Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to architecture. However, the inhabitants of Percy Circus, who at one time included Lenin,
are not greatly influenced by these considerations, and continue to proliferate children, to
lean from windows, and to clean scooters, to an accompaniment of noises supplied by cats,
dogs, and ice-cream chimes.
Up Pentonville Road and in the area behind is Barnsbury, where the White Conduit Tav-
ern marks the site of White Conduit House, so called from a water conduit that once ex-
isted there. White Conduit House was a favourite place of amusement in the eighteenth
century; Goldsmith visited it and innumerable London apprentices of the sort immortal-
ised in 'Sally in our Alley'. Here they came to enjoy strolls in the garden walks, drink tea
in the arbours, and watch the fireworks and balloon ascents. On the way up to Islington, St
James's Church in the Pentonville Road is worth noting; it is a pretty affair in the Adam
style and was opened in 1788. Grimaldi, the clown, is buried here. Chapel Market can be
reached from Penton Street, turning off Pentonville Road at the Belvedere Tavern. Look-
ing back from here in an autumn dusk there is a strange romantic view of St Pancras, all
pinnacles and towers in a smoky haze, a sort of fantastic Mouse Tower, a Gothic Zion.
