The Islington Spur Walk: one of London’s best kept secrets

London is full of fascinating and picturesque places to see and visit. However, there are many secret places in London that are unknown to tourists and even most Londoners. This book reveals many of London’s secrets that deserve to be discovered and explored.

The Islington Spur Promenade

The fourth and easternmost spur, the Islington Spur, is aligned in a more southeasterly direction than its neighbors. Heading away from Highgate along Dartmouth Park Road, it forms a saddle in the vicinity of Tufnell Park tube station. Here the railway runs through the Cathcart Hill/Spencer Rise area. The spur then rises again, its crest followed by Brecknock Road, to Caledonian Park (48 metres/158 feet).

Here, the old Caledonian market clock tower (1855-1939) forms a visible landmark for miles around. The headwaters of the rivers on either side of the spur once again cut out here, creating another narrow saddle or col, and this time it is the East Coast Main Line from King’s Cross that seizes the opportunity to tunnel. In contrast, the Caledonian Road bravely climbs over the top.

The branch line turns east for about half a mile (1 kilometer) and then, in the Barnsbury Street area of ​​Islington, resumes its southward drift for more than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers), dropping less than 6 meters ( 20 feet) over this entire distance. The descent to the lower terrace begins at Claremont Square on Pentonville Road. This is where we take the second of our spur walks.

This circular walk through some of London’s most elegant but lesser-known streets and squares explores both a prominent snout on the spur and a 100-foot (30-meter) terrace edge. It includes a spectacular view of the BT Tower and, at its furthest point, an excellent pub called the Albion.

START END: Underground Angel (North Line)

LENGTH: 3 kilometers (2 miles)

WEATHER: 1 1⁄2 hours

REFRESHMENTS: The Albion Pub; otherwise all sorts of places around Angel tube station at the start/arrival point

MONUMENTS: Camden Passage Antiques Market (Wednesdays and Saturdays) is literally a stone’s throw from the Angel tube station

NOTE: The views are mainly to the west, so it’s best to hike in the morning with the sun behind you.

Turn left from Angel tube station and walk to the crossroads. Turn right and stand on the corner in front of the Cooperative Bank. It’s not quite at the start of the spur here (the ground rises towards it on the right), but looking to the left you can see the drop off to the east and further along St John Street you can see the ground level starting to drop at the level of the 15-meter (50-foot) terrace of the city.

On a bike, you can freely cycle from here to virtually Smithfield Market, a distance of nearly a mile. Cross over Pentonville Road and walk on the right hand side of St John Street. At Chadwell Street turn right. At Myddelton Square turn left around St Mark’s Church and continue onto River Street. All the while the ground slopes steadily downhill to the left.