Hoxton, London N1 - our neighbourhood Location: Hoxton is situated on the north edge of
the City of London and is the southernmost part of the London Borough of Hackney. Its boundaries are distinct: to the
north is the Regent Canal; to the west is City Road leading up to Islington and; to
the east is Kingsland Road (the A10). Environment: South Shoreditch (south of Old Street) is currently being enveloped by the City's ever expanding need for office space as well as burgeoning with restaurants and bars. Hoxton's southern border along Old Street is mainly composed of shops and offices with some warehouses and light industrial premises these also extend up City Road and along New North Road but are increasingly being converted into luxury 'loft-style' apartments for City workers. There are two squares: Hoxton Square and Charles Square which are of a "mixed-use" feel. Hoxton Square is particularly fashionable with a number of trendy bars and the White Cube2 art gallery. The square is frequently used for filming. This area used to attract artists, such as Tracy Emin, due to the cheap but large accommodation but with increasing prices residents are now largely affluent loft dwellers. In stark contrast, the vast majority of Hoxton is covered by a variety of largely post-War council-built blocks of residential flats. The area suffered extensive bombing during the Second World War demolishing the old tenements of back-to-back housing. It was rebuilt in the post-war years. For an urban environment there are surprisingly few tower blocks but it is not particularly attractive. Along the Regent Canal - to the north and west there are numerous warehouses and small industrial units, again the subject of redevelopment. The main shopping area is Hoxton Street which also retains much of its pre-war architecture and is protected as a Conservation Area. Hoxton Street includes Hoxton Hall, a reminder of Hoxton’s historic role as a centre of entertainment, where plays and musicals continue to this day. Hoxton has a distinctive character retaining its sense of community. William Booth’s (Salvation Army founder) famously described there being "a wall around Hoxton enclosing 90% of London’s criminals" which has historically cast Hoxton in a poor light. The area also has links with the infamous Kray twins and a history of street gangs and bare knuckle fighting. Poverty: Hoxton became a popular place for the siting of almshouses and had a greater concentration than any other district. St Leonard's Hospital on Kingsland Road used to be the old workhouse and St Anne’s parish, in the north of Hoxton, ranks as the equal poorest parish in Hackney which gives a flavour of the relative deprivation. The Hackney ward of Wenlock which covers most of the western and central part of Hoxton is, according to the National Statistics website, ranked as the 72nd poorest out of the 8,414 wards in the United Kingdom. Hoxton is one of the most densely populated parts of Hackney. The no of people per hectare for the UK as a whole is 3.8; for London 45.6 but Hoxton is 127.5 [per Census 2001]. For a street map of Hoxton click here |
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