This text is a short sketch of the radical history of the Clerkenwell area, its characters and events. There has been little easily available to read concentrating specifically on the long and rich history of the politics and struggles of the area. The following account charts the changing fortunes and developments of the communities, classes and individuals involved. It also offers some passing comments on the Clerkenwell of today.
Clerkenwell, for non-Londoners, is one of the oldest suburbs of the old City of London; it lies just to the North-West of the City. The area is now part of the London Borough of Islington.
Much of the content of this text was explored in a walking tour around Clerkenwell in June 2003, organised by the author as a South London Radical History Group event.