Camden

Photograph - A one-man band performs to the crowds outside Woolworth's. By Henry Grant, 1952Photograph A sidecar and horse-drawn cart pass gasworks, Goods Way, Camden. By Margaret Monck, 1931-40

Here is a link to all of the objects from Camden

The London Borough of Camden was formed in 1965 when the former metropolitan boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn and St Pancras were amalgamated. The new borough was named after Camden Town, which in turn was named after Charles Pratt, Earl of Camden, who started developing the area in 1791. Camden is an inner London borough, north of Westminster. Its land stretches from Holborn and Bloomsbury through Euston and St Pancras to Hampstead Heath.

Population change

1966: 239,770 people
1998: 189,700 people

Camden includes areas in central London that were first built up during the 17th and 18th centuries: Bloomsbury is a good example. Camden Town itself is a Victorian industrial suburb that grew up to house railway workers. Railways have had a large influence on the district’s development and the borough includes three of the largest railway stations in London: Euston, St Pancras and King’s Cross. Passengers and goods arrive here from Scotland and the North. The new international railway Eurostar terminal at St Pancras, due to open in 2007, will bring more business from all over Europe.

Camden changed considerably during the 20th century. The area around Euston Station was earmarked for office development and saw fierce battles between property developers and community activists during the 1960s and 70s. Camden benefited from the rise of youth culture during the 1960s. The Roundhouse, a Victorian engine shed, became an important alternative arts and music venue. The Camden Lock area of wharves and warehouses developed into a craft market, which has since grown into one of London’s largest tourist attractions.

The borough built some of London’s most innovative social housing during the 1970s. The Alexandra Road Estate near Swiss Cottage created high-density dwellings in low-rise housing and is now listed as a building of historic and architectural importance. The Brunswick Estate in Bloomsbury also combined high density and low rise and was acclaimed for its unusual design.

Camden includes two of London’s most important cultural institutions: the British Museum in Bloomsbury and the British Library in King’s Cross. It also includes the shopping and entertainment districts of Covent Garden and ‘Fitzrovia’. By the end of the 20th century, tourism had become an important source of jobs in the borough.

Places in Camden

Local government wards: Hampstead Town, Highgate, Frognal and Fitzjohns, Fortune Green, West Hampstead, Kilburn, Swiss Cottage, Belsize, Gospel Oak, Kentish Town, Cantelowes, Haverstock, Camden Town with Primrose Hill, Regent’s Park, St Pancras and Somers Town, King’s Cross and Holborn, Bloomsbury and Covent Garden.

Tube and train stations: Kilburn, Finchley Road, West Hampstead, Hampstead Heath, Hampstead, South Hampstead, Belsize Park, Swiss Cottage, Chalk Farm, Gospel Oak, Tufnell Park, Kentish Town, Kentish Town West, Camden Town, Camden Road, Mornington Crescent, King’s Cross, King’s Cross Thameslink, St Pancras, Euston, Euston Square, Goodge Street, Russell Square, Warren Street, Tottenham Court Road, Covent Garden, Holborn and Chancery Lane.
    The Museum of London Group is funded by the City of London and the Greater London Authority. Museum of London, London Wall, LONDON EC2Y 5HN, United Kingdom. Copyright Museum of London. Legal notices & Disclaimer. This site is maintained by the Museum Systems Team.