Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society Vol 3 No 4 Winter 2013-14 incorporating Islington History Journal A hundred years in Highbury Why Arsenal FC moved to Islington, and why this proved critical to its success Heritage centre plans for Caledonian Park clocktower l Aerialists tell Archway’s Tower history l Finsbury Health Centre celebrates l Culture and conflict at St John’s Gate l William Caslon, founding father of type l 18th century wall stencilling l Exhibition reviews l Books, including 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 THistorySocietyishere Vice president: MaryCosh toinvestigate,learnand Wewelcomearticlesonlocal celebratetheheritagethatis history,aswellasyour Chairman: AndrewGardner lefttous. research,memoriesandold [email protected] Weorganiselectures, photographs. toursandvisits,and Aone-pagearticleneeds Secretary: PeterFuller publishthisquarterly about500words,andthe [email protected] journal. maximumarticlelengthis Wehold10lecturesa 1,000words.Welike Membership and events: year,oftenwithguest receivingpicturestogo CatherineBrighty,8Wynyatt speakers–seetheinside witharticles,butplease St,EC1V7HU,02078331541 backpagefordetails. checkthatwecanreproduce Thesocietywassetup themwithoutinfringing Treasurer: PhilipAnderson, in1975andisrunentirely anyone’scopyright. phlpandrsn6@btopenworld. byvolunteers. Facebookgroup: Thejournalispublishedin com lwww.islingtonhistory. printandonlineinpdfform. Keep in touch online org.uk Deadlineforthespring Committee members: Ourwebsitecoverswho lwww.facebook.com/ issueis31January. KathleenFrenchman, weare,whatwedoand groups/islingtonhistory. MichaelHarper,DerekSeeley ourevents.Wealsohavea org.uk Ever wondered…? Doyouhaveanyqueries Academic adviser: Lester aboutIslington’shistory, Hillman,formervisiting Journal back issues and extra copies streetsorbuildings?Send professor,London theminforourtireless MetropolitanBusiness Journaldistributionis researcherMichaelReading School,London overseenbyCatherine andmaybeotherreadersto MetropolitanUniversity Brighty(detailsleft). answer.Pleasenotewedo Contactherformore notcarryoutfamilyresearch. Journal editor: Christy copies,backissues,ifyou lSeeLetters,page6 Lawrance,christy@ movehouseandabout islingtonhistory.org.uk, membership.Backissues Copyright c/o6Northview,TufnellPark canbedownloadedfrom Copyrightofeverythingin Road,LondonN70QB www.clcomms.com/iahs. thisjournallieswiththe creatorunlessotherwise (photocopiesacceptable) $ stated.Whileitcanbe Join the Islington Archaeology & History Society difficulttotracecopyright ownershipofarchive Membershipperyearis:£10single;£12jointatsameaddress;concessionssingle£6/ materials,wemakeevery joint£8;corporate£15;overseas£20.(Membershiprenewalsaresentoutwhendue.) efforttodoso. Name(s).................................................................................................................................... Any questions? ContacteditorChristy Address.................................................................................................................................... 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ISSN2046-8245 Pleasereturnthisform(photocopiesacceptable)to:CatherineBrighty,Islington PrintedbyPrintSet, Archaeology&HistorySociety,8WynyattStreet,LondonEC1V7HU 15PalmerPlace,London, Cover picture: Arsenal FC picture: Cover N78DH,www.printset.co.uk 2 JournaloftheIslingtonArchaeology&HistorySociety Winter2013-14Vol3 No4 Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society Incorporating Islington History Journal Vol 3 No 4 Winter 2013-14 It’s easy to have 20:20 hindsight ’m often asked what it is that draws us so strongly to “old things”, and Iit’s not easy to answer in just a Contents few words. Our imagination thrives at signs that take us back, like a personal time News 4 machine. On a Thames dig, there is the Heritage centre plans for Cally clocktower, an aerial show tells the tale of excitement of holding a Tudor roof tile, Archway Tower and a 30-year-old TV programme about the council then picturing the river as it was. A “blue plaque crawl’’ lets us walk in the Lettersandyourquestions 6 footprints of the past. A very local pub, New North Road and a lending library Sometimes we are fired up by intact or near-intact structures and desire to Radicalshapeofhealthcare 9 protect them because of their historical The Finsbury Health Centre celebrates 75 years in its