London Borough of Islington

Infobox London Borough | name = London Borough of Islington
short_name = Islington
imagename =

status = London borough | area_rank = 352nd
area_km2 = 14.86
ons_code = 00AU | adminhq = Upper Street, Islington | url = [http://www.islington.gov.uk/ LB Islington]
leadership = Leader & Cabinet
mayor = Cllr Stefan Kasprzyk
mps = Jeremy Corbyn
Emily Thornberry
gla_constituency = North East London
gla_member = Jennette Arnold

The London Borough of Islington (audio|En-uk-LBIslington.ogg|pronunciation) is a London borough in North and 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.

Etymology

Islington was originally named by the Saxons "Giseldone" (1005), then "Gislandune" (1062). The name means 'Gīsla's hill' from the Old English personal name Gīsla and "dun" 'hill', 'down'. The name then later mutated to "Isledon", which remained in use well into the 17th century when the modern form arose. [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=6734 'Islington: Growth', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8: Islington and Stoke Newington parishes (1985), pp. 9-19] accessed: 13 March 2007] In medieval times, Islington was just one of many small manors in the area, along with "Bernersbury", "Neweton Berewe" or "Hey-bury", and "Canonesbury" (Barnsbury, Highbury and Canonbury - names first recorded in the 13th and 14th centuries). "Islington" came to be applied as the name for the parish covering these villages, and was the name chosen for the Metropolitan Borough of Islington, on its formation in 1899. On the merger with Finsbury, to form the modern borough this name came to be applied to the whole borough.

Districts of Islington

The borough includes the areas:

*Angel
*Archway
*Ashburton Grove
*Barnsbury
*Canonbury
*Clerkenwell
*Finsbury
*Finsbury Park
*Highbury
*Holloway
*Islington
*Kings Cross
*Newington Green
*Pentonville
*St Luke's
*Tufnell Park::"see also Islington parks and open spaces"

Wards

* Barnsbury
* Bunhill
* Caledonian
* Canonbury
* East Canonbury
* Clerkenwell
* Finsbury Park
* Highbury East
* Highbury West
* Hillrise
* Holloway
* Junction
* Mildmay
* St. Georges
* St. Marys
* St. Peters
* Tollington (ward)

Transport

Islington has a wide variety of Transport, with direct connections to the suburbs and the City and West End.

There are many Underground stations in the borough, which include Old Street, Angel, Highbury and Islington, Finsbury Park, Arsenal, Holloway Road, Caledonian Road, Tufnell Park and Archway, serving principally the Piccadilly, Victoria and Northern Lines. Railway stations include Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, Highbury and Islington, Canonbury, Upper Holloway, Crouch Hill,Drayton Park, Essex Road and Finsbury Park.

Major public and private bodies in Islington

There are two prisons in Islington, a male prison, HM Prison Pentonville and a women's prison Holloway, that held many suffragettes.

Economy

As of 2008 Square Enix's Europe offices are on the second floor of the Castle House in Borough of Islington. [" [http://www.square-enix.com/jp/company/e/locations/ Corporate Locations] ." "Square Enix Japan". Accessed September 20, 2008.]

Cultural attractions and institutions in Islington

*Almeida Theatre
*Courtyard Theatre
*Emirates Stadium (and the former Arsenal Stadium at "Highbury")
*Islington N1 Centre
*The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in Canonbury Square
*Hen and Chickens Theatre
*"Islington Arts Factory", in Parkhurst Road,
*London Canal Museum, located in New Wharf Road, King's Cross
*Islington Museum, located at Finsbury Library (opens 2008)
*The King's Head Theatre
*Sadler's Wells Theatre
*"Technology Mile" - wireless access throughout Upper Street and Holloway Road. [ [http://www.islington.gov.uk/Leisure/freeinternetaccess/technologymile.asp Technology Mile (Internet access)] accessed 15 Mar 2007]
*Union Chapel

Farms

Lower Holloway in Islington is home to Freightliners City Farm which is one of the many city farms throughout London. The farm, which isn't like an industrial farm, contains a wide range of animals from rabbits to cows to chickens and pigs all free for the public to view.

Demographics of Islington

According to the 2001 census Islington has a population of 175,797. It is 75% White, 6% Black African, 5% Black Caribbean and 2% Bangladeshi. 32% of the borough's residents are owner–occupiers.

Education

Universities

The London Borough of Islington is home to two higher education institutions:—
*City University, London at Northampton Square, formerly the Northampton Institute, founded in 1894; and
*London Metropolitan University, North Campus on the Holloway Road, formed from the merger of the University of North London and London Guildhall University in 2002. The University of North London was founded in 1896 as the Northern Polytechnic Institute.

Colleges

The borough also currently contains two colleges of further education:—
*City and Islington College; and
*Westminster Kingsway College (while major improvement works are carried out at King's Cross).

chools

The borough currently maintains 47 primary schools, 10 secondary schools, three special schools and five Pupil Referral Units. In 2000, Cambridge Education Associates, a private firm, took over the management of the Islington's state schools from the local education authority. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/906620.stm BBC education] ]

References

External links

* [http://islington.2gogo.co.uk/ Islington Links]
* [http://www.islington.gov.uk/ Islington Council]
* [http://uk.weather.com/weather/local/N1 Weather forecast for Islington]