Blogs
A year in Clerkenwell history
Although we’re still at the start of the new year, and looking forward to everything 2025 has in store for agency life, sometimes it’s also valuable to look back on the rich history that surrounds us in our bustling Clerkenwell home.
As Account Executive Cicely Norman outlines, each month of the year has a fascinating historical milestone in our local area…
January – the world’s first underground railway
Starting where most journeys begin, at the station – January 1863 saw the opening of the pioneering Metropolitan Railway, with a sumptuous banquet held for 700 dignified guests.
February – the father of magazines
Edward Cave was born on 27 February 1691. A printer, publisher, and editor, he coined the word “magazine”, using it for his periodical The Gentleman’s Magazine (1731).
Cave ran the magazine – often featuring Samuel Johnson – out of St John’s Gate (more on that below) and is buried nearby at St. James Church.
March – Order amidst chaos
The Order of St John established its English headquarters in Clerkenwell in the 1140s. It was dissolved on more than one occasion during the decades of Catholic/Protestant conflict, and today’s Order dates to a Royal Charter granted by Queen Victoria in 1888.
The Priory Church and twelfth-century Crypt are open to visitors, and we particularly love the Cloister Garden – a tranquil spot so sheltered it is lovely to sit in during these chillier months.
April – charting history at Charterhouse Square
With beautiful flower beds, Charterhouse Square springs into life at this time of year. However, there’s more than meets the eye, as this small square has been a key witness to pivotal historical moments.
Charterhouse Square has played its part in the Black Death (it was London’s largest mass grave); the dissolution of the monasteries (Sir Edward North converted the Charterhouse into a mansion); and Tudor power struggles (Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, was imprisoned in the mansion for connections to Mary, Queen of Scots).
A useful trivia point – Florin Court, on the eastern side, was the filming location for Hercule Poirot’s residence in the David Suchet classic series!
May – radical voices at Clerkenwell Green
This year marks 135 years of May Day marches from Clerkenwell Green – a site which has hosted centuries of radicals, including Wat Tyler and his 1381 Peasants’ Revolt, both anti-corn law protestors and Chartists in the 1830s, and supporters of the 1871 Paris Commune. It’s also claimed that the first time Stalin and Lenin met was at the nearby Crown Tavern in 1903.
June – London’s oldest Italian deli
As summer holidays approach, you can get a taste of Italy at Terroni – opened in 1878 in Little Italy around Hatton Garden. Stop by for authentic meals and delicious coffee.
July – summer sun at Spa Green
Aneurin Bevan laid the foundation stone for the landmark Spa Green development in July 1946. Designated for slum clearance then bombed in the war, Berthold Lubetkin’s development epitomises post-war Modernist architecture and regeneration ideals.
August – roses and mystery graffiti
The gardens in Myddelton Square – the largest square in Clerkenwell – will be looking beautiful now. Surrounded by Grade II listed Georgian houses, you can find information about the New River project nearby, and spot graffiti carved by Victorian police officers along Myddelton Passage.
September – browsing and beverages
Time for another office favourite – Exmouth Market. Originally dating from the 1890s, the market was revived in Autumn 2006 and is home to an array of independent cafes, restaurants, shops, and stalls.
October – revolutionary rumblings
Right outside our offices is an island in the middle of St John St where the two lanes diverge – from 1612 to 1782 this was the site of Hicks Hall, the first sessions house for Middlesex justices of the peace and the starting point of the Great North Road.
On 9 October 1660, a grand jury met at the Hall to try 29 of the signatories of Charles I’s death warrant, with the trial then moving to the Old Bailey down the road.
November – cosy Clerkenwell
With winter set in, there are countless historic pubs for cosy evenings. The Castle is said to be the only pub with a pawnbroker’s licence – after King George IV exchanged his gold pocket watch to pay off betting debts.
The Castle still displays three gold orbs outside – the sign of a pawnbroker.
December – Christmas carols
The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great hosts a carol service to enjoy in your lunch break. The Church’s history stretches back to 1123, but it also has plenty of more recent claims to fame – Benjamin Franklin worked as a journeyman printer in the Lady chapel, Deborah Mitford married there in 1941, and the final wedding in Four Weddings and a Funeral was filmed inside.
