Information AboutCamden Town |
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| neighbourhoods of camden | |
Camden Town is an area of North London , England , in the London Borough Of Camden . Camden Town is sometimes referred to simply as "Camden", but it should not be confused with the borough. Camden Town is an inner-city district located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north of Charing Cross , and is famous for its crowded market and as a centre for alternative lifestyles. The area is popular with students, including those from overseas. It is also an area with a large congregation of people following alternative subcultures, most notably Goth , Punk and Emo . ATTRACTIONS The Regent's Canal runs through the north end of Camden Town; its 8.5 mile towpath, which passes through London Zoo , is a pleasant and popular walk in summer {Link without Title} . Boat trips along the canal, from Camden Lock, are also interesting. Many of the handrails by the bridges show deep marks worn by the towropes by which horses pulled canal barges until the 1950s, and there are still underwater ramps to assist horses which have bolted due to the overrunning railway bridges and fallen in. One of the many canal bridges, Macclesfield bridge, is known as "Blow-up bridge": it was the site of London's largest pre-war explosion, where a barge laden with gunpowder blew up in 1874. Camden Lock is a traditional manually-operated double canal lock operating between widely separated levels. A large complex of weekend street markets has mushroomed there since the 1970s. Not far away is Regent's Park , a large and pleasant park which was formerly Henry VIII's hunting chase. There are spectacular rose gardens in bloom in the spring, a boating lake, always-hungry ducks and geese, and several children's playgrounds. Conker s are plentiful in autumn. London Zoo is at the north of the park. The Roundhouse is a railway building constructed in 1847 for the London And Birmingham Railway . It had various uses and eventually became derelict and was converted to a music venue in the 1960s. Since its re-opening in 2006 it has once again become one of London's leading cultural venues, as a theatre and music venue. To the east of Camden Town station and running along the canal is a modern complex designed by Terry Farrell as the original studios of TV AM . The studios are now used by MTV but retain the egg cup sculptures along the roof line of original owners. There are a great many shops, bars, restaurants and cafes. The area south of the tube station is typical of a London High Street; towards the north we find the markets and attractions typical of the area. There are a number of English language schools in the area. Camden Square is a short walk away from Camden Town station and boasts and impressive playground and dog walking area. Camden street markets in Camden Town]] Camden is well-known for its markets: these are of relatively recent date, except for , Stables Market , Camden Canal Market , and an indoor market in the Electric Ballroom . The markets are a major tourist attraction at weekends, selling inexpensive goods of all types including fashion, lifestyle, books, food, junk/antiques and bizarre goods; they and the surrounding shops are popular with young people, in particular those searching for "alternative" clothing. Stables Market also has a growing antiques and Furniture trade. In recent years entertainment-related businesses such as a Virgin Megastore (on a site previously occupied by a number of long term leather goods and clothing/shoes shops and a Holiday Inn (in place of the Camden Recycling Centre) have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops, driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, and represent an extensive range of world cuisine. Many restaurants are a little away from the markets, on Camden High Street and its side streets, Parkway, Chalk Farm Road, Bayham Street. Camden Lock market has its own web site {Link without Title} with maps, detailed transport information, and details of some shops and stalls. The conflicting pressures of developing London have given rise to a controversial plan to re-develop the heart of the historic Stables Market. A steel and glass extension was built on the edges of this site in summer 2006. This increases the market's capacity but increases the pressure on Camden Town's streets and transport, already pushed to their limits over the weekend as thousands of tourists come to the area. Camden Council passed the plans for the additional development in October 2006 against much opposition from residents strongly opposed to the modern redevelopment of their town into a homogenised high street area typical of much of London. Bars, clubs, pubs, and restaurants
Places of interest
TRANSPORT Many bus routes serve the Camden Town area. Camden Town Underground Station is close to the markets and other attractions; other stations are listed below. Black Taxi s ply for hire in the area, and there are Minicab offices. Illegal unlicensed "taxis" tout for business on the street, particularly late at night when other forms of transport are much less available they often demand excessive fares and are not insured for hire services. In 2005 there were an average of ten sexual attacks and rapes on women by illegal minicab drivers throughout London each month[http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=5704 . Camden Town Underground station was not designed for the volume of traffic it handles since the area became popular. It is very crowded all weekend, and, as of 2006, is closed to outbound passengers on Sunday afternoons, the peak time, for safety. London Underground has made many proposals to upgrade the station. In 2004 a proposal requiring the compulsory purchase and demolition of 'the Triangle' — land bordered by Kentish Town Road, Buck Street and Chalk Farm Road — was rejected by Camden Council after opposition from local people; of 229 letters, only 2 supported the scheme. Nearby places Nearest tube stations Nearest railway stations IN LITERATURE In Dickens' '' A Christmas Carol '', Bob Cratchit and his family live in Camden Town. In John Le Carré 's '' Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy '', a Mole at the heart of MI6 is exposed in the climax of the plot at a meeting in a Safe House at Five, Lock Gardens, Camden Town (a fictitious street). Cayce Pollard, the protagonist of William Gibson 's '' Pattern Recognition '', is based in Camden when in London. The book High Fidelity is set in Camden, including a ficticious record shop 'Championship Vinyl'. IN MUSIC
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Britannia_Junction" class="copylinks">Britannia Junction in Camden Town |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Regent's_Canal" class="copylinks">Regent's Canal in Camden Town |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Punks" class="copylinks">Punks close to the Electric Ballroom |
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