Walking the Hackney/ Islington border from the Rosemary Branch to Old St

This boundary walk between Hackney and Islington boroughs weaves around the areas either side of Regent’s Canal, City Rd basin and City Rd.

‘Beating the Bounds’ to mark and confirm the borders between parishes is an ancient tradition, where the border was literally paced out, agreed and marked with stones each year. This is one in a series of walks exploring the borders of today’s Islington, Hackney and Camden boroughs, looking at how these evolved over the centuries due to a mix of changing land ownership, parish church catchments, significance of early settlements and roads, and natural features such as springs and ponds.

There’s a wealth of interest on either side of the border as we walk from the Regent’s Canal to the old boroughs of Finsbury and Shoreditch, and the edge of the City in Moorfields. A varied mix of City Livery Company history, ironworks, canal basins, WWII devastation, the lost hospitals quarter, a natural swimming pool and a mediaeval well.

This walk starts near the canal and the Rosemary Branch inn, lasts for 2 – 2 1/4 hours and ends near Old Street station.

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