A Walk down the Caledonian Road

Why do Caledonian Road and Caledonian Park have Scottish names? Join us for a series of talks that explore the close connection between Scotland and Islington through the home and school called the Caledonian Asylum. For nearly 8 decades the sound of bagpipes and the sight of children in kilts must have been a familiar one in Islington. Their story illuminates 19th-century philanthropy, the creation and maintenance of cultural identity, education and urbanisation.

Talk 4. A Walk down the Caledonian Road

We will walk the Cally – as locals insist on calling the road – and see its development before, during and after the Caledonian Asylum. We will trace the road’s history from green fields to busy urban landscape with inhabitants from further afield than Scotland. The Asylum gave its name to the road and many other nearby developments. Although it has been gone for a century we will trace the long shadow of the Asylum right to the present day.