London Borough of Camden | |
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 Council logo | |
| Motto(s): Non sibi, sed toti (Not for self, but for all) | |
 Camden shown withinGreater London | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | London |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Created | 1 April 1965 |
| Admin HQ | 5 Pancras Square, King's Cross, London |
| Government | |
| • Type | London borough council |
| • Body | Camden London Borough Council |
| • London Assembly | Anne Clarke (Lab) AM forBarnet and Camden |
| • MPs |
|
| Area | |
• Total | 8.4 sq mi (21.8 km2) |
| • Rank | 287th(of 296) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 216,9431 |
| • Rank | 90th(of 296) |
| • Density | 25,800/sq mi (9,961/km2) |
| • Rank | 9th(of 296) |
| Time zone | UTC (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Postcodes | |
| Area code | 020 |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-CMD |
| GSS code | E09000007 |
| Police | Metropolitan Police |
| Website | camden.gov.uk |
| 1 There are concerns about the accuracy of this data[1] | |
TheLondon Borough of Camden (/ˈkæmdən/ ⓘ)[2] is aborough inInner London, England. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies 1.4 mi (2.3 km) north ofCharing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the formermetropolitan boroughs ofHolborn,St Pancras andHampstead.
To the south it shares with theCity of Westminster parts of theWest End, where it also borders theCity of London. The cultural and commercial land uses in the south contrast with the bustling mixed-use districts such asCamden Town andKentish Town in the centre and leafy residential areas aroundHampstead Heath in the north. Well known attractions includeThe British Museum,The British Library, the famous views fromParliament Hill, theLondon Zoo, theBT Tower, the convertedRoundhouse entertainment venue, andCamden Market. As of 2021 it has a population of 210,136. Politically, its local authority isCamden London Borough Council.
The area of the modern borough had historically been part of the county ofMiddlesex. From 1856 the area was governed by theMetropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across themetropolis of London.[3] In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made theCounty of London.
From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised variousparish vestries and district boards. Theancient parishes ofHampstead andSt Pancras were each governed by theirvestry. The various smaller parishes and territories to the south were grouped into theSt Giles District andHolborn District, each governed by a district board. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised intometropolitan boroughs, including theMetropolitan Borough of Hampstead, theMetropolitan Borough of St Pancras (each covering the parish of the same name) and theMetropolitan Borough of Holborn, covering the combined area of the former St Giles District and Holborn District (subject to some boundary adjustments with neighbours on its south-eastern edges).[4][5]
The London borough of Camden was created in 1965 under theLondon Government Act 1963. It covered the combined area of the three metropolitan boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn, and St Pancras, which were all abolished.[6] The initialHerbert Commission report recommended that the new borough consist of St Pancras and Hampstead, but Holborn was later added.
According to Enid Wistrich, who was a member of Hampstead Council at the time, the name "Camden" was the idea of Alderman Room, the Leader of Hampstead Council, and Mr Wilson, the Town Clerk, while travelling in a taxi throughCamden Town. The name "Fleet" had also been suggested, after theunderground river that flowed through the three boroughs, but that was rejected as the river was little more than a sewer. Other suggestions included "Penhamborn", 'Bornhamcras" and "Hohampion". Government guidelines for the naming of the new boroughs suggested that the chosen name should be short and simple, and ideally one that was generally associated with the centre of the new Borough. The name "Camden" met those criteria.[7]
The name "Camden Town" was derived fromCamden Place, the seat ofCharles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden who had owned and developed land in the area in the 1790s.[8][9]
The transcribed diaries of William Copeland Astbury, recently made available, describe Camden and the surrounding areas in great detail from 1829 to 1848.[10][11]
There are162 English Heritage blue plaques[12] in the borough of Camden representing the many diverse personalities that have lived there.[13]
The area of the old parish and borough ofHampstead in the north-west includesBelsize Park and part ofKilburn. The old parish and borough ofSt Pancras, which occupies most of the modern borough, includesCamden Town,Kentish Town,Gospel Oak,Somers Town,King's Cross,Chalk Farm,Dartmouth Park, the core area ofFitzrovia and a part ofHighgate.
