London
Town Guide


Kentish Town District

NW5
Nearest Tube: Kentish Town


The name Kentish Town applies to the district of London just to the north of Camden Town. The main thoroughfare of the district is Kentish Town Road.

In medieval times this part of London was actually called "Kentystone", but over the years this has been corrupted into the present name Kentish Town.

Initially it was a hamlet on the banks of the River Fleet, but constant flooding meant that by the 15th century the parish was moved away from the river to the site of the present day Kentish Town.

For many years the area was popular with wealthy Londoners, who built large country retreats that were still close to the city. And until the 18th century it remained essentially as a village in the country.

But by the late 18th century the population of the district had greatly expanded and a building boom saw lots of residential homes being built. For the next 70 years or so the area remained predominantly middle class, and it was frequented by artists and writers. Some famous past residents of the district include Keats, Mary Shelley and Karl Marx.

However, once the railways had reached the area in the 1860s Kentish Town soon became a working class district. And for many years it had the reputation of a poverty stricken slum area.

However, in more recent times the area has again become increasingly fashionable, a fact helped no doubt by its proximity to the trendy Camden Town District.


Click here for other parts of north-west London


London A-Z
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
London Town Guide
Travel Advice
Accommodation in London
Other Town Guides



Copyright © 1995 to 2016 Smooth Hound Systems

Smooth Hound Systems accepts no liability with regards to the accuracy of the information on this site.
Users are advised to double check information such as dates, times, prices etc.