Barnsbury

2025-02-26T23:44:39Z

2603:8001:2500:740:1139:C857:4B9B:F83: /* Notable people */

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{infobox UK place|
|country = England
|map_type = Greater London
|region= London
|population=
|official_name= Barnsbury
|static_image_name= Thornhill square 1.jpg
|static_image_caption= [[Thornhill Square]]
|coordinates = {{coord|51.54183849338327|-0.11060897251564092|display=inline,title}}
|os_grid_reference= TQ305845
|post_town= LONDON
|postcode_area=N
|postcode_district=N1, N7
|london_borough= Islington
|dial_code= 020
|constituency_westminster= [[Islington South and Finsbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Islington South and Finsbury]]
}}

[[File:Islington Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg|thumb|A map showing the Barnsbury ward of Islington Metropolitan Borough as it appeared in 1916.]]

'''Barnsbury''' is an area of [[north London]] in the [[London Borough of Islington]], within the [[London N1|N1]] and [[London N7|N7]] [[UK postcode|postal districts]].

==History==
The name is a [[Syncope (phonology)|syncopated]] form of ''Bernersbury'' (1274),<ref>Mills, D., ''Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names,'' (2000)</ref> being so called after the Berners family: powerful medieval manorial lords who gained ownership of a large part of Islington after the [[Norman Conquest]]. The area of Barnsbury was predominantly rural until the early 19th century.

By the end of the 18th century, Barnsbury, like other parts of Islington, was regarded as an attractive part-rural suburb by the comparatively wealthy people wanting to move out of the cramped [[City of London]] and industrial [[Clerkenwell]]. The area is close to the city, and had strong local trade in its position as the first staging post for travellers making the journey from London to the north, and with considerable agricultural traffic and cattle driving to the nearby [[Smithfield, London#Market|Smithfield cattle market]] in the city.

Barnard Park, consisting of 10 acres (4 hectares) including a large area of football pitches, was created in 1967 on an area of housing that had been bombed during [[The Blitz|World War Two]], and was named after former [[Islington London Borough Council|Islington]] Mayor Cllr George Barnard.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Morris|first=James|date=2018-06-16|title=From war bombing to 'stinking' paddling pools: A history of Barnard Park|url=https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/lifestyle/from-war-bombing-to-stinking-paddling-pools-a-history-of-3796148|access-date=2021-01-02|website=Islington Gazette|language=en-UK}}</ref>

[[Pentonville (HM Prison)|Pentonville Prison]] (built 1842) is located within Barnsbury.

==Governance==
Since 2006, [[Barnsbury (ward)|Barnsbury]] electoral ward has been represented by three [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] councillors.

== Notable people ==
* [[Gillian Anderson]] (born 1968), actress, activist and writer<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000096/ IMDb Database] retrieved 2 May 2019</ref>
* [[Tony Blair|Tony]] and [[Cherie Blair]], former Prime Minister and his wife, lived in Barnsbury with their family.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2010/4/22/islington-south-and-finsbury-liberals-are-irr|title=Islington South and Finsbury – Liberals are irrelevant, says Labour MP|publisher=politics.co.uk|date=22 April 2010|access-date=2 November 2023}}</ref>
* [[Michael Faraday]] (1791–1867), chemist
* [[Owen Jones]] (born 1984), Labour activist
* [[Enid Marx]] (1902–1998) painter and designer, known for industrial textile designs for the [[London Transport Board]] and the [[Utility furniture]] Scheme.
* [[Ivor Moreton]] (1908–1984), pianist and singer, born in Barnsbury<ref name="moreton">[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; ''Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911''</ref>
* [[Grayson Perry]] (born 1960), artist
* [[Emily Thornberry]] (born 1960), [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] MP for [[Islington South and Finsbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Islington South and Finsbury]]
* Richard de Rothschild ,[[Rothschild_banking_family_of_England]] Business Entrepreneur lived in Barnsbury 1991-2006

== Nearest stations ==
* [[Caledonian Road & Barnsbury railway station|Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Overground station]]
* [[Angel tube station]]
* [[Caledonian Road tube station]]
* [[Highbury and Islington station]]

== Nearby areas ==

{{Geographic Location
|width = auto
|title = '''Neighbouring areas of London.'''
|Northwest = [[Kentish Town]]
|North = [[Highbury]]
|Northeast = [[Hoxton]]
|West = [[Camden Town]]
|Centre = Barnsbury
|East = [[Canonbury]]
|Southwest = [[St Pancras, London|St Pancras]]
|South = [[Bloomsbury]]
|Southeast = [[Clerkenwell]]
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{LB Islington}}
{{London Districts}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Barnsbury| ]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Islington]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]

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Barnsbury