Did you know that...
The name Clerkenwell EC1 derives from Clerks’ Well. Clerken is the plural of clerk in Middle English. During the Middle Age, the clerks from the London Parish used to perform plays here and that’s how the area got its name. Clerks’ Well can be visited with permission from the Islington Local History Center.
Clerkenwell is a central London district that also includes the sub-borough of Finsbury. The area is bordered by Finsbury and Islington to the north, St. Luke’s and Golden Lane Estate to the east, Smithfield to the south and Hatton Garden, Bloomsbury and St. Pancras to the west.
Gillian Anderson, the actress who played Dana Scully in The X-Files series, owned a house in Clerkenwell EC1 on Sekforde Street. Writer Charles Dickens is another famous former resident. Vladimir Lenin also lived here for a while.
The area is home to some of London’s best restaurants such as Club Gascon (Michelin-starred) and St. John as well as numerous bars and pubs.