North London

North London is the section of London, England, that is located to the north of the River Thames. It stretches all the way from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, which are located on the outskirts of the City of London financial area, to the border between Greater London and Hertfordshire.

The region is often referred to as "north London" to distinguish it from other parts of the city, including south London, east London, and west London. There are neighbourhoods in north London that are considered to be part of Central London. There is a Northern postal region, however it includes certain neighbourhoods that are not often considered to be a part of north London, while omitting a great deal of others that are.

London's expansion beyond its Roman northern gates was slower than in other directions. This was partially due to the marshy ground that was located north of the wall, and it was also due to the fact that the roads that passed through those gates were less well connected than the roads that passed through other parts of the city. The first northern suburb was developed in the Soke of Cripplegate in the early twelfth century. Prior to the Victorian era, the parishes that would later form north London consisted virtually exclusively of rural landscape. The majority of these parishes were consolidated into a region known as the Finsbury division.

This expansion continued when the development of the railway network accelerated urbanisation, promoting economic growth in the capital, and allowing for the establishment of commuter suburbs. Commuter suburbs were able to be established because of the development of the railway network.

This pattern continued into the twenty-first century and was bolstered by the rise of commuting by automobile up to the time when the Metropolitan Green Belt was established, which was soon after the conclusion of the Second World War. This stopped London from growing any further.