Archway Area

Archway is part of the London Borough of Islington, and is an inner suburb of London. Within the London Plan, it is designated as a district centre, surrounding by residential districts of mixed density. There is one in Charing Cross, which is 3.8 miles north of there. It crosses the A1 in London, and is designated as Archway Bridge, a high, single-arch across the road that has its northern end just north of the city’s central ring road. Vantage Point, the former Archway Tower, is now a modern retail district centered around Archway tube station.

History

As its name suggests, Archway gets its name from the old bridge crossing Hornsey Lane, which included a cutting through Archway Road. It replaced a brick-built, single-arch bridge of 1813 by a cast-iron bridge in 1900. An 1893 map of the city called it simply “Highgate Archway”. Many people, especially those born and raised in the area in the early 20th century, referred to it as the Archway (which is the definite article).

Development

Part of Great North Road, A1 or Archway Road, was originally a toll road. As noted in a plaque on the first story of 1 Pauntley Street, an apartment block, the cut contains a toll gate that was operational from 1813 to 1864. Highgate Hill was served by the first motorized cable car in Europe, which transferred people from Archway to Highgate Village. It ran from 1884 until 1909. On 22 June 1907, the Highgate branch of the Northern Line was opened at the Highgate tube station. The station was later renamed ‘Highgate Archway’ and then ‘Archway’.

Local government Over three miles separated the ancient parish of Islington from Hornsey to its north. Towards the northwest of this parish, is located the area that became Archway. The parish is administered by the open vestry of St Mary Islington in North London.

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