Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society
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Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society Vol 4 No 2 Summer 2014 incorporating Islington History Journal Low-rise legacy on a human scale Harley Sherlock was influenced by Georgian squares to design community homes Tollington’s long and diabolical history l Boundary stones, lost and saved l Starting school in 1940s Islington l Plague victim skeletons show what Clerkenwell life was like l The man who planned a Channel tunnel and a tower bigger than the Eiffel l Books, reviews and some bargains l Your local history questions answered l News and events About the society Our committee What we do: talks, walks and more Contribute to this President:RtHonLord heIslington journal: stories and SmithofFinsbury Archaeology& pictures sought Vice president: MaryCosh THistorySocietyishere Chairman: AndrewGardner, toinvestigate,learnand Wewelcomearticlesonlocal [email protected] celebratetheheritagethatis history,aswellasyour Secretary: PeterFuller, lefttous. research,memoriesandold [email protected] Weorganiselectures, photographs. Membership, publications toursandvisits,and Aone-pagearticleneeds and events: Catherine publishthisquarterly about500words,andthe Brighty,8WynyattStreet, journal. maximumarticlelengthis EC1V7HU,catherine. Thesocietywassetup 1,000words.Welike [email protected], in1975andisrunentirely receivingpicturestogo 02078331541 byvolunteers. witharticles,butplease Treasurer: PhilipAnderson, checkthatwecanreproduce phlpandrsn6@btopenworld. Keep in touch online themwithoutinfringing com Wehaveawebsiteat anyone’scopyright. Committee members: www.islingtonhistory.org.uk www.facebook.com/groups/ Thejournalispublishedin KathleenFrenchman, andaFacebookgroupat islingtonhistory.org.uk printandonlineinpdfform. MichaelHarper, Deadlinefortheautumn DerekSeeley issueis31July. 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PrintedbyPrintSet, Wewillnotgiveyourdetailstothirdpartiesunlessrequiredtobylaw 15PalmerPlace,London, Cover picture: Christy Lawrance Cover N78DH,www.printset.co.uk 2 JournaloftheIslingtonArchaeology&HistorySociety Summer2014Vol4 No2 Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society Incorporating Islington History Journal Vol 4 No 2 Summer 2014 Will new towers be admired in future? once asked Harley Sherlock, over a real ale at the cricket, if it was the I damage of World War II that had Contents convinced him to become an architect. No, he replied, he’d known it was his vocation from the age of 11. News 4 Architecture should be on a human Green plaque for tenants’ champion, court backs council over tall towers, World scale, rather than as forbidding and War I project approved, Mail Rail trips on track and fire station is an “asset” isolating as brutalism dictated. If we replicated the scale of Georgian squares Lettersandyourquestions 6 and terraces, he said, we could foster The fire at Smithfield market, Plum Pudding Steps, Waterlow Road and the sense of local community along- condemned cottages at Highbury Corner side the need for modern amenities. Where now? Once again, the spectre Obituary:HarleySherlock 9 of tower blocks and, worse, gated A reflection on his life and his vision enclaves is upon us. These structures and – dare I suggest – get-rich-quick Tunnelstotowers 10 schemes and vanity projects are no The visionary who thought up the Channel tunnel and a tower to rival way to encourage any sense of the Eiffel community. The homes proposed or under construction are for people who Boundarystones,lostandsaved 12 will move on. There is much provision Boundary markers can easily be lost, so we need to keep an eye on them for professional young couples but almost none for families who might – Startingschoolinthe1940s 13 much as we’d love them to – put down Afternoon naps, cod liver oil and rewards for perfect attendance roots here. Nothing is being built either for the current generation of Alonganddiabolicalhistory 14 young people whose folks have been The Tollington area goes back to the Domesday book here for five, six, seven generations. Perhaps someone might write in with BonestelloftoughlivesinClerkenwellpast 16 definitions of “affordable” Skeletons give an idea of life in hundreds of years ago and “sustainable”? It is beyond time for Coffinplates:doyourecogniseaname? 17 politicians and developers to Publications 18 consider: will these History from above, motoring heritage, water past and present, the English projects left behind seaside, congregationalism in the 20th century and a couple of bargains for the future be admired – or even Reviews 22 exist – a century The first Georgians, prefab housing, wedding dresses and Italian glamour from now? Eventsandexhibitions 24 Andy Gardner Chairman, Islington Directoryofsocieties,museumsandresources 28 Archaeology & History Society IslingtonArchaeology&HistorySocietyevents 31 Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society Summer 2014 Vol 4 No 2 3 news In brief Islington victims of World War I commemorated Waitrose leases King’s Islington’slocalhistoryand Cross goods shed heritageservicehaswon substantialfundingfora TheMidlandGoodsShed WorldWarIremembrance andEastHandysideCanopy project. atKing’sCrossaretobe TheStreetsTheyLeft convertedintoaWaitrose Behind:Finsburyand storeandcookeryschool. Islington1914-18project Thegoodsshedwasbuilt willseeplaquesinstalledon in1850andthecanopy Islingtonstreetsto in1888. rememberallthosewho diedfromeachstreet. Sale of Mildmay Club Thefirstplaquesaredue togoupearlyomAugust. rejected by members Seewww.islington.gov.uk/ TheMildmayClubin ww1centenaryforupdates. NewingtonGreen,which Theprojecthasbeen Women working at a gas mask factory in Holloway, 1918 wassetupin1888,has madepossibleby£85,000 survivedafteritsmembers fromtheHeritageLottery OnlineBookof childrenofIslingtonwho votedoverwhelminglynot Fund. Remembrancethissummer. diedasaresultofwar.See tosellitshistoricbuilding. Inaddition,thecouncilis Thiswillcommemorateover www.islington.gov.uk/ planningtolaunchan 13,000men,womenand bookofremembrance Farmiloe building to be turned into offices Judges uphold council policy on tall towers AVictorianwarehouse,used forlocationsforfilms TheCourtofAppealhas originallyrefusedconsent Thejudgessaidthe includingInceptionand upheldcouncilrestrictions forthetowerinSeptember councilwasrighttorefuse Eastern Promises aswellas onnewtowerblocks,aftera 2011.Arsenalappealedto theblockallalong. Batmanfilms,istobeturned longbattleoverplansfora thegovernment’splanning Theysaidthatcouncil intoofficesandother 25-storeyblockofstudent inspectorate,whichdecided policythattowersover30m commercialspace.The housinginHolloway. thetowercouldgoahead. wereinappropriateforthe gradeIIlistedFarmiloe Thethreejudgesrejected Thecouncilappliedto areawasclear,especially building,builtin1868,was ArsenalFC’splanstobuild theHighCourtagainthe becauseitspolicyspecified aglassandleadworks. the450-roomblocknear inspectorate’sdecision,and thattallbuildingswere itsstadium. won.Arsenalthenwentto allowedtheBunhilland Decision on Smithfield IslingtonCouncil theCourtofAppeal. Clerkenwellareas. due in this summer Thedecisiononwhether Mail Rail rides on track Store closes after Smithfieldgeneralmarket nearly 100 years shouldberedevelopedinto officesisdueonorbefore TrainridesalongtheoldPost includeanewmuseumand IronmongerThomas 12August. Officeundergroundrailway betterresearchfacilities.