Archway, London
Archway is an area of north London, England, in the London Borough of Islington north of Charing Cross. It straddles the A1 and is named after a former local landmark, the high, single-arched Archway Bridge which crossed the road to the north. It has a modern commercial hub around Vantage Point and Archway tube station.
History
Toponymy
Archway's name developed in reference to the old bridge carrying Hornsey Lane from Highgate to Crouch End, over the cutting of Archway Road. The original, brick-built, single-arched bridge of 1813 was replaced in 1900 by the current cast-iron Hornsey Lane Bridge. The 1893 Ordnance Survey map shows the bridge simply as "Highgate Archway". A few residents, especially those born and locally raised in the early 20th century, refer to the area with a definite article.Seven bus routes in London terminate at 'Archway', the term having become mainstream after the tube station, originally called Highgate, was renamed Highgate in 1939, and subsequently Archway in 1941, and Archway in 1947. The ecclesiastical parishes before the laws that disestablished their secular components do not mention Archway. Those covering the area are parts of traditional parent parishes named Whitehall Park, Upper Holloway, St John the Evangelist, Upper Holloway and a very small part of a Highgate, Islington parish.
Development
The Archway Road is part of the A1 or Great North Road, one of the original toll roads. From 1813 to 1864, the cutting contained a toll gate, where travellers paid for the next stage of their journey, as is recorded by a plaque at 1 Pauntley Street, an apartment block. Highgate Hill, the road from Archway to Highgate village, was the route of the first motorised cable car in Europe. It operated from 1884 to 1909. Highgate tube station opened on 22 June 1907 as the northern terminus of the Highgate branch of the Northern Line.Local government
The ancient parish of Islington stretched over three miles from its southern boundary to meet with the parish of Hornsey at its north. The area that became Archway is located at the northwestern part of this parish. The parish was government by the St Mary Islington open vestry. The vestry was incorporated by the Metropolis Management Act 1855 as an administrative vestry and the boundary with Hornsey to the north also became the northern limit of the London metropolitan district.Governance
Archway is part of the Islington North Parliament constituency. It is mostly in the Islington ward of Junction, which is named after Junction Road and partly in the ward of Hillrise. Each ward elects three councillors to Islington London Borough Council.Demographics
Archway has seen a significant shift in demographics through waves of migration and gentrification, and has a diverse population with a proportionally larger White British, Irish, Other White and Jewish populations compared to the London and Islington averages.The demographics of the two wards which Archway falls are as follows:
| Ethnic Group | Junction Ward | Hillrise Ward |
| White British | 48.1% | 46.6% |
| White Irish | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| White Other | 15.5% | 14.5% |
| Black African | 5.3% | 6.7% |
| Black Caribbean | 4.1% | 5.5% |
| Black Other | 2.1% | 3.2% |
| Indian | 1.8% | 1.4% |
| Chinese | 2.0% | 0.9% |
| Mixed | 7.2% | 7.6% |
| Other | 8.1% | 8.5 |
| Religion | Junction Ward | Hillrise Ward |
| Christian | 40.2% | 41.5% |
| Muslim | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Judaism | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Other | 3.3% | 2.5% |
| Not stated | 16.6% | 16.4% |
| - | 30.9% | 28.4% |
The Archway area has the highest percentages of Jews in Islington - at the 2021 Census the Archway East area was 2.9% Jewish, Archway West was 1.6% and Tufnell Park 2.8%. The community is largest in the Whitehall Park area which is close to 10% Jewish.
The Junction ward has the 4th highest percentage of White Irish people in wards in London.
Geography
The Whittington Hospital forms a large site in the west of the area. Larger open spaces include Archway Park, Dartmouth Park, Hillside Park and Navigator Square. Archway forms part of the London post town within the N19 postcode district, served from the Royal Mail Upper Holloway Delivery Office.Archway adjoins Highgate and Crouch End to the north, with Hornsey Lane forming the London Borough of Islington boundary with the London Borough of Haringey. In the west, is Dartmouth Park, with Dartmouth Park Hill forming the boundary with the London Borough of Camden. To the west of the point where the three boroughs meet at the top of Highgate Hill is Waterlow Park. South of Archway is Upper Holloway and Tufnell Park.
Commercial
Archway market place and Vantage Point, the tallest building in Archway, are next to the tube station.The photograph for the cover of The Kinks' 1971 album Muswell Hillbillies was taken in the Archway Tavern.
Services
Library
Archway library originally opened in 1946, with a redevelopment completed in 1980. It is one of the most popular libraries in the Islington public libraries service, with nearly 100,000 visits in 2024/25.The proposed Vorley Road redevelopment would see the creation of a larger, brighter space.