This neighbourhood, referred to by locals as Canonbury, is known for its many trendy boutiques and restaurants that spill into the area from the east end of Upper Street. While mostly residential and home to wide streets lined with terraced houses, Canonbury has managed to retain much of the urban excitement of Islington. Furthermore, with its fantastic transport links – like the Essex Road and Canonbury Overground stations as well as nearby Highbury and Islington station – the neighbourhood attracts a diverse population. In addition, Canonbury is home to an abundance of green space, making it a true oasis away from the metropolitan hubbub. Beyond all of this, the neighbourhood has no shortage of evening entertainment with its wide array of pubs and bars, as well as highly regarded galleries such as the Estorick Collection. With Holloway Road around the corner, the area really has access to all the conveniences imaginable!

Canonbury gets its name from Canons of St. Bartholomew’s Priory, who received the land from the Berner family some time before 1253. Later on, in 1532, Canonbury Tower was built, which, following the dissolution of the monasteries, was granted to Thomas Cromwell. Still, the area remained predominantly open green space and hunting ground. However, after Hugh Myddleton built The New River Aqueduct in 1613, the neighbourhood had the important duty of supplying London with fresh water. Canonbury eventually developed into a suburb in the early nineteenth century but later suffered decline in the 1860s following the introduction of the railways, leading residents to move further away. With the recovery efforts following WWII though, new building developments made Canonbury desirable once again. Between its growth and the area’s prime location, many artists and literary figures eventually moved to the area.

Celebrated and controversial author Eric Arthur Blair, better known as George Orwell, lived at 27b Canonbury Square in order to rest and recover after fighting Franco’s fascist army in the Spanish Civil War. It was in this house in Canonbury that Orwell wrote and published his world-renowned novel, Animal Farm. After leaving to travel as a journalist, he returned to the neighbourhood to write his seminal work, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Critically acclaimed actress and theatre director, Cate Blanchett, once lived in a beautiful terraced house at 7 Canonbury Grove. Blanchett is best known for her roles in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Babel. Dame Stella Rimmington, the head of MI5, also used to live at this address, and clearly didn’t keep her location much of a secret!

Most aren’t aware that the area boasts one of the largest collections of Modern Italian Art in the world, including work by artists such as Umberto Boccioni, Georgio de Chirico, Amedeo Mogdigliani, and Georgio Morandi, amongst many others. Eric and Salome Estorick built up the majority of this collection between 1953 to 1958, and eventually moved it to The Northumberland Lodge, a stunning Grade II-listed Georgian house on Canonbury Square in 1998.

Canonbury is also home to a mysterious Tudor tower and manor house. Dating back to 1532, the tower and house are the only surviving large domestic Tudor buildings left in the city. Originally belonging to the Canons of St. Bartholomew’s Priory, who lent Canonbury its name, the tower was confiscated after Henry VIII’s break from Rome and was later given to Thomas Cromwell. The tower was also once home to Francis Bacon and Oliver Goldsmith, and later served as a home to the Tower Theatre Company. Today, the Tudor tower serves as a Masonic research centre.

The area is home to The Union Chapel, one of London’s favourite music venues. Surprisingly, the venue is also an operational church, complete with one of the world’s finest organs which dates back to the 1870s. The venue also offers support services to those facing homelessness and other crises by providing meals, showers, laundry, and access to healthcare and housing.

The area’s fashionable status makes it a pricey neighbourhood to live in, boasting an average house price of £833,665. Despite its unaffordability, the artistic and community-minded population continue to fight to maintain the area’s cultural significance and diversity. One local resident described the area as unexpectedly vibrant but underrated and almost unknown, mentioning that it’s very close to everything you could need while still remaining apart from the hubbub.

In contrast to surrounding postcodes there has been little in the way of proposed private development. Instead, council-led civic improvements make up the majority of planned changes in this neighbourhood. A new traffic management system has been introduced on Highbury Corner that will prevent standstills on the roundabout while providing open space for pedestrians as well as safer cycle lanes separated from the road. Just north of here the council has confirmed plans for improvements in Highbury Fields park. Most notably, a new cafe building has been planned alongside a new wildlife garden and improved sports pitches.