In the south, the old Borough of Holborn was formed from the combined parish ofBloomsbury andSt Giles, and most of the parish ofHolborn (with the remaining part in the ancientFarringdon Without ward of theCity of London).
The economy and land uses of theWest End[14][15][16] and other southern parts of the borough reflect their morecentral location. Camden has the seventh largest economy in the UK[12] with a number of major companies headquartered in the borough;Google is in the process of completing a major headquarter building in King's Cross.[17]Camden Town Brewery is among the newer businesses that have thrived in the borough.
In the far south of the borough,Lincoln's Inn Fields is within 500 metres of the Thames. The northern part of the borough includes the less densely developed areas ofHampstead,Hampstead Heath and Kentish Town. There are a number ofParks and open spaces in the London Borough of Camden. Neighbouring boroughs are theCity of Westminster and theCity of London to the south,Brent to the west of the originally RomanWatling Street (now the A5 Road),Barnet andHaringey to the north andIslington to the east. It covers all or part of the N1, N6, N7, N19, NW1, NW2, NW3, NW5, NW6, NW8, EC1, WC1, WC2, W1 and W9 postcode areas.
For planning policy purposes, theLondon Plan places Camden in the 'Central London' group of boroughs.[18]
The local authority is Camden Council, which meets atCamden Town Hall (formerly St Pancras Town Hall) in Judd Street inSt Pancras, and has its headquarters at 5 Panrcas Square.[19]
Borough councillors are elected every four years. Since May 2022 the electoral wards in Camden are:
Since 2000, Camden forms part of theBarnet and Camden London Assembly constituency, represented byAnne Clarke of the Labour Party.
There are two parliamentary constituencies covering Camden:Hampstead and Highgate in the north, represented by Labour'sTulip Siddiq, andHolborn and St. Pancras in the south, represented byKeir Starmer, theprime minister of the United Kingdom.[20]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 96,795 | — |
| 1811 | 124,741 | +28.9% |
| 1821 | 158,077 | +26.7% |
| 1831 | 192,228 | +21.6% |
| 1841 | 228,950 | +19.1% |
| 1851 | 270,197 | +18.0% |
| 1861 | 301,408 | +11.6% |
| 1871 | 332,619 | +10.4% |
| 1881 | 363,830 | +9.4% |
| 1891 | 376,500 | +3.5% |
| 1901 | 362,581 | −3.7% |
| 1911 | 349,184 | −3.7% |
| 1921 | 335,408 | −3.9% |
| 1931 | 322,212 | −3.9% |
| 1941 | 286,956 | −10.9% |
| 1951 | 255,558 | −10.9% |
| 1961 | 231,143 | −9.6% |
| 1971 | 209,097 | −9.5% |
| 1981 | 161,100 | −23.0% |
| 1991 | 181,489 | +12.7% |
| 2001 | 198,027 | +9.1% |
| 2011 | 220,338 | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 210,136 | −4.6% |
| Source:A Vision of Britain through time and theONS | ||
In 1801, thecivil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century as the district became built up, reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate ofpopulation growth slowed, for while many people were drawn in by new employment, others were made homeless by the new central London termini and construction of lines through the district. The population peaked at 376,500 in the 1890s, after which official efforts began to clear the overcrowdedslums aroundSt Pancras andHolborn.
AfterWorld War II, further suburban public housing was built to rehouse the many Londoners made homeless inthe Blitz, and there was an exodus from London towards thenew towns under theAbercrombie Plan for London (1944). As industry declined during the 1970s the population continued to decline, falling to 161,100 at the start of the 1980s. It has now begun to rise again with new housing developments on brownfield sites and the release of railway and gas work lands aroundKings Cross. A 2017 study found that the eviction rate of 6 per 1,000 renting households in Camden is the lowest rate in London.[21]
The2001 census gave Camden a population of 198,000, an undercount that was later revised to 202,600.[22] The latest ONS projection puts the 2019 population at 270,000.[23]
On 20 May 1999, theCamden New Journal newspaper documented 'Two Camdens' syndrome as a high-profile phenomenon differentiating the characteristics of education services in its constituencies. In 2006, Dame Julia Neuberger's book reported similar variation as a characteristic of Camden's children's health services. Her insider's view was corroboration – in addition to the 2001 "Inequalities" report by Director of Public Health Maggie Barker of "stark contrasts in" health and education opportunities – of earlier similar Audit Commission findings and a verification/update of the 1999 CNJ report.[24]
The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 2001 and 2011 census in Camden.
