Here "London begins in earnest..." Noah Claypole remarks to his companion Charlotte when walking past the Angel Inn in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist before crossing into St John Road (now St John Street).
Dickens was very familiar with the area of Islington. He recorded life in the area in both fiction and non fictional works throughout his life, the Angel Inn being one of them. There has been an Inn on this site since the C16th & The Angel, so named around 1638, was a popular stopping place for travellers to the City of London.
No room at the Inn
During the year of the Great Plague a man broke free from his City home and sought refuge here, which was at that time fairly rural. He was refused admission. Another Inn took him in and he was found dead the next morning, 16 plague deaths followed.
Islington underwent a rapid transformation in the early C19th moving from a rural area best known for its recreational facilities to one of an urban domain. It is understood Thomas Paine lodged here when living in London. The original Angel Inn was eventually demolished later that century.
The Truman, Hanbury, Buxton and Co brewery built the Angel Hotel in its place. A grand, six-story, red terracotta building (see pic above). Along with the opening the brewers optimistically called the Angel Inn "the widest-known hostelry in the world". The interior was rather splendid; the ground floor being faced in polished Norwegian granite and carved stone cherubs peeking out from the higher eaves. The staircase was equally impressive; mahogany and green-marble leading from the bar to an upstairs smoking room.
As is with fashion nowadays, the highly en vogue Victorian design went out of fashion and the Angel Hotel closed 20yrs after opening.
Lyons catering company bought the Angel Hotel renamed it the Angel Cafe and made it an addition to their Corner House post-war empire. In the 1950s it is said the company was serving over 100,000 meals a year to the public. It lasted until 1959, was used by the University of London's Geology Dept until the late 60s. It has served as a bank since 1979.
Thomas Paine once lodged at the Angel Inn. If you are in the area, you might be interested in seeing the obelisk of Thomas Paine, founding father of the United States.
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