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A fascinating area just to the north of the City which is an alluring mix of scruffy old character and trendy new vibrancy. There are some lovely Georgian houses and historic churches sandwiched between old warehouses, many of which have been turned into flats. Shakespeare, Hogarth, Lenin and Pepys have all had associations with Clerkenwell and some of the old trades such as printing and clockmaking still survive. The latest occupants tend toward trendy media types which can be a mixed blessing!

Hatton Garden is the centre of London's jewellery trade, and you'll see many traditional Jews in frock coats and black hats plying their trade. Clerkenwell Green is surrounded by particularly attractive buildings including St. John's Priory, the British headquarters of the Order of St. John whose ancestors were heavily involved in the Crusades to the Holy Land. Strangely, despite being Catholic, the head of the order is The Queen (who is also Supreme Head of the Church of England!).

Clerkenwell is a fascinating and varied area of London which is at last witnessing a period of regeneration and rediscovery.

Nearest Underground stops: Chancery Lane, Farringdon, Russell Square