• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Site News / Featured / The London Fiver: Five Things to Do in Islington On Your Next Visit to London

The London Fiver: Five Things to Do in Islington On Your Next Visit to London

May 4, 2016 By John Rabon

city canal in london

Islington was once a Middlesex village, originally inhabited by the Saxons, was one of many pastoral manor areas that was eventually absorbed by the City of London as it expanded beyond its original borders.  At one point, the borough was a provider of water for parts of London and a major trade route thanks to Regent’s Canal.  In the present, there are plenty of exciting things about Islington, from its home to the fictional 12 Grimmauld Place in the Harry Potter Series, as well as being the location for Nail Gaiman’s Neverwhere, and Nick Hornby’s About a Boy.  You can find many interesting places to go in the borough and here are five of our favourites.  Let us know your own in the comments.

Camden Passage

A pedestrian thoroughfare just off the Upper Street, Camden Passage is perfect for an afternoon stroll and some shopping.  On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the market is out in full force, though you can also find a market in Pierrepoint Arcade on Sundays and Mondays, as well as a book fair on Thursday and Friday.  The antique shops along the passage are a big draw for most people and there are many cafes, restaurants, and pubs to choose from if you’re feeling a bit hungry.

The Crystal Maze

Easily one of the best game shows of the 1990s, The Crystal Maze saw Rock Horror creator Richard O’Brien have two teams competing to collect as many time crystals as they could throughout the four parts of the maze.  The Crystal Maze in Islington takes this premise and has turned it into team-building exercise in the vein of the puzzle room craze.  A team of up to eight people move through the four zones (Futuristic, Medieval, Aztec, and Industrial) playing games and collecting crystals, with each crystal giving the team more time to collect golden tickets in the Crystal Dome.  Tickets are available to purchase.

London Canal Museum

Regent’s Canal was a major feature of commerce in Islington for years.  The London Canal Museum is dedicated to remembering this history, educating visitors on the trade that flowed down its waters as well as the culture that developed.  You can take a look inside a canal boat and study the art that became known as “roses and castles” that decorated them.  Afterwards, feel free to walk the canals yourself and take in the years of history and present beauty of the area.

The Screen on the Green

Today, it seems hard to imagine that cinemas used to show only one film at a time, and at the Screen on the Green, this still takes place.  Everyman Screen on the Green hosts both new films as well as cinema classics and you have to pay attention to the schedule to know when your film is available.  Its exterior is famous for its red and green neon, while the interior features better seating than most of its competitors with comfy chairs, foot stools, and couches.  There’s also a fully-stocked bar so you don’t have to watch your film thirsty.

Emirates Stadium

Home to London Arsenal F.C. since 2006, you can find more than just a football match on its grounds.  The “Arsenalisation” of the stadium took place in 2009, further revamping it to spotlight as much team spirit as possible, this includes the “Spirit of Highbury”, a shrine to all the club’s past members.  You can also take a stadium tour that on both match and non-match days includes the Director’s Box, home and away changing rooms, players tunnel, pitchside, and much more.  A Legends tour provides access to all these areas, but with the added benefit of a former player relating his personal knowledge and experience with the team.  You can also tour the Arsenal Museum and experience the club’s history from 1886 to the present.  If you can, be sure to plan for a match day when things get really exciting.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Featured, Guides, Tips, Travel

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Suzanna Byrne says

    May 5, 2016 at 11:58 am

    What a gorgeous picture. I am going to paint it.

  2. Marvin Gray says

    May 5, 2016 at 3:59 pm

    Glad you included Emirates Stadium. Football is an important part of British Culture and the Premier League is one of it’s top exports. I have done both tours, visited the museum and best of all seen matches with some of the top clubs in England and Europe. Match day is exciting and well worth a visit although tickets can be hard to come by.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • V&A set to open first major UK exhibition on Renaissance sculptor Donatello
  • Ten National Trust Properties in London
  • What’s On in London Events for February 2023
  • Only Fools And Horses musical to close in West End after four years
  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in