Description
Much of the land here was once part of the extensive grounds of Highbury House, a late C18th villa set in parkland. From the 1830s the estate was gradually built over as Islington changed from a rural to suburban area. Aubert Court, named after an owner of Highbury House, is on part of the former grounds of Highbury College of Dissenters, a theological institution founded in 1783 in Mile End but which opened here in 1826. In 1946-53 Aubert Court was built on part of the former college grounds as council housing for Islington Borough Council,
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Site of Highbury College of Dissenters; Highbury House Estate |
|---|---|
| Site location | Aubert Park/Avenell Road |
| Postcode | N5 1BL |
| What3Words | ///bats.terms.entertainer |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail: Drayton Park. Tube: Arsenal then bus. Bus: 4, 19, 236 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2004 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The land was formerly part of the extensive grounds of Highbury House, a villa residence set in parkland that was built between 1778-81 for John Dawes. Prior to that it had been part of the Manor of Highbury, which had been given to the Priory of St John of Jerusalem in the C13th and used as a country retreat for the Prior until it was destroyed in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Dawes' house was built on the moated site of the former manor house, which was known as Jack Straw's Castle after one of the leaders of the Peasants' Revolt. The Highbury House estate comprised 74 acres but from 1835 onwards land began to be sold off for building as Islington changed from a rural to a suburban environment, its popularity due to its proximity to the City, and its good position with fine views.
Highbury College of Dissenters, a theological institution founded in 1783 in Mile End, was built here in 1825-6 by John Davies, set in extensive grounds. In 1913 6 acres of the college land were acquired for Arsenal football club. The college building was destroyed by a fire in 1946, its site now a garden in Aubert Park. In 1946-53 Aubert Court was built on the former college grounds as council housing for Islington Borough Council, designed by E C P Monson. It consists of 7 to 9 storey blocks, those on the west facing a garden area that had previously been that of Highbury College. It is named after Alexander Aubert (1730-1805), a Swiss insurance broker and amateur astrologer who had an observatory at Deptford and commissioned another at Highbury House, where he lived in the late C18th until his death. On a tower in his grounds Aubert re-erected the clock originally on St Peter-le-Poer Church, when this old ruined church in Old Broad Street was rebuilt in 1788-92 (later demolished in 1907). Aubert also organised the Loyal Islington Volunteers in 1798-1801 who exercised on the site of College Cross in Barnsbury, now built over. Highbury House itself was eventually demolished in 1938 and what remained of its grounds were built over after the Old Etonian Housing Association purchased the site for a block of 40 flats to provide 'decent housing for working people'.
Highbury College of Dissenters, a theological institution founded in 1783 in Mile End, was built here in 1825-6 by John Davies, set in extensive grounds. In 1913 6 acres of the college land were acquired for Arsenal football club. The college building was destroyed by a fire in 1946, its site now a garden in Aubert Park. In 1946-53 Aubert Court was built on the former college grounds as council housing for Islington Borough Council, designed by E C P Monson. It consists of 7 to 9 storey blocks, those on the west facing a garden area that had previously been that of Highbury College. It is named after Alexander Aubert (1730-1805), a Swiss insurance broker and amateur astrologer who had an observatory at Deptford and commissioned another at Highbury House, where he lived in the late C18th until his death. On a tower in his grounds Aubert re-erected the clock originally on St Peter-le-Poer Church, when this old ruined church in Old Broad Street was rebuilt in 1788-92 (later demolished in 1907). Aubert also organised the Loyal Islington Volunteers in 1798-1801 who exercised on the site of College Cross in Barnsbury, now built over. Highbury House itself was eventually demolished in 1938 and what remained of its grounds were built over after the Old Etonian Housing Association purchased the site for a block of 40 flats to provide 'decent housing for working people'.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ316858 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Islington |
| Site Management | Housing Department |
| Dates | 1825; 1946-53 |
| Designers | E C P Monson for Islington Borough Council |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Islington |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Shopping Policy Area |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The site is an oblong enclosed area set back from the hilltop road beyond Highbury Barn, which forms the frontage to Highbury Park Terrace, a range of 20 elaborate Grecian terraced houses. The strip of garden is above pavement level behind a retaining wall and contains grass and a row of horse chestnuts. It is shown on Cruchley's map of 1829.
Formerly called Addington Mansions, this was one of the first groups of council flats by Islington Borough Council. Designed by E C P Monson and built in the early 1920s Taverner Estate is on the site of a number of earlier villas. The Taverner Estate consisted of 2 series of flats laid out as squares and was opened in July 1922 by the Mayor of Islington; a plaque on site records that it was named after Alderman Frederick John Addington, a Trade Unionist and Councillor until 1925. When it underwent modernisation from 1977, the estate was later renamed Taverner Estate after Louis Taverner, a landowner in the Highbury Grove area in the mid C19th. The eastern Taverner Square was completed in 1979 and the western Peckett Square in 1981, the latter named after George Peckett who was on the local Vestry in the 1860s and was involved in the creation of Finsbury Park. The two squares have trees, grass and some seating.
The churchyard of Christ Church Highbury is a triangular plot that forms the northern tip of Highbury Fields. Christ Church was built in 1848 by Thomas Allom of Balham, who was later surveyor of the Ladbroke Estate in North Kensington. The site along with £100 was donated by Henry Dawes, a descendent of John Dawes of Highbury Place and Canonbury. The churchyard is laid to grass, with shrubs around the perimeter, and surrounded by reproduction railings dating from c.1980. Trees include notable robinia, horse chestnut and sycamore. Opposite the church is a fine cast iron and granite clock tower, erected in 1897.