extraordinary building importance – or simply their beauty. Who is to define the latter? When AhundredyearsatHighbury 10 they were set up, both the Twentieth In 1913, Arsenal FC moved to Islington, which proved critical to its success Century Society and the Victorian Society drew much derision for their Cultureandconflictconsidered 12 aims to protect structures that were St John’s Gate hosted an international conference on military orders seen as outdated and even ridiculous. My own generation is far too close to FourhundredyearsoftheNewRivercelebrated 13 take an impartial view of much built in A day of events the 1960s. Given the extent of buildings lost to changing architectural TheJewishcemetery 14 tastes, my instinct is to keep intact The Reform Jewish cemetery is a little-known gem of cultural and what is structurally viable, however historical value ugly, in case hindsight proves me wrong in 20 years’ time. Foundingfatheroftype 16 I am struggling to find something William Caslon was the most influential type founder in the country kind to say about brutalism. Archway Tower, a much-disliked 1960s office Beforewallpaper 18 building, is likely to survive because A rare 18th century stencilled wall painting is discovered in an Islington house replacing it would be too expensive. Walking past this gloomy grey monolith, Reviews 19 it is difficult to imagine there was The Cheapside Hoard and centuries of Chinese painting once an orchid farm on the site. Just think. Fifty years Publications 20 ago, I’d probably have A couple of book bargains, plus reviews been condemning St Pancras. Eventsandexhibitions 24 Talks, walks and exhibitions Andy Gardner Chairman Directoryofsocieties,museumsandresources 28 Islington Archaeology & History Society IslingtonArchaeology&HistorySocietyevents 31 Arsenal FC Cover: Journal of the Islington Archaeology & History Society Winter 2013-14 Vol 3 No 4 3 Cally clock news In brief Aerialists tell Archway Tower’s tale Historic ‘offence’ cited in worst building award Theredevelopmentofthe formerMallett,Porter& Dowdwarehouseonthe CaledonianRoadisofficially Britain’sworstnewbuilding. JudgesfortheBuilding Designmagazinecompetition saidit“offersdeepgrounds foroffenceinitscavalier The performers dance from the attitudetoanhistoricasset” top of the tower to its base overthetreatmentofits retainedVictorianfacade. andParadiseNurserieson lSeeThe Cally carbuncle, thesite.Later,itwashome autumn2012,page10 theElectricCinemaand ChiversJamwarehouse. 1930s estate saved by DanielaEssart,artistic its heritage value directorofScarabeus,said: “TheArchwayTowerand Planstobuildontopof itssurroundingareahavea Northview–anearlyintact particularlyfascinatingstory 1930senclaveinHolloway totell.Wherethetowernow –havebeenthrownoutbya standsinisolationlivedthe governmentplanning ThestoryofArchwayTower sitetotellastoryoflove, mostextraordinaryand inspector.Theinspectorsaid anditssitewasbroughtto lossandhope. beautifulorchidhouses. NorthviewandthegradeII lifebyastunningaerial Localpeoplewatched “Iamfascinatedby listedOdeoncinema performancebyacrobats theperformances,over theideathatsomuch “providearchitecturaland whodancedfromthetopto twoeveningsinOctober, beautywashereandthe historicinteresttothe thebaseofthetower. fromthepavementsaround possibilitythatsuchbeauty characterandappearanceof Theperformanceof thetower. canreturn.” thearea.Theappealbuilding Paradise Lost?bythe Backin1860,Benjamin The195ftArchwayTower, isanimportantundesignated ScarabeusAerialTheatre SamuelWilliamscultivated whichis195fttall,was heritageassetwithinthis drewonthehistoryofthe rareorchidsattheVictoria completedin1963. group.”Shedescribedthe proposedschemeas“visually Smithfield Market incongruousandtopheavy”. Societymembersvoted development called in unanimouslyagainstthe plansatameetingin2012. Proposalstoredevelop SmithfieldMarkethavebeen Hub holds London calledinforpublicinquiry. TheCityCorporationinJuly transport archive approveda£160moffice The TransportforLondon schemethatwouldinvolve corporatearchiveshave partialdemolitionofthe beenaddedtoArchives marketandthedestruction Hub.Theseholdover ofitsinterior.Objectorsto 100,000itemsaboutTfLand theschemeincluded itspredecessorsand IslingtonCouncil. subsidiariesdatingfrom Proposalsfornewtower 1556tothepresentday, buildingsnearWaterloo A couple of walkers by the society’s stall run by Catherine Brighty at includingbusinessactivities Stationhavealsobeencalled