Archway and Holloway Overview
Image courtesy of Martin Addison
Neatly nestled between Islington and Highgate is where you will find Archway, a North London neighbourhood that is growing in popularity by the day.
What was once a slept-on neighbourhood is fast becoming a miniature version of London with an eclectic mix of properties, independent and chain shops, and a vibrant area with excellent transport connections to other parts of the capital.
Right next door to Archway, you will find Holloway, the home of Arsenal Football Club. Holloway has a fair number of pubs to choose from and is also only a stone’s throw away from the trendy buzz of Upper Street to the south and the olde-worlde splendour of Highgate to the north. You’ll also find Holloway Road here, one of the main shopping streets in all of North London, you will find all sorts of shops there, from coffee shops to clothing retailers.
Travel information
The nearest London Underground station is Archway tube station on the Northern line which can take you to many notable locations in London, including Camden, Leicester Square and London Bridge. The nearest London Overground station is Upper Holloway. You will find plenty of buses that serve Archway during the day and in the evening. Some of these bus routes include numbers 143, 4 and 390 which can take you to Waterloo, Notting Hill and Brent Cross Shopping Centre.
History
Image courtesy of Ewan Munro
Until the 18th century the area was mostly rural, but after the urban expansion of London in the second half of the 19th century it became extremely built-up. Since the 1830s Archway and Holloway has had a large Irish community. Many Irish people worked in building railways and roads and became known as navigators. After World War 2, the Irish community formed in the area continued to get bigger as the newly-opened Whittington Hospital recruited nurses from Ireland. Although immigration from Ireland has slowed down, the Irish influence can still very much be seen in the area, pubs such as The Mother Red Cap and The Floirin and the supply of Irish newspapers in local newsagents as well as the pedestrian precinct called Navigator Square which is named after the Irish navigators.
Archway and Holloway, like a lot of inner north London, experienced fast growth in the early 1900s and quickly became an important local shopping centre.
In recent years there has been a lot of development in the area and it is now home to many artists and people who work in the media, including many journalists, writers and professionals working in film and television.
Local attractions
If you’re someone who needs plenty to see or do then you will be delighted with Archway.
From football to comedy, there are a plethora of things that will keep you entertained!
Arsenal F.C. – Emirates Stadium
Image courtesy of wonker
Are you an Arsenal fan or simply interested in watching a Premier League team in a world class stadium? Then going to watch Arsenal F.C. is what you should be doing!
176 Gallery
Image courtesy of Panoramio
Any lovers of contemporary art that would love to see the works of emerging artists from the late 20th and 21st century need to go to 176 Gallery. The gallery is a converted 19th century Methodist chapel, which makes an interesting juxtapositions with the experimental art. Working with emerging artists and presenting three major site-specific exhibitions per year, exhibitions work both with the building and the Collection as their starting point.
You can digest whatever art you’ve just seen over cakes, tea and coffee which are provided at the gallery.
Zabludowicz Collection – 176 Gallery
Hampstead Heath
Image courtesy of Loz Pycock
Hampstead Heath is the wildest of London’s parks, it has fields to run in, long grass to roll in, woods to hide in and most famously, ponds to swim in! If you want to get away from city life whilst still being in the city, you must visit this park.
London Metropolitan University
Image Courtesy of Alan Stanton
London Metropolitan University is a public research university in Holloway. The University of North London (formerly the Polytechnic of North London) and London Guildhall University (formerly the City of London Polytechnic) merged in 2002 to create the university. Each year the university has around 12,150 students, some of which over the years have become very notable figures. Some of the most notable figures in the university’s alumni includes Noel Clarke, Rainatou Sow and Jeremy Corbyn.
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Accommodation
Holloway Road Residence (Archway) – Click Here
A hard to miss building, boasting a variety of colours on the windows of its modern exterior, this residence offers a variety of value shared flats for students. Close to a number of bus routes and underground stations, the accommodation is ideal for those looking to make the most of their stay with the residence being only a short distance away from a number of iconic London landmarks and entertainment venues.
Located on Islington’s Holloway Road, on the border of zones 2/3, the residence is an ideal accommodation for students who want to experience as much of London as they can.
The residences main room type is an en-suite room. En-suite rooms offer residences their own private bathroom, study area, double bed and personal space for storage.
