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Camden Town is a lively area of London popular for its street markets and canal.
Introduction to Camden Town
Camden Town was originally laid out as a residential area in 1791. It grew in importance during the development of the railroad, but is now known for its street markets and entertainment.
I had limited time in the area, spending a short time walking around with my friend Carol on one of my visits in July 2019. She walked me through Camden Town before visiting Hampstead, Hampstead Heath, and Highgate.
Camden High Street
I met Carol outside the Camden Town tube station and walked up Camden High Street. It was an absolute zoo full of souvenir shops and tourists. Carol mentioned that in the past it was a nice quiet area without all the shops selling tourist garbage.
Camden Lock
From there, we passed over the Regent’s Canal and took a quick look at Camden Lock. The canal was built between 1812 and 1820. The lock lifts boats eight feet.
Camden Market
On the other side of the canal is Camden Market, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London. It started as a small Sunday craft market in March 1974 and has grown into a huge market offering clothing, crafts, food, and more. Rather than spend time perusing the shops and sampling food, we walked through a small section of the market and continued on. I’ll definitely be back in the future to check it out.
Primrose Hill District
Next, we walked down the road a bit before crossing a bridge to Primrose Hill. It’s one of London’s most exclusive neighborhoods and there are some beautiful homes in the area.
Engels House
At 122 Regent’s Park Road, we saw the blue plaque for Friedrich Engels (1820-1895). The German philosopher lived in the house from 1870 to 1894.
Primrose Hill
From there, we walked up the actual Primrose Hill, which opened to the public in 1842. Duels and prize fights once took place there. It’s a pleasant walk to the top of the 213 foot hill. Several people were sitting on the grass and chatting while others were walking or jogging.
At the top of the hill, there are spectacular views of the London skyline. It’s possible to spot several different landmarks, such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and skyscrapers in the City of London. A panel points out some of the buildings you can see from the hill.
There’s also a memorial plaque dedicated to Welsh antiquarian Iolo Morganwg (1747-1826) on the ground. It was placed there on June 21, 2009, to commemorate the first meeting of the Gorsedd of Bards of the Island of Britain, which occurred on the same day in 1792 on top of Primrose Hill.
St. Mary’s Primrose Hill
After leaving Primrose Hill, we passed the Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin. It opened for worship on July 2, 1872.