| Ethnic group | Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 census[25] | 2011 census[26] | 2021 census[27] | ||||
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| White: Total | 144,896 | 73.17% | 146,055 | 66.29% | 125,064 | 59.6% |
| White:British | 104,390 | 52.72% | 96,937 | 43.99% | 74,348 | 35.4% |
| White:Irish | 9,149 | 4.62% | 7,053 | 3.20% | 5,325 | 2.5% |
| White:Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | 167 | 0.08% | 128 | 0.1% |
| White: Roma | – | – | – | – | 978 | 0.5% |
| White:Other | 31,357 | 15.84% | 41,898 | 19.02% | 44,285 | 21.1% |
| Asian or Asian British: Total | 24,021 | 12.13% | 35,446 | 16.09% | 38,042 | 18.1% |
| Asian or Asian British:Indian | 4,574 | 2.31% | 6,083 | 2.76% | 6,952 | 3.3% |
| Asian or Asian British:Pakistani | 1,250 | 0.63% | 1,489 | 0.68% | 1,610 | 0.8% |
| Asian or Asian British:Bangladeshi | 12,569 | 6.35% | 12,503 | 5.67% | 14,356 | 6.8% |
| Asian or Asian British:Chinese | 3,470 | 1.75% | 6,493 | 2.95% | 6,728 | 3.2% |
| Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | 2,158 | 1.09% | 8,878 | 4.03% | 8,396 | 4.0% |
| Black or Black British: Total | 16,374 | 8.27% | 18,060 | 8.20% | 18,892 | 9.1% |
| Black or Black British:African | 11,795 | 5.96% | 10,802 | 4.90% | 14,191 | 6.8% |
| Black or Black British:Caribbean | 3,635 | 1.84% | 3,496 | 1.59% | 2,703 | 1.3% |
| Black or Black British:Other Black | 944 | 0.48% | 3,762 | 1.71% | 1,998 | 1.0% |
| Mixed or British Mixed: Total | 7,429 | 3.75% | 12,322 | 5.59% | 13,938 | 6.6% |
| Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | 1,654 | 0.84% | 2,494 | 1.13% | 2,558 | 1.2% |
| Mixed: White and Black African | 1,224 | 0.62% | 1,800 | 0.82% | 2,059 | 1.0% |
| Mixed: White and Asian | 1,983 | 1.00% | 3,880 | 1.76% | 4,243 | 2.0% |
| Mixed: Other Mixed | 2,568 | 1.30% | 4,148 | 1.88% | 5,078 | 2.4% |
| Other: Total | 5,300 | 2.68% | 8,455 | 3.84% | 14,200 | 6.8% |
| Other: Arab | – | – | 3,432 | 1.56% | 4,417 | 2.1% |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | 5,023 | 2.28% | 9,783 | 4.7% |
| Ethnic minority: Total | 53,124 | 26.83% | 74,283 | 33.71% | 85,072 | 40.4% |
| Total | 198,020 | 100% | 220,338 | 100% | 210,136 | 100% |
| Ethnic group | Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 estimations[28] | 1971 estimations[29] | 1981 estimations[30] | 1991 census[31] | |||
| % | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| White: Total | 94.5% | 92.2% | 161,478 | 88.2% | 149,490 | 82.3% |
| White:British | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| White:Irish | 7.7% | – | – | – | – | – |
| White:Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| White: Roma | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| White:Other | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Asian or Asian British: Total | 2.7% | – | 10,612 | 5.8% | 17,180 | 9.5% |
| Asian or Asian British:Indian | – | – | 2,442 | 2,974 | ||
| Asian or Asian British:Pakistani | – | – | 608 | 796 | ||
| Asian or Asian British:Bangladeshi | – | – | 2,765 | 1.5% | 6,718 | |
| Asian or Asian British:Chinese | – | – | 2,271 | 2,652 | ||
| Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | – | – | 2,526 | 4,040 | ||
| Black or Black British: Total | 2.8% | – | 7,385 | 4% | 9,809 | 5.4% |
| Black or Black British:African | 1.3% | – | 3,196 | 1.7% | 4,664 | |
| Black or Black British:Caribbean | 1.5% | – | 2,762 | 1.5% | 3,279 | |
| Black or Black British:Other Black | – | – | 1,427 | 1,866 | ||
| Mixed or British Mixed: Total | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Other: Total | – | – | 3,768 | 5,220 | ||
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ethnic minority: Total | 5.5% | 7.8% | 21,765 | 11.8% | 32,209 | 17.7% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 183,243 | 100% | 181,699 | 100% |
The following shows the religious identity of residents residing in Camden according to the 2001, 2011 and the 2021 censuses.
