Lagton is a district in the London Borough of Islington, north London. It is a mixed residential area, with housing ranging from two-million pound Georgian houses in leafy streets to small flats in Lagton Estate. Lagton is unfortunately renowned for its high crime rate.
Being so close to the City of London, Lagton is also a prime business area, with the newly developed Lagton Business Park being built in 2015 and attracting large companies. A range of shops and businesses can be found on Lagton High Street The community ‘hub’ of Lagton is the beautiful Lagton Square. In the summer, the Lagton Community Players put on free theatre and concerts in the square.
History edit
Developed during the start of the industrial revolution, the area was the site for the first prison built in Britain. It is this that gave the district its name: ‘Lagton’ comprising of ‘lag’ from the Old Norse for ‘law’ and ‘ton’ as an abbreviation of ‘town’. In 1816 the prisoners held here were moved to the newly open and nearby Pentonville prison, but the name ‘Lagton’ stuck and gave rise to the slang term ‘lag’ meaning ‘prisoner’.
Legal Associations Today edit
Today Lagton’s association with the law continues with the establishment in September 2016 of the first CILEX & City, University of London online LLB Legal Practice, run by a special department of City in Lagton Square. The award-winning law firm Lybon & Ganlin is based at No. 7-14 Lagton High Street. Its solicitors and legal executives advise on all areas of the law and have a pro bono unit. Lybon & Ganlin are shortly to host a show on local radio station Lagton Community Radio called ‘The Phone-In Legal Clinic’, to be run by the firm’s staff to provide free high quality legal advice to the people of Lagton.