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Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, Canonbury

Companionship careIslington

Days out in Islington for an older parent

Nine places in Islington that make a good day out for an older parent, from Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art to Islington Museum. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated September 2026

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art. Photo: Luke McKernan, CC BY-SA 2.0

Nine days out across six towns

The best places to take an older parent in Islington

Seven of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for one describes a step-free route, and two confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, Canonbury

Photo: Luke McKernan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gallery · Canonbury

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art

The Estorick Collection shows modern Italian art, including Futurist paintings and works by Modigliani and Morandi, in a Georgian house on Canonbury Square. It has a café with a garden terrace and changing exhibitions on the ground floor.

The two ground floor galleries, shop, café and toilets are all on one level from the entrance, although the upper galleries are reached by stairs, and a companion goes in free.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry, one companion free

What their access information confirms

  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Canonbury

The Charterhouse, Clerkenwell

Photo: Will Pryce, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Clerkenwell

The Charterhouse

The Charterhouse is a former Carthusian monastery and Tudor mansion on Charterhouse Square that is still home to a community of older residents known as Brothers. Its free museum display and chapel tell the site's 650 year history, and guided tours go inside the historic rooms and courtyard gardens.

The entrance is step-free, the reception, museum and chapel are wheelchair accessible, a lift reaches the Great Chamber and there are accessible toilets.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Museum and chapel free, guided tours paid

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Clerkenwell

Museum of the Order of St John, Clerkenwell

Photo: Peter Trimming, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Clerkenwell

Museum of the Order of St John

The Museum of the Order of St John is in the Tudor St John's Gate in Clerkenwell and tells the story of the Knights Hospitaller and the St John Ambulance. The nearby Priory Church has a Norman crypt.

The main galleries are on the ground floor with step-free access, there is an accessible toilet, and a wheelchair and folding stools can be borrowed free.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Clerkenwell

Wesley's Chapel and Museum of Methodism, St Lukes

Photo: Jwslubbock, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · St Lukes

Wesley's Chapel and Museum of Methodism

Wesley's Chapel on City Road was built by John Wesley in 1778 and is known as the mother church of Methodism, with the Museum of Methodism in its crypt and Wesley's own house next door. Bunhill Fields burial ground is just across the road.

There is ramp access into the chapel and a lift down to the museum and accessible toilet, and entry to the chapel and museum is free.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Chapel and museum free, Wesley's House paid

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet

Their website

Carers who drive, based near St Lukes

London Canal Museum, Angel

Photo: ell brown, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Angel

London Canal Museum

The London Canal Museum is in a Victorian ice warehouse beside Battlebridge Basin on the Regent's Canal, telling the story of canal life, working horses and the ice trade. You can look down into the old ice well.

It is a small museum that can be seen in an hour, open Tuesday to Sunday, and the basin outside is a pleasant place to watch the narrowboats.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Angel

Gillespie Park and Ecology Centre, Highbury

Photo: Martin Addison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Highbury

Gillespie Park and Ecology Centre

Gillespie Park is Islington's largest nature reserve, with ponds, woodland and meadows beside the railway near Arsenal's stadium. The Islington Ecology Centre on site gives advice on wildlife and gardening.

There is a disabled parking space off Drayton Park and the paths around the Ecology Centre suit wheelchairs, but the park closes on Emirates Stadium event days.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Blue Badge parking

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Highbury

Highbury Fields, Highbury

Photo: Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Highbury

Highbury Fields

Highbury Fields is Islington's largest open space, a long stretch of grass and plane trees lined by Georgian terraces between Highbury Corner and Highbury Barn. It has a playground with toilets and cafés close by on Highbury Barn.

The fields are wide and open with paths across them, so the carer can walk a short stretch from Highbury Corner and find a bench under the trees.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Highbury

Caledonian Park and Clock Tower

Park · Holloway

Caledonian Park and Clock Tower

Caledonian Park is on the site of the Victorian Metropolitan Cattle Market, and its centrepiece is the 47 metre clock tower built in 1853 and recently restored. Volunteer stewards run tours of the tower on open days.