| Religion | 2001[32] | 2011[33] | 2021[34] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Holds religious beliefs | 134,545 | 67.9 | 118,949 | 54.0 | 118,581 | 56.4 |
| Christian | 93,259 | 47.1 | 74,821 | 34.0 | 65,980 | 31.4 |
| Muslim | 22,906 | 11.6 | 26,643 | 12.1 | 33,830 | 16.1 |
| Jewish | 11,153 | 5.6 | 9,823 | 4.5 | 10,079 | 4.8 |
| Hindu | 3,031 | 1.5 | 3,141 | 1.4 | 3,991 | 1.9 |
| Sikh | 443 | 0.2 | 465 | 0.2 | 487 | 0.2 |
| Buddhist | 2,595 | 1.3 | 2,789 | 1.3 | 2,410 | 1.1 |
| Other religion | 1,161 | 0.6 | 1,267 | 0.6 | 1,842 | 0.9 |
| No religion | 43,609 | 22.0 | 56,113 | 25.5 | 72,776 | 34.6 |
| Religion not stated | 19,866 | 10.0 | 45,276 | 20.5 | 18,743 | 8.9 |
| Total population | 198,020 | 100.0 | 220,338 | 100.0 | 210,100 | 100.0 |
| Note: The number of residents in the "Religion not stated" category in 2011 was overestimated due to an error processing the 2011 census data[35] | ||||||
London is well known for its greenery and theParks and open spaces in the London Borough of Camden make an important contribution to this.Hampstead Heath is well known for its view over London, notably from Parliament Hill, its wild nature and itsHampstead Heath Ponds. Camden sharesRegents Park withWestminster and the views fromPrimrose Hill are famous.
The Borough of Camden is home to a large number of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Over recent years, a number of significant institutions have moved into the borough or are planning to do so. The includedCentral Saint Martins, theFrancis Crick Institute, as well as the planned move byMoorfields Eye Hospital, recently unveiled as Project Oriel.[36]
The London Borough of Camden is the local education authority for the borough, organised through theChildren, Schools and Families directorate.
Some of London's best universities and teaching institutions are located in the Borough of Camden. They include the main campus ofUniversity College London, part of the campus of theLondon School of Economics near Lincoln's Inn Fields, andCentral Saint Martins.
Camden is policed by theMetropolitan Police Service. There are two police stations across the borough, situated atHolborn andKentish Town. There are various other contact points around the borough including West Hampstead, Greenland Road, Highgate Road, Station House (Swiss Cottage),West End Lane,Hampstead Town Hall and Kingsway College. All locations have varying opening hours with Kentish Town Police Station open to the public on a 24-hour basis.
Hampstead Heath, situated within the London Borough of Camden and managed by theCity of London Corporation, has its own Constabulary who deal with everyday incidents on the Heath, however, all serious criminal offences are passed to theMetropolitan Police to investigate.
