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'North London'

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'North London' is a part of London, England which has several possible definitions.

Contents

River & geography

Colloquialism

Postcodes

River & geography

The part of London north of the River Thames (''illustrated''). This includes most of the historic areas including the City of London and the West End as well as the majority of the London Underground network.

The London boroughs north of the river are Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Enfield, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Newham, Redbridge, that part of Richmond north of the river, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, the City of Westminster and the City of London.

Colloquialism

''North London'' normally refers to the area that is to the north of Central London but is not considered West or East London. This might include some or all of the boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington plus possibly Brent, Harrow, Redbridge and Waltham Forest.

Although ''North London'' is seen as having its own cultural and regional identity, its geographical parameters are less distinct. Arguably the core area and boroughs are boundered to the east by the River Lea, to the west by Dollis Brook, and to the south by Central London and the Regent's Canal.

Historically areas east of the River Lea were in Essex and so are commonly thought of as part of East London. Although Dollis Brook flows through what is now Barnet, it marks the boundary between the former Municipal Borough of Finchley and Municipal Borough of Hendon. Even though these distinct districts became part of Barnet with the London Government Act 1963, Hendon and Mill Hill remain somewhat westcentric, a perspective that is reflected in their NW post code (see London postal district) and their inclusion in definitions of North West London.

Regent's Canal marks the boundary between the former Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington and Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, and those districts to the south which fell within the Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch. Although they became part of Hackney with the London Government Act 1963, Haggerston, Hoxton and Shoreditch are thus considered part of East London.

Some would argue that those parts of Barnet incorporated from Hertfordshire in the London Government Act 1963, along with areas of Enfield absorbed from the same county in 1955, are so green and at such a remove that they are properly not considered part of ''North London'' either. However, residents of those areas ''do'' consider themselves to be North Londoners.

Postcodes

Other definitions would limit it to the areas covered by the N and NW London postal districts.