★★★★★ 5.0
Discover
Islington Town Hall
Workers are STILL discovering secret passages in this building that took seven whole years to build! Standing before Islington Town Hall's grand Portland stone facade, you're looking at a building that replaced the home of William Beverley - the FIRST person ever to solve chess's impossible "magic knight's tour" puzzle. This wasn't just any boring government building when it opened in 1930... Arsenal's football team celebrated their very FIRST FA Cup victory right inside these walls! Even Queen Elizabeth II visited during her coronation year in 1953. But here's the wildest part - hidden beneath your feet is a TOP SECRET underground nuclear bunker built during the Cold War in the 1980s! The octagonal council chamber inside can only be reached by climbing what the famous architecture expert Pevsner called a "lavish marble imperial stair" - imagine a staircase so fancy it made a posh historian gasp with excitement!
Did You Know?
- The Islington Town Hall complex, designed by architect Edward Charles Philip Monson in an elegant ‘Edwardian Baroque’ style, was constructed in three distinct phases between 1922 and 1929, culminating in the grand opening of the Assembly Hall on March 15, 1930—a timeline that reflects the evolving needs and ambitions of the borough in the early 20th century.
- Beneath the Town Hall lies a hidden Cold War relic: an underground nuclear bunker added in the 1980s as a precaution during heightened tensions, a lesser-known feature that speaks to the building’s role in both civic life and national security.
- Not only has the Town Hall hosted local government and community events, but it also witnessed historic celebrations such as Arsenal’s first FA Cup victory in 1930 and a royal visit from Queen Elizabeth II in her coronation year, 1953, cementing its place as a venue for both civic pride and national milestones.