Amy Winehouse’s Camden: the statue, the pub and the walk

The short version: the statue is in the Stables Market, NW1, and it is free to see. The Hawley Arms, at 2 Castlehaven Road, NW1 8QU, has her mural on the outside. Camden Square is a quiet residential street, so behave accordingly. You can do all of it on foot in an afternoon.

The statue in the Stables

Start here. The life-size bronze of Amy Winehