(pronounced "clarkenwell") is a locality in the southermost part of the
London Borough Of Islington . Clerkenwell is also known as London's ''Little Italy'' due to its once extensive Italian population from the 1850s to the 1960s.
Clerkenwell has a long history. It took its name from the
Clerk's Well in Farringdon Lane. In the Middle Ages, the London Parish clerks performed annual
Mystery Play s there, based on biblical themes. Part of the well remains visible, incorporated into a later (19th or perhaps early 20th century) building called Well Court.
Clerkenwell had strong
Monastic traditions. The
Nun s of
St Mary 's, Clerkenwell, lived on the site of the present
St James ' Parish Church. The Monastic Order of the
Knights Hospitaller s of
St John of Jerusalem had its
English headquarters in Clerkenwell. (
The Blessed Gerard founded the Order in order to give medical assistance during
The Crusades .)
St John's Gate (built by Sir
Thomas Docwra in
1504 ) survives in the rebuilt form of the Priory Gate. Its gateway, erected in 1504, and remaining in St John's Square, served various purposes after the suppression of the monasteries, being, for example, the birthplace of the ''Gentleman's Magazine'' in
1731 , and the scene of
Dr Johnson 's work in connexion with that journal. In modern times the gatehouse again became associated with the Order, and was in the early
20th Century the headquarters of the
St John Ambulance Association. An
Early English Crypt remains beneath the neighbouring parish church of St John, where the notorious deception of the "Cock Lane Ghost," in which Johnson took great interest, was exposed. Adjoining the priory was St Mary's
Benedictine Nunnery , St James's church (
1792 ) marking the site, and preserving in its vaults some of the ancient monuments. The
Charterhouse , near the boundary with the
City Of London , once served as a
Carthusian Monastery . The Charterhouse later became a school and
Almshouse , which latter still remains.
In the
17th Century Clerkenwell became a fashionable place of residence. A prison erected here at this period gave place later to the House of Detention, notorious as the scene of a
Fenian outrage in
1867 , when it was sought to release certain prisoners by blowing up part of the building. Before Clerkenwell became a built-up area, it had a reputation as a
Resort where Londoners could disport themselves at its
Spa s, tea gardens and
Theatre s.
Sadler's Wells has survived, after rebuilding, as heir to this tradition.
The
Industrial Revolution changed the area greatly. It became a centre for
Breweries ,
Distilleries and the
Printing industry. It gained an especial reputation for the
Making Of Clocks and
Watches , which activity once employed many people from around the area. Flourishing craft workshops still carry on some of the traditional trades, such as jewellery-making. The owners of many former industrial buildings have recently converted them into
Loft dwellings.
Clerkenwell Green lies at the centre of the old village, by the church, and has a mix of housing, offices and pubs. In conveying some impression of its history it probably gives the appearance of one of the better-preserved village centres close to central London. In
Charles Dickens '
Oliver Twist , Clerkenwell Green is where Fagin and the Artful Dodger induct Oliver into pickpocketing amongst shoppers in the busy market once held there. Indeed Dickens knew the area well and was a customer of the
Finsbury Savings Bank on
Sekforde Street , a street linking Clerkenwell Green to St John's Street.
The
London Government Act 1899 incorporated the
Civil Parish of Clerkenwell into the
Metropolitan Borough Of Finsbury . The parish included also the
Pentonville area.
In 1902,
Vladimir Lenin moved the publication of the ''
Iskra '' (Spark) to the British Social Democratic Federation at 37a Clerkenwell Green, and issues 22 to 38 were indeed edited there. At that time Lenin resided on Percy Circus, less than half a mile north of Clerkenwell Green. In 1903 the newspaper was moved to Geneva. It is said that Lenin and a young
Stalin met in the ''Crown and Anchor'' pub (now known as ''The Crown Tavern'') on the Green when the latter was visiting London in 1903. Clerkenwell's tradition of left-leaning publication continues today, with ''
The Guardian '' having its headquarters a short walk away.
Clerkenwell contains the
Mount Pleasant postal sorting office, the largest in London.
The first
Gastropub , ''The Eagle'', opened in Clerkenwell in
1991 . The Eagle has been joined by, among others, ''The Green'', ''The Peasant'' and ''The Coach and Horses'', Clerkenwell pubs which have since been converted to gastropubs.
''St John Food & Wine'', a traditional English restaurant and the Michelin-starred ''Club Gascon'' head up the bill of leading restaurants, taking full of advantage of the proximity of Smithfield's meat market.
Clerkenwell is also home to the capital's two finest Belgian bar/brasseries - the ''Dovetail'' and ''L'Abbaye''. Both offer a full range of Belgian ales in the heart of London.
Clerkenwell is the home of two of London's largest nightclubs, ''
Turnmills '' and ''
Fabric '', giving the area reputation as one the very best areas in London for an evening out. The nightlife is centred on the north side of Smithfield market, revellers gathering alongside delivery teams from across Europe at the meat market on nights throughout the week. Several pre-club venues such as ''Smith's of Smithfield'', ''Meet'' and ''Bed Bar'' have flourished in the area. A number of traditional pubs also line the market and the surrounding warren of streets.
- Andrew Rothstein, ''A House on Clerkenwell Green'', 1966. A history of 37a Clerkenwell Green and activism in the area.
