopedia
Archway is an area of north London
in the London Borough of Islington
.
and Hornsey
in 1896. A tunnel was originally planned for the Highgate
bypass (to join the Great North Road by avoiding the steep Highgate Hill road and narrow roads of Highgate village) but this failed due to repeated collapses. Instead, a large cutting was recommended by John Rennie and a high, multi-arched road bridge constructed across this. The first bridge, constructed in the early nineteenth century, was designed by John Nash
. The original 1813 bridge was demolished in 1901; the current bridge, known locally as 'Suicide bridge
', dates from 1897. The road over the bridge is Hornsey Lane, which connects Highgate
and Crouch End
.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A1_road_(London)#Hornsey_Lane_Bridge
Until quite recently, Archway did not designate a specific area. Most people referred either to Highgate
, Islington
or Upper Holloway
, a name that is now used for little besides the nearby railway station
and the post office. The term Arch
way became popularised as a result of Londoners' tendency to indicate their local area by reference to the nearest Underground Station
, even though the latter was called Highgate
station until 1939 (and subsequently Highgate (Archway) and Archway (Highgate)).
It is said that it was at Archway that Dick Whittington heard the Bow Bells ringing and returned to London. There is a statute on Highgate Hill to commemorate this (see below).
, at Highgate Hill, named after Richard Whittington
; the Archway Tavern, a notable music venue, where the photograph for the cover of The Kinks
' 1971 album Muswell Hillbillies
was taken; and the Archway Tower
, which forms the most visible landmark in the area. Outside the hospital is a small statue of Whittington's Cat
.
Although considered a built-up urban area, Archway has a number of parks and green spaces, no fewer than nine within a mile of the tube station: Archway Park, Hillrise Park, Dartmouth Park, Elthorne Park, Sunnyside Gardens, Waterlow Park, Whittington Park, Foxham Gardens, and Tufnell Park Playing Fields. Various green spaces are also afforded by the Girdlestone, Miranda, Cardinals Way and Elthorne Estates.
, author of 'Oceania' lived on Highgate Hill, as did the poet and M.P. for Hull Andrew Marvell
. Historian E.H. Carr lived on Gladsmuir Road as a child. Karl Marx
, Herbert Spencer
and Claudia Jones
are buried up the road at Highgate cemetery. Other noted residents include Arabella Weir
, Alan Plater
, James Heartfield
and, formerly, the sculptor Rachel Whiteread
, whose most famous work 'Ghost' - now in the National Gallery of Art
in Washington DC - consists of a plaster cast of a room in the house at 486 Archway Road. Actor and author Bill Bailey
(the narrator in Mel Brooks's Haunted Honeymoon) lives in Archway, as does actor, historian and True Crime author, Geoffrey Howse
. Members of The Jesus and Mary Chain
also lived in Archway, as did The Boo Radleys
.
on the Northern line
.
The nearest London Overground station
is Upper Holloway
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the London Borough of Islington
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington is a London borough in Inner London. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury...
.
Name
The name derives from the arch built between HighgateHighgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
and Hornsey
Hornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
in 1896. A tunnel was originally planned for the Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
bypass (to join the Great North Road by avoiding the steep Highgate Hill road and narrow roads of Highgate village) but this failed due to repeated collapses. Instead, a large cutting was recommended by John Rennie and a high, multi-arched road bridge constructed across this. The first bridge, constructed in the early nineteenth century, was designed by John Nash
John Nash (architect)
John Nash was a British architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London.-Biography:Born in Lambeth, London, the son of a Welsh millwright, Nash trained with the architect Sir Robert Taylor. He established his own practice in 1777, but his career was initially unsuccessful and...
. The original 1813 bridge was demolished in 1901; the current bridge, known locally as 'Suicide bridge
Suicide bridge
A suicide bridge is a bridge used frequently to die by suicide, most typically by jumping off and into the water below ....
