Diamond Street: The Hidden World of Hatton Garden

by Rachel Lichtenstein

Diamond Street is Rachel Lichtenstein's fascinating account of London's Hatton Garden.

Enter Hatton Garden, one of London's most mysterious streets. Home to ancient burial sites, diamond workshops, underground vaults, monastic dynasties, subterranean rivers and forgotten palaces. Here you'll meet sewer flushers, artists, goldsmiths, geologists and visionaries as Rachel Lichtenstein uncovers the history, secrets and stories that bring this vibrant Clerkenwell street and its environs to life.

Praise for Diamond Street:

'Fascinating. The great joy of Lichtenstein's books is that she encourages us to look again at the places we take for granted' Daily Telegraph

'Vivid and amusing, containing so many sparkling things, elegantly organized. Lichtenstein consulted a whole gang of glorious characters, collecting tales, history and lore on her way. An overwhelming trove of stories with a multiplicity of facets to intrigue' Observer

'Engrossing, a superb oral historian. Lichtenstein proves to be an indefatigable explorer' Sunday Times

'Lichtenstein is an artist, writer, local historian and archivist and her multi-faceted approach makes fascinating reading. She make[s] us look with a fresh eye at familiar urban spaces' Independent on Sunday

'Lichtenstein has brought alive something of London . . . how one street can be a kind of Tardis, a portal to another world of parallel commerce, codes, rituals, history. A heartfelt book full of curiosity and love' The Times

'A lively and rewarding addition to the capital's rich history' Independent

Rachel Lichtenstein is an artist and writer. She is the co-author, with Iain Sinclair, of Rodinsky's Room and the author, most recently, of On Brick Lane.

Genres: London, Nonfiction, History

368 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2012

Reviews

[Geri Schear · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as research for a novel of my own. It contained a lot of information and anecdotes, but the structure made it difficult to find what I needed. It would benefit greatly from an index.

[Dariko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, well-researched book about the history of London's Hatton Garden and nearby streets. If you love Charles Dickens, you will find some interesting facts about the places and the streets described in his books, which really existed or even exist today.
There is a lot more stuff which I found extremely interesting about the hidden River Fleet, Little Italy, Ely's Place, the spooky Bleeding Heart Yard, the slums of Saffron Hill, the second oldest pub in London The Ye Olde Mitre, terrifying prisons, medieval nunneries and priories, old churches, history of immigration, and of course the history of the diamond trade in Hatton Garden.

[Helen Hanschell Pollock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories, history and the jewellers' chats, scrap book, reportage and photographs. Psychogeography as defined by Joseph Hart;
"a whole toy box full of playful, inventive strategies for exploring cities... just about anything that takes pedestrians off their predictable paths and jolts them into a new awareness of the urban landscape."

[Lyazzat · Rating 3 out of 5]

gave up on half way :(

[doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think in order to appreciate this book you have to be all right with Rachel Lichtenstein's narrative style. I really enjoyed it, although I felt like one chapter was sort of unnecessary (anyone who has read it can probably guess which one). All in all, though, it's a great book for anyone interested in the geographical, cultural and personal history of Hatton Garden, Holborn, Farringdon and Clerkenwell.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Download the accompanying app - fascinating. Many memories of working next door to Hatton Garden on Farringdon road coming flooding back. Certainly my favourite part of London. A pleasure to read - for me it's all about the facts, hidden worlds, history and anecdotes that bring this book and what it's about, alive, not the writing style (which for me was perfectly satisfactory). Recommended read, especially to anyone who knows that area of London.

[Vuk Trifkovic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Yeah, stories are good, but the composition is too simplistic and it is way too traditional in the mould of "I've met so and so and they have told me so and so". Shame, because there are very many rich seams to be mined here...

[Caroline Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should have been fascinating but the writing style rendered it rather dull

[Julie Cohen]

Had to return to the library before I finished it but I enjoyed what I read—a layered history of this London district.