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The CharterhouseThe Charterhouse · Photo: Nicholas Jackson · CC BY-SA 3.0
AHistory Grade
History of Islington · Historic England

Islington: 45% of homes built before 1919

For Islington, that is 3 times the typical town’s share, 15%. Historic England lists 1,024 buildings inside Islington’s built-up area, 47 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 1 scheduled monument. We have photos of 48 of its listed buildings and 3 old views of the town. Islington grades A for history: #5 of 33 in London.

12Grade I33Grade II*1scheduled monument20on St John Street
Listed buildings
1,024
47 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
12
exceptional interest
Grade II*
33
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
1
1 registered park or garden
Homes built before 1919
45%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures

Islington in 52 photos and old views

Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.

Wesley's ChapelWesley's ChapelGrade I listedSt John's GateSt John's GateGrade I listedCanonbury TavernCanonbury TavernGrade II listedIslington Town HallIslington Town HallGrade II listedOdeon CinemaOdeon CinemaGrade II listed+47See all photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.

Through time

Islington from 1842 to 1906

3 old photos and postcards, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.

Islington. Essex Road - 1842 by Charles Martin. Railway Station. LONDON POSTCARD 19051842
VictorianIslington. Essex Road - 1842 by Charles Martin. Railway Station. LONDON POSTCAR…Photo: Mark Crombie · Public domain
PANORAMI POSTCARD HIGHBURY & ISLINGTON STATION-OLD COCK TAVERN-HIGHBURY CORNER LONDON POSTCARD 19051905
EdwardianPANORAMI POSTCARD HIGHBURY & ISLINGTON STATION-OLD COCK TAVERN-HIGHBURY CORNER …Photo: Mark Crombie · Public domain
HIGHBURY CORNER nr Islington - Upper Street - Charles Martin LONDON POSTCARD 19061906
EdwardianHIGHBURY CORNER nr Islington - Upper Street - Charles Martin LONDON POSTCARD 19…Photo: Mark Crombie · Public domain

Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.

The map

Where Islington’s history is

Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, registered park or gardenBenedictine nunnery of St Mary, Clerkenwell, scheduled monumentArmoury House, Grade II*Bevin Court, Grade II*Canonbury Tower, Grade II*Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Clergy House, Campanile and Parish Hall, Grade II*Church of St James and Attached Railings, Grade II*Church of St Mary Magdalene and Attached Railings, Grade II*Finsbury Town Hall, Grade II*Former Carlton Cinema, Grade II*Former Church of Holy Trinity, Grade II*Former Clerkenwell Fire Station, Grade II*Former Middlesex Sessions House, Grade II*Former Sunday school, lecture hall and vestry block to Union Chapel, Grade II*Monument to Daniel Defoe, Central Broadwalk, Grade II*Monument to Henry Hunter, Middle Enclosure, Grade II*Monument to John Bunyan, Central Broadwalk, Grade II*Monument to Joseph Denison, South Enclosure, Grade II*Monument to Mary Boyle, South Enclosure, Grade II*Monument to Mary Page, Central Broadwalk, Grade II*Monument to Sarah and John Wheatly, East Enclosure, Grade II*Monument to Thomas and Hannah Miller, South Enclosure, Grade II*New River Head (former Metropolitan Water Board offices), Grade II*Numbers 1 to 24 and Attached Railings, Grade II*Numbers 25 to 48 (Consecutive) and Attached Railings, Grade II*Rainbow Theatre, former cinema, Grade II*Sadler House and Attached Porter's Lodge, Grade II*St John's Church with St Peter's and Churchyard Wall and Gates, Grade II*St Paul's Church, Grade II*The Clock Tower, Grade II*Tomb of John Wesley in the Burial Ground of Wesley's Chapel, Grade II*Tunbridge House and Boiler House, Grade II*Wells House, Grade II*3, Terrett's Place, Grade II*6-9, Canonbury Place, Grade II*Clerk's Well and Chamber/Enclosure in Basement of Number 16, Grade IFinsbury Health Centre, Grade IFormer Church of St Luke, Grade IFormer Church of St Saviour, Grade IJohn Wesley's House and Attached Railings, Grade IMaster's Lodge, The Charterhouse and Attached Railings, Grade IPriory Church of St John of Jerusalem, Grade ISt John's Gate, Grade IThe Charterhouse, Grade IUnion Chapel, Grade IWesley's Chapel, Grade I52-55, Newington Green, Grade I
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monumentPark or garden400 m from St John Clerkenwell
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
5 of 12Grade I buildings stand within 400 m of St John Clerkenwell, a five-minute walk. So do 133 of the 1,024 listed buildings.
56 of 126neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 98% were built before 1919.

Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.

1,024 listed buildings by grade
12 Grade I33 Grade II*979 Grade II

Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.

Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).

Grade I

The 12 Grade I listed buildings in Islington

Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings; 5 of these stand within 400 m of St John Clerkenwell. Every one is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.

Walls & gates · listed 1950St John's GatePhoto: Lonpicman · CC BY-SA 3.0
Church · listed 1950St Luke Old StreetOn the list as Former Church of St LukePhoto: Unknown photographer · CC BY-SA 2.5
Church · listed 1950St John ClerkenwellOn the list as Priory Church of St John of JerusalemPhoto: John Salmon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Church · listed 1972Union ChapelPhoto: Fin Fahey · CC BY-SA 2.5
Grade II*

The 33 Grade II* listed buildings in Islington

Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. Every one is photographed.

Public · listed 1998Bevin CourtPhoto: Steve Cadman from London, U.K · CC BY-SA 2.0
Public · listed 1950Our Most Holy RedeemerOn the list as Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Clergy House, Campanile and Parish HallPhoto: Nigel Cox · CC BY-SA 2.0
House · listed 1974Carlton CinemaOn the list as Former Carlton CinemaPhoto: The wub · CC BY-SA 4.0
House · listed 1950Middlesex Sessions HouseOn the list as Former Middlesex Sessions HousePhoto: File:Microcosm of London Plate 070 - Session House, Clerkenwell.jpg · Public domain
Show the other 21
Public · listed 1974Rainbow TheatreOn the list as Rainbow Theatre, former cinemaPhoto: Peyoman · CC BY-SA 4.0
Historic streets

St John Street has the most listed buildings

Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.

St John Street20 listed
Liverpool Road18 listed
Highbury New Park17 listed
Ripplevale Grove13 listed
Alwyne Road11 listed
Caledonian Road10 listed
Canonbury Park North8 listed
Upper Street8 listed
Colebrooke Row7 listed
Canonbury Park South6 listed
Belitha Villas5 listed
Cloudesley Road5 listed

Of the 1,024 entries, 306 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.

What’s protected

The largest group of Islington’s listed buildings is homes

Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.

Houses, terraces & villas401
Street furniture355
Memorials, crosses & tombs81
Public & civic buildings64
Walls, gates & bridges52
Churches, chapels & priories39
Inns, shops & warehouses32

401 entries (39%) are houses, terraces and villas. 39 are churches, chapels and priories, including 5 of the 12 Grade I buildings.

Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.

Grade II

979 Grade II listed buildings

Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.

The first 150 of 979 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
Albion LodgeAlmeida TheatreAngel Baptist Church and Attached Iron RailingsAnnette Crescent and Attached RailingsApproximately 100 Metres of Railings to South West of Junction with Willow Bridge RoadApproximately 20 Metres of Railings West of Junction with Astey's RowApproximately 50 Metres of Railings to North West of Canonbury Grove, And Canonbury RoadApproximately 60 Metres of Railings to North-East of Junction with Willow BridgeBacon SmokehouseBelvoir EstateBenson Building, Abutting Wesley's ChapelBland Family Monument, South EnclosureBoer War Memorial and Flanking CannonBollard Circa 3 Metres from Clerkenwell CloseBollard Outside Number 20Bollard at North Entrance to Granville Square (Northeast Corner)Bollard at North Entrance to Granville Square (Northwest Corner)Bollard at South Entrance (Southeast Corner)Bollard at South Entrance (Southwest Corner)Bollard at the South End of Jerusalem PassageBollard on the Corner of Sekforde Street and St James's WalkBoundary Wall, Kingsway College Clerkenwell CloseBoundary Walls, Gates and Railings to Bunhill Fields Burial GroundBrewers Buildings and Attached RailingsBurns House, Caledonian EstateBusiness Design CentreCaledonian Road Methodist Church and Attached RailingsCaledonian Road Underground StationCanonbury House and Attached Walls and RailingsCanonbury TavernCarrick House, Caledonian Estate and Attached RailingsCaslon Tomb in St Luke's ChurchyardCattle TroughCattle TroughCattle TroughCells, Former House of Detention, Kingsway College Clerkenwell CloseCentral Foundation School for BoysCentral LibraryChapel Keeper's House, Wesley's ChapelCharles Rowan House and Attached Iron RailingsCheeswright Family Monument, South EnclosureChest Tomb with Cherub Balusters, South EnclosureChest Tomb with Memento Mori Carving, South EnclosureChest Tomb with Volutes, South EnclosureChrist ChurchChristchurch VicarageChurch Hall, Church of St Mark with St AnneChurch of St AndrewChurch of St Clement with St Barnabas and St MatthewChurch of St JohnChurch of St Jude and St PaulChurch of St Luke and Attached Walls and Gate Piers to ChurchyardChurch of St MarkChurch of St Mark with St AnneChurch of St MaryChurch of St Mary with St Stephen and Attached Hall, Wall and RailingsChurch of St Mellitus and Attached PresbyteryChurch of St PeterChurch of St Silas with All SaintsChurch of St StephenChurch of St Thomas and Attached Halls and WallsChurchyard Wall, Railings and Gates to St James's ChurchClaremont Square ReservoirClerkenwell Church of England Primary SchoolClock Tower on the Corner of Highbury Hill and Church PathClothworkers AlmshousesCollege Building, City University and Attached RailingsCollege for the Distributive TradesCornwell HouseCouncil OfficesCrafts Council Gallery and attached forecourt walls, railings and gatepiersCromwell Family Monument, South EnclosureDagmar HouseDrinking FountainEast Entrance to the Islington Tunnel of the Regent's Canal, And Flanking WallsEast Stand at Highbury StadiumEasternmost of Two K2 Telephone Kiosks to the Centre of Clerkenwell GreenEntrance Gates to Wesley's ChapelF Block, St Mary's Wing, Whittington HospitalFarringdon London Regional Transport Underground StationFinsbury Barracks and Attached RailingsFlats Numbers 1 to 14 and 18 (Consecutive)Flavell Family Monument, South EnclosureFlorin CourtFormer Angel CinemaFormer Bowling Green Lane Board SchoolFormer Caretaker's Lodge and Gatehouse, St Bartholomew's Medical CollegeFormer Church of St ClementFormer Clerkenwell Magistrates Court and Attached RailingsFormer Cookery and Laundry Building, Kingsway College Clerkenwell CentreFormer Engine House and attached boiler houses and coal store, New River HeadFormer Leysian MissionFormer Notting Warehouse/Enterprise Printing Machine WorksFormer Special Girls School, Kingsway College Clerkenwell CentreFormer Welsh Congregational Union Chapel (Eglwys Y Tabernaacl)Four Lamp PostsFour Lamps in Preacher's Court, The CharterhouseFox and Anchor Public HouseGabriel Family Monument, South EnclosureGas Lamp Outside Number 1 Canonbury PlaceGates at North West Corner, Leading Into Charterhouse StreetGates to John Wesley's HouseGillespie Primary SchoolGravestone of Joseph Grimaldi in Grimaldi ParkGroup of Five Chest Tombs, West EnclosureGroup of Nine Chest Tombs Including Tomb of John Guyse, South EnclosureGrove CottageHanover Primary School and Railings, Panelled Walls and Gatepiers to Front (North) ElevationHeadstone to Eleanor and Charles Sanderson, South EnclosureHeadstone with Cartouche, East EnclosureHolloway Road Station (London Transport)Hope and Anchor Public HouseHornsey Road Baths and Attached RailingsHungerford SchoolIronmonger Row BathsIrvine House, Caledonian EstateIslington Town HallIslington War MemorialK2 Kiosk at North West Junction with Canonbury RoadK2 Telephone Kiosk Outside All Saints (Aladura) ChurchK2 Telephone Kiosk Outside Finsbury Town HallK2 Telephone Kiosk Outside Number 137K2 Telephone Kiosk Outside Number 23 (Not Included)K2 Telephone Kiosk Outside Number 43 (Not Included)K2 Telephone Kiosk Outside Number 68 on Tollington Way ReturnK2 Telephone Kiosk Outside the Canonbury TavernK2 Telephone Kiosk at Junction with Albemarle WayK2 Telephone Kiosk at Junction with Canonbury VillasK2 Telephone Kiosk at Junction with Wynatt StreetK2 Telephone Kiosk at South West Corner of Number 120A and 122 Clerkenwell GreenK2 Telephone Kiosk in Front of Compton TerraceK2 Telephone Kiosk to North West at Junction with Mount PleasantK2 Telephone Kiosk to North of Tyndale MansionsK2 Telephone Kiosk to South Side of Junction with Barnsbury ParkK2 Telephone Kiosk to South Side of Junction with Field Way CrescentKing and Du Pont Family Monument, South EnclosureKingsway College Clerkenwell CentreLamp South of Master's Court, The CharterhouseLamp in Master's Court, The CharterhouseLamp in Pensioner's Court, The CharterhouseLawrance Family Monument, South EnclosureLloyd House and Attached RailingsLowndes HouseM Manze Pie and Eel ShopManor Gardens Health and Community CentreMarket HouseMarquess Tavern Public HouseMarx Memorial LibraryMetropolitan Benefit Societies' Almshouses and Attached RailingsMildmay Lodge

Search the rest on Historic England’s list →

Conservation areas

1 conservation area covers 100% of Islington

Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.

No data available for publication by HE1,444 ha
1,444 hain conservation areas, of 1,444 ha inside the built-up area.

1,024 of the 1,024 listed buildings stand in one.

Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.

How the list grew

374 of Islington’s 1,024 listed buildings were added in 1972

The year each building now on the list was first listed.

1972 · 3741994 · 307
19501960197019801990200020102020

The first 34 entries were listed in 1950, 8 of the 12 Grade I buildings among them. 374 came in 1972, in the national resurvey of the 1970s and 80s. Only 87 have been added in the last 15 years.

Monuments & landscapes

Monuments, parks and gardens

Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.

1 scheduled monument

Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.

1 registered park or garden

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground
History Grade

Islington grades A for history

Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.

Protected heritage, for its size and in all (1,086 points, 50 per 10,000 residents)More than 77% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (45%)More than 96% of UK towns

Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.

Homes by age

45% of Islington’s homes were built before 1919

Every home by when it was built, from council tax records, against England & Wales (the dark tick).

37%
Before 1900
7.5%
1900–18
1.4%
1919–29
2.8%
1930s
5.1%
1945–54
5.8%
1955–64
6.4%
1965–72
9.9%
1973–82
2.2%
1983–92
2.9%
1993–99
7.4%
2000–08
7%
2009–15
4.7%
2016–25
IslingtonEngland & Wales

37% of homes are Victorian or older, against 16% across England and Wales. The busiest period since was 1973–82, which added 9.9% of today’s homes.

