Place name
Agricultural heritage. Laycock’s Farm & Cattle Lairs’ started as early as 1720 and remained in the family for several generations until it was slowly sold off for development beginning around the early part of the 19thCentury. Charles Laycock, Junior, who died in 1777, was one of “the greatest goose-feeders and wholesale poulterers in the kingdom.” His son Richard Laycock, who died in 1834, was the proprietor of one of the largest dairies in the country. In a stroke of genius he also erected sheds for cattle on their way to Smithfield. He and a Mr Rhodes gradually absorbed the smaller grass farms (once the great feature of Islington). By the time that Thomas Flight became the landowner the farm covered some 500 acres around Liverpool Road and Upper Street and it certainly stretched as far as what is now Islington Park Street. There were 10 bulls and around 500 milking cows. In 1852 John Nichols became the proprietor selling milk at 4d per quart and fresh cream at three shillings. Between 1900 and 1914, Laycock’s former dairy was owned by Hislop & Sons. It was renamed Laycock Street in 1914, having previously been featured on an 1848 map as Flight’s Yard, after Thomas Flight.