', dates from 1897. The road over the bridge is Hornsey Lane, which connects Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
and Crouch End
Crouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A1_road_(London)#Hornsey_Lane_Bridge
Until quite recently, Archway did not designate a specific area. Most people referred either to Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
, Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
or Upper Holloway
Upper Holloway
Upper Holloway is a district in the London Borough of Islington, London, centred around the A1 Holloway Road.-Overview:The name has fallen out of common use and the area is generally regarded as being a part of Archway or Holloway. The use of 'Upper Holloway' is most often used for Upper Holloway...
, a name that is now used for little besides the nearby railway station
Upper Holloway railway station
Upper Holloway railway station is in Holloway, North London, near Archway . It is on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, between and . It is operated by London Overground, and the service is usually one train every 20 to 30 minutes in each direction...
and the post office. The term Arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
way became popularised as a result of Londoners' tendency to indicate their local area by reference to the nearest Underground Station
Archway tube station
Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
, even though the latter was called Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
station until 1939 (and subsequently Highgate (Archway) and Archway (Highgate)).
History
Highgate Hill, the road from Archway to Highgate village, was the route of the first cable car to be built in Europe. It operated between 1884 and 1909.It is said that it was at Archway that Dick Whittington heard the Bow Bells ringing and returned to London. There is a statute on Highgate Hill to commemorate this (see below).
Sites of interest
Prominent buildings in the area include the Whittington hospitalWhittington Hospital
The Whittington Hospital is a British hospital in Archway, Islington, London. It is named after Richard Whittington.It is a district general hospital, although it is also a teaching hospital of the UCL Medical School and Middlesex University School of Health and Social Sciences.- History :Although...
, at Highgate Hill, named after Richard Whittington
Richard Whittington
Sir Richard Whittington was a medieval merchant and politician, and the real-life inspiration for the pantomime character Dick Whittington. Sir Richard Whittington was four times Lord Mayor of London, a Member of Parliament and a sheriff of London...
; the Archway Tavern, a notable music venue, where the photograph for the cover of The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
' 1971 album Muswell Hillbillies
Muswell Hillbillies
Muswell Hillbillies is the ninth studio album by the English rock group The Kinks, released in November 1971. The album is named after the Muswell Hill area of North London, where band leader Ray Davies and guitarist Dave Davies grew up and the band formed in the early 1960s.The album centred on...
was taken; and the Archway Tower
Archway Tower
The Archway Tower, at 2 Junction Road, Archway, London, is a office building built over Archway tube station and was completed in 1963. Local opinion is divided on the tower, some finding it architecturally unattractive, while others welcome the fact that it brings employment to the area, as well...
, which forms the most visible landmark in the area. Outside the hospital is a small statue of Whittington's Cat
Dick Whittington and His Cat
Dick Whittington and His Cat is an English folk tale that has often been used as the basis for stage pantomimes and other adaptations. It tells of a poor boy in the 14th century who becomes a wealthy merchant and eventually the Lord Mayor of London because of the ratting abilities of his cat...
.
Although considered a built-up urban area, Archway has a number of parks and green spaces, no fewer than nine within a mile of the tube station: Archway Park, Hillrise Park, Dartmouth Park, Elthorne Park, Sunnyside Gardens, Waterlow Park, Whittington Park, Foxham Gardens, and Tufnell Park Playing Fields. Various green spaces are also afforded by the Girdlestone, Miranda, Cardinals Way and Elthorne Estates.
Notable residents
James HarringtonJames Harrington
James Harrington was an English political theorist of classical republicanism, best known for his controversial work, The Commonwealth of Oceana .-Early life:...
, author of 'Oceania' lived on Highgate Hill, as did the poet and M.P. for Hull Andrew Marvell
Andrew Marvell
Andrew Marvell was an English metaphysical poet, Parliamentarian, and the son of a Church of England clergyman . As a metaphysical poet, he is associated with John Donne and George Herbert...
. Historian E.H. Carr lived on Gladsmuir Road as a child. Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
, Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher, biologist, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era....
and Claudia Jones
Claudia Jones
Claudia Cumberbatch Jones was a Trinidadian journalist, who applied her skills to becoming a political activist and black nationalist through Communisum....
are buried up the road at Highgate cemetery. Other noted residents include Arabella Weir
Arabella Weir
Arabella Weir is a British comedian, actress and writer.The daughter of former British ambassador Sir Michael Weir, she is best known for her roles in The Fast Show and for writing several books including the international best seller Does My Bum Look Big In This? Arabella Weir (born 6 December...
, Alan Plater
Alan Plater
Alan Frederick Plater, CBE, FRSL was an English playwright and screenwriter, who worked extensively in British television from the 1960s to the 2000s.-Career:...
, James Heartfield
James Heartfield
James Heartfield is a British journalist who writes and lectures on economic regeneration. Heartfield is director of the think-tank Audacity.org, and a former member and theoretician of the Revolutionary Communist Party....
and, formerly, the sculptor Rachel Whiteread
Rachel Whiteread
Rachel Whiteread, CBE is an English artist, best known for her sculptures, which typically take the form of casts. She won the annual Turner Prize in 1993—the first woman to win the prize....
, whose most famous work 'Ghost' - now in the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
in Washington DC - consists of a plaster cast of a room in the house at 486 Archway Road. Actor and author Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey (American actor)
Bill Bailey is an American actor, primarily providing supporting roles in film and television throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He appeared in Superman , Superman II , and Haunted Honeymoon , as well as a number of BBC programs including Yes, Prime Minister , Jeeves and Wooster , and Agatha...
(the narrator in Mel Brooks's Haunted Honeymoon) lives in Archway, as does actor, historian and True Crime author, Geoffrey Howse
Geoffrey Howse
Geoffrey Howse is a British actor and author.The son of Herbert and Doreen Howse, he grew up at Ebenezer Place in the village of Elsecar situated about nine miles north of Sheffield equidistant between Rotherham and Barnsley, in the middle of the great estate surrounding historic Wentworth Woodhouse...
. Members of The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
also lived in Archway, as did The Boo Radleys
The Boo Radleys
-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Extended plays:-Singles:-External links:* * * * * * by Laurent Orseau * *...
.
- Reggie YatesReggie YatesReginald "Reggie" Yates is a British actor, television presenter and radio DJ of Ghanaian descent. He went to Central Foundation Boys' School.-Early career:...
- Radio & Television personality - Niomi Mclean Dailey, AKA Ms Dynamite - UK Rapper and Singer
Transport
Nearby places
- Dartmouth ParkDartmouth ParkDartmouth Park is a district of north London in the London Borough of Camden, on the slope of the hill that rises up to Highgate from Kentish Town.-History:...
- HighgateHighgateHighgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
- Kentish TownKentish TownKentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'...
- Muswell HillMuswell HillMuswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
- Tufnell ParkTufnell ParkTufnell Park is an area of north London, England which straddles the border of the London Borough of Islington and the London Borough of Camden.-Origins:...
- HollowayHolloway, LondonHolloway is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Islington located north of Charing Cross and follows for the most part, the line of the Holloway Road . At the centre of Holloway is the Nag's Head area...
- Archway Road
- Junction RoadJunction RoadJunction Road is a road in north London between Archway tube station and Tufnell Park tube station ....
- Crouch EndCrouch EndCrouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
- HornseyHornseyHornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
Geography
Nearest stations
The nearest London Underground station is Archway tube stationArchway tube station
Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
on the Northern line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
.
The nearest London Overground station
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
is Upper Holloway
Upper Holloway railway station
Upper Holloway railway station is in Holloway, North London, near Archway . It is on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, between and . It is operated by London Overground, and the service is usually one train every 20 to 30 minutes in each direction...
.