Facts about Holloway
Holloway History
The origins of the name are disputed; some believe that it derives from Hollow, or Hollow way, due to a dip in the road caused by the passage of animals and water erosion, as this was the main cattle driving route from the North into Smithfield. In Lower Holloway, the former Back Road, now Liverpool Road was used to rest and graze the cattle before entering London.
Until the 18th century the area was predominantly rural, but as London expanded in the second half of the 19th century it became extremely built-up. Holloway, like much of inner north London, experienced rapid growth around the very early 1900s and quickly became an important local shopping center. This was aided by the importance of the road junction at Nag’s Head which became an important hub for trolleybus services up to their withdrawal in the 1950s.
General Info
Holloway is an inner-city district of the London Borough of Islington, 3.3 miles north of Charing Cross, which follows the line of the Holloway Road. At the center of Holloway is the Nag’s Head commercial area which sits between the more residential Upper Holloway and Lower Holloway neighborhoods. Holloway has a multicultural population.
Like many other parts of Islington, the gentrification of Holloway is now underway, particularly in the Hillmarton and Mercers Road/Tavistock Terrace conservation areas. There are also many luxury development projects taking place over a large area between the Arsenal stadium development and Caledonian Road.
