Today I want to share my guide to Canonbury, London with you. Right next to Islington, this local London neighborhood manages to fly under the radar. But it’s worth discovering for its beautiful streets, unique park, famous residents, and hidden pubs and cafes. Read on for the best of Canonbury.
Canonbury
Bounded by Upper Street, Essex Road, Cross Street, and St Paul’s Road, Canonbury is one of the best hidden areas of London to explore. It’s perfect for walking and even better for experiencing local pubs, museums, and restaurants.
If you’re wondering where to live in London, it’s a great option. Relatively central and incredibly beautiful, it has a lot going for it.
How to Get to Canonbury
Canonbury is only a minute’s walk from Highbury & Islington tube station. There are lots of local buses that stop on convenient Upper Street and Essex Road locations, too.
There’s also an Overground station in the area (it’s called Canonbury station), and Essex Road train station sits at the southern end of the neighborhood.
You can walk to Canonbury from other London neighborhoods like Islington, Barnsbury, Angel, Highbury, Stoke Newington, Newington Green, Dalston, and Hackney, too.
Once you’re in the neighborhood, you’ll find a lot of things to do in Canonbury that will make you want to stay and keep exploring.
New River Walk in Canonbury
Since it’s one of my favorite places in Canonbury, I’ll start with New River Walk. This skinny park runs alongside a waterway, and it’s part of a 28-mile (45-kilometer) long-distance footpath called the New River Path.
The route follows the course of a 17th-century water supply aqueduct called the New River. It runs from its source in Hertfordshire to its original end in Islington, passing through Canonbury just before its final stop.
The New River Walk in Canonbury is a great place to get into nature in London. There are lots of birds on the water, a walking path alongside it, and benches and greenery galore.
Some of the roads that border it are full of beautiful brick houses with colorful doors, too.
Pubs in Canonbury
After a walk, I love a good pub. Canonbury has no shortage of them, and many have great history and literary connections.
The Canonbury Tavern is set in a heritage building on Canonbury Place, and it’s home to a sunny beer garden. George Orwell is rumored to have written chapters of Nineteen Eighty-Four under a tree here.
Other good watering holes in the area include The Snooty Fox, which is conveniently located by the station, the Myddleton Arms, which has great Victorian architecture, and The Compton Arms, which partly inspired George Orwell’s pub-themed “The Moon Under Water” essay.
Places to Eat in Canonbury
Beyond pubs, Canonbury is home to some great restaurants, delis, and cafes. My favorite is Smokehouse. With a delicious barbecue-inspired menu and a great outdoor terrace, it’s the ideal place to go for weekend lunch or a cozy dinner.
Just off Upper Street, Monte’s Delicatessen is another popular place in Canonbury. Specializing in fine Italian food, it always has something to lure my taste buds in.
A few doors down, Nourished Communities specializes in fresh produce, and Canonbury Kitchen serves up good Italian food.
Back over by The Canonbury Tavern, The Place is a beloved local coffee shop. Serving a variety of cakes, sandwiches, waffles, and other treats, it’s a neighborhood favorite.
Canonbury Square
When it comes to green spaces, Canonbury Square is one of the most well-known in the area. The garden dates back to the 1840s, and the square is lined with elegant brick houses.
Over the years, Canonbury Square has been home to notables like George Orwell, Evelyn Waugh, Samuel Phelps, and members of the Bloomsbury Group like Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell.
Canonbury Tower
Right next to the square, Canonbury Tower is a local historic landmark. Constructed in the 16th century as part of the manor house of Canonbury, it’s been home to everyone from Francis Bacon to Oliver Goldsmith over the centuries.
Canonbury Tower (or somewhere like it) featured in a Christmas story Charles Dickens wrote about a lamplighter in Canonbury, too.
Today the building is used as a Masonic research center, but visitors can admire it from the outside. It’s worth walking around to the back to see the plaque and garden, too.
Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art
Also on Canonbury Square is the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art. This small museum in London is home to the United Kingdom’s only gallery devoted to modern art from Italy.
Set in a Grade-II listed Georgian townhouse, the Estorick Collection brings together works by Italian artists that were created in the first half of the 20th century. It’s best known for its Futurist pieces.
The museum also has a pretty garden out back where visitors can enjoy Italian food and drink from the in-house cafe.
Side Streets
Canonbury has a lot of side streets that are worth a wander, too. There are beautiful houses on Alwyne Villas and Alwyne Road, and I love the brick facades and colorful doors along Canonbury Grove.
Canonbury Square is picture-pretty, as is Canonbury Place. In fact, the whole area is worth walking around. There are so many great details to take in, and it’s a peaceful place to escape the busy atmosphere on Upper Street and Essex Road.
Canonbury
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this guide to Canonbury, and that it’s made you want to discover the neighborhood yourself. I have a feeling you’ll love it as much as I do when you go.
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