The park is a quiet green space away from the main roads, and the council's interactive map shows the nearest disabled parking bays.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Holloway

Islington Museum, Clerkenwell

Photo: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Clerkenwell

Islington Museum

Islington Museum tells the story of the borough's people and places through free exhibitions, talks and events. It sits beneath Finsbury Library on St John Street.

Entry is free and the museum is small, so it fits easily around lunch in Clerkenwell or a visit to St John's Gate nearby.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Clerkenwell

Regular groups and events in Islington

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Islington.

  • Photography · HollowayClock tower tours in Caledonian ParkThe restored Victorian clock tower, all that remains of the old Metropolitan Cattle Market, opens for booked tours with wide views across London from the top. A carer can handle the booking and timings, and photograph from the park below if the stairs are too much.Details
  • ReadingIslington home library serviceIslington Council runs reading and outreach services including a home library service for residents who cannot get to a branch, bringing books and audiobooks to them. A carer can arrange the visits, help choose titles and read aloud between deliveries.Details
  • VolunteeringVoluntary Action Islington volunteering serviceVoluntary Action Islington matches local people with volunteering roles across borough charities and community groups. A carer can go through the options with the person they support, pick something within easy travel and go along for the first few sessions.Details
  • Volunteering · AngelVolunteering at Culpeper Community GardenThe community garden near Angel takes volunteers to help with planting, watering and general upkeep at regular sessions. A carer can share the heavier jobs so the volunteering stays about the plants and the company.Details
  • Knitting · HollowayKnit and natter at Islington Central LibraryA free knitting group at Central Library where adults bring their own project and work alongside others. A carer can carry the bag, get there for the start and sit nearby so the session is about the knitting and conversation.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Islington

At a glance

The nine places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Estorick Collection of Modern Italian ArtCanonburyan hour or twoPaid entryAskAskYes
The CharterhouseClerkenwellan hour or twoFreeYesAskAsk
Museum of the Order of St JohnClerkenwellan hour or twoFreePartlyYesAsk
Wesley's Chapel and Museum of MethodismSt Lukesan hour or twoFree outside, paid insidePartlyYesAsk
London Canal MuseumAngelan hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk
Gillespie Park and Ecology CentreHighburyan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Highbury FieldsHighburyan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Caledonian Park and Clock TowerHollowayan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Islington MuseumClerkenwellan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Islington

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

AngelUpper HollowayHighburyCustom HouseHollowayBarnsburyFinsbury Park123456789
  1. 1Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, Canonbury
  2. 2The Charterhouse, Clerkenwell
  3. 3Museum of the Order of St John, Clerkenwell
  4. 4Wesley's Chapel and Museum of Methodism, St Lukes
  5. 5London Canal Museum, Angel
  6. 6Gillespie Park and Ecology Centre, Highbury
  7. 7Highbury Fields, Highbury
  8. 8Caledonian Park and Clock Tower, Holloway
  9. 9Islington Museum, Clerkenwell

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Islington

Carers in Islington charge £19 to £22 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Islington has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Islington

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in Canonbury, The Charterhouse in Clerkenwell, Museum of the Order of St John in Clerkenwell, Wesley's Chapel and Museum of Methodism in St Lukes, London Canal Museum in Angel, Gillespie Park and Ecology Centre in Highbury, Highbury Fields in Highbury, Caledonian Park and Clock Tower in Holloway and Islington Museum in Clerkenwell. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for The Charterhouse describes a step-free route. Museum of the Order of St John and Wesley's Chapel and Museum of Methodism have an accessible toilet. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

The Charterhouse, Museum of the Order of St John, Wesley's Chapel and Museum of Methodism (outside free, inside paid), Gillespie Park and Ecology Centre, Highbury Fields, Caledonian Park and Clock Tower and Islington Museum. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 12 of the carers with a rate near Islington drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Islington shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Islington

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Islington

Days out in the areas around Islington

Companionship care by town in Islington

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Islington

See carers near Islington who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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