Valuation Office Agency, council tax stock of properties by build period, 31 March 2025, for the neighbourhoods (LSOAs) that make up the town, split by where their residents live. Homes with no recorded build period (3,330 here) are left out; 1939–44 is not a period in the data.

Born here

225 notable people born in Islington before 1900

The 20 best known on one timeline, earliest first.

James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
Sharon Turner
James Tod
Ann Taylor
James Clark Ross
John Stuart Mill
Henry Barkly
George Grossmith
Raphael Meldola
Louis Wain
Sidney Jones
Mary Kingsley
Harry Blackstaffe
Robert W. Paul
Percy Newberry
Charles Robinson
Henry Hallett Dale
Frederick Humphreys
Ethel Thomson Larcombe
Charles Simmons
16001650170017501800185019001950
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill1806–1873 · British philosopher and political economist (1806–1873)
Henry Hallett Dale
Henry Hallett Dale1875–1968 · English pharmacologist, Nobel laureate (1875–1968)
James Clark Ross
James Clark Ross1800–1862 · British explorer and naval officer (1800–1862)
MK
Mary Kingsley1862–1900 · British ethnographer, scientific writer and explorer (1862–1900)
Louis Wain
Louis Wain1860–1939 · English artist (1860-1939)
Ethel Thomson Larcombe
Ethel Thomson Larcombe1879–1965 · English tennis and badminton player (1879-1965)
Harry Blackstaffe
Harry Blackstaffe1868–1951 · British rower (1868–1951)
James Tod
James Tod1782–1835 · 1782-1835, English officer of the British East India Company and an O…

Everyone born in Islington → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.

Neighbours

Listed buildings in the places around Islington

TownPeopleListedGrade IHistory
Islington216,3091,02412A
Hackney258,4645438A−
Camden209,3421,88958A+
City of London7,82058783A+
Haringey264,0693066A−
Westminster203,5713,887203A+
Tower Hamlets311,07292321B
Kensington and Chelsea143,3481,14817A+
In brief

Islington in brief

More of Islington’s homes are old than in most places: 45% were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town. In all there are 1,024 listed buildings, 12 of them Grade I, including The Charterhouse. Per resident, it has more listed heritage than 77% of UK towns. St John Clerkenwell sits at the heart of it all, with 5 of the town’s Grade I buildings within 400 m.

On St John Street alone there are 20 listed buildings. A conservation area protects part of it. Of the 225 people born here before 1900, the best known include John Stuart Mill (1806), Henry Hallett Dale (1875) and James Clark Ross (1800). Beyond that, it also has a scheduled monument.

Questions about Islington’s history

How many listed buildings are there in Islington?

Historic England lists 1,024 buildings inside Islington’s built-up area: 12 Grade I, 33 Grade II* and 979 Grade II.

What are the Grade I listed buildings in Islington?

12, including Clerk's Well and Chamber/Enclosure in Basement of Number 16, Finsbury Health Centre, Former Church of St Luke, Former Church of St Saviour, John Wesley's House and Attached Railings and Master's Lodge, The Charterhouse and Attached Railings.

Which street in Islington has the most listed buildings?

St John Street (20), Liverpool Road (18) and Highbury New Park (17) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.

Are there scheduled monuments in Islington?

Yes, 1 scheduled monument, including Benedictine nunnery of St Mary, Clerkenwell.

How many conservation areas are there in Islington?

1, covering about 1,444 hectares of the town. The largest is No data available for publication by HE.

When were Islington’s buildings listed?

The first in 1950; the most, 374, in 1972.

Are there old photos of Islington?

Yes: 3 public-domain photos and postcards from 1842 to 1906, all on this page.

Who was born in Islington?

Among people born before 1900: John Stuart Mill (1806), Henry Hallett Dale (1875), James Clark Ross (1800), Mary Kingsley (1862) and Louis Wain (1860).

How old are the homes in Islington?

45% of homes were built before 1919 and 49% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).

© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.

Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.