This modern Clerkenwell neighbourhood is a dramatic departure from its past. Once lying just north of the London Wall (and thus the jurisdiction of the inner- city laws) this area was one of the roughest areas of London, composed of dingy underground pubs, dice houses, and brothels. Now housing the Local Government Association and flats selling for over £1,300 per square foot, this area is popular with wealthy professionals, architecture businesses, and creatives. An eclectic range of bars and restaurants are littered throughout this neighbourhood, keeping its streets abuzz with activities day and night.

Turnmill Street (also known as Turnbull), running through the west side of this neighbourhood area was where the majority of the illicit dealings took place in the 16th-18th centuries. Described by Edward Sugden as “The most disreputable street in London … a haunt of thieves and loose women”, the clusters of crowded houses lining the street were immensely popular for the boozing dens they sheltered within. In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2, Justice Shallow boasts of “the wildness of his youth, and the feats he has done about Turnbull Street”, which shows how infamous it was at the time, even if for the wrong reasons. It was only with the turn of the 17th century that this area began to transform, as South Clerkenwell became a fashionable place to live with the arrival of a number of aristocrats, including the Duke of Northumberland.

Oliver Cromwell once lived in this neighbourhood area, an English military and political leader who fought on the side of the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War of 1642-1651. Cromwell is one of the most controversial figures in British history, considered to be a murderous dictator, a hero of democracy, or a class revolutionary depending on who’s interpretation you read.

The Farmiloe Building, located on St. John Street, in the east of this neighbourhood, was built in 1868 as a showroom for the merchants Farmiloe & Sons, who specialised in lead glass. The building is now used for Clerkenwell Design Week every year.

One of the downsides to this neighbourhood area is that theft occurs much more frequently than the London average. The Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) is prioritising this issue, and are working closely with local authorities, community leaders, and residents to produce a swift solution to the issue. Residents commented that they “feel a lot safer because of the community police presence”.

Clerkenwell has recently become a ‘superhub’ as the Elizabeth Line recently opened at Farringdon station, which is set for a sevenfold increase in the number of commuters passing through. The area is populated by a number of old warehouses, which have become a prime target for conversion by developers looking to maximise the extremely high land value. Slightly to the north of this area, Postmark developers are currently working on a new neighbourhood on the site of the old Royal Mail sorting office. The scheme is largely residential, providing luxury accommodation, with prices starting at £980,000 for a one bedroom flat.