With a largeLondon Underground network and major railway stations such asKing's Cross,St Pancras andEuston, Camden also has a much larger presence ofBritish Transport Police (BTP) than many other London boroughs. BTP are responsible for policing Great Britain's railway network.
The area has three fire stations: Euston, Kentish Town and West Hampstead and they are operated byLondon Fire Brigade in the borough of Camden. None of these fire stations are home to any specialist units; only pumping appliances and a rescue tender.[37][38]
Camden is the home of theBritish Library. In addition, Camden has numerous libraries which include:
As well as a number of community libraries including Keats community library.
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2024) |
There are no motorways in the borough, and few stretches of dual carriageway road, but the borough has great strategic transport significance to London, due to presence of three of the capital's most important rail termini, which are lined up along theEuston Road.
The position of the railway termini on Euston Road, rather than in a more central position further south, is a result of the influential recommendations of the 1846Royal Commission on Metropolitan Railway Termini that sought to protect theWest End districts a short distance south of the road.[39]
Three of the fourteen central London's railway terminals are located in the borough.Euston,St Pancras andKings Cross are the London termini for theWest Coast,Midland andEast Coast Main Lines and alsoHigh Speed 1. This connects the borough with theEast of England,East Midlands,West Midlands, North East &West England, North Wales, Scotland,South East England,France,Belgium andthe Netherlands.
Since 14 November 2007 when St Pancras International became the new terminus ofEurostar, a major regeneration of the area has occurred with theKing's Cross Central development happening behind the station.
London Overground'sNorth London Line services run through the borough servingCamden Road,Kentish Town West,Gospel Oak,Hampstead Heath,Finchley Road & Frognal andWest Hampstead. London Overground also operates theWatford DC Line services from Euston servingSouth Hampstead, trains continue toWatford inHertfordshire.
Thameslink route services serveSt Pancras,Kentish Town andWest Hampstead Thameslink stations. Currently the Thameslink network is undergoing a major expansion project called theThameslink Programme. This will link more places in Southern England to the borough and to the East of England. While some services on theGreat Northern network, which currently terminate at King's Cross will be diverted onto the Thameslink network, all work is due to be complete by 2016.[40]
The London Borough of Camden is served by 18London Underground stations and 8 of the 11 lines.
The three major rail termini are served by two underground stations,Euston and the combinedKing's Cross St Pancras station. Between them, the termini are served by theCircle,Hammersmith & City,Metropolitan,Northern,Piccadilly andVictoria lines. TheCentral andJubilee lines serve other parts of the borough, as does theElizabeth line.
As well as the two major termini stations, the borough's other stations are:Euston Square,Warren Street,Goodge Street,Tottenham Court Road,Holborn,Russell Square,Chancery Lane,Mornington Crescent,Camden Town,Chalk Farm,Belsize Park,Hampstead,West Hampstead,Finchley Road,Swiss Cottage andKentish Town.
The proposedHigh Speed 2 railway line to northern England is intended to terminate at Euston Station.[41] The proposedCrossrail 2 line, (originally referred to as the Chelsea–Hackney line) would serve Euston and Tottenham Court Road underground stations. The increase in passengers at Euston as a result of the proposedHigh Speed 2 services is a major driver of the proposals.[42]
The formerly proposedCross River Tram was going to start in the borough of Camden but was scrapped by the formermayor of LondonBoris Johnson in 2008.[43]
Allbus services are operated byTransport for London. Buses serve every suburb in the borough.
The 2011 census found that the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 21.5% of all residents aged 16–74; on foot, 9.2%; bus, minibus or coach, 9.2%; driving a car or van, 6.3%; work mainly at or from home, 5.2%; train, 4.1%; bicycle, 4.1%.[44]
The census also found that 61% of households had no car, 32% had one car and 7% of households had 2 or more cars. There were an estimated 46,000 cars belonging to Camden residents."Camden Borough Profile"(PDF).
From 16 December 2013, Camden Council introduced a borough-wide speed limit of 20 miles per hour (32 km/h),[45][46] as of 2022, this was expanded toTransport for Londonred routes.[47] This is to make roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
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History of the formation of theLondon Borough of Camden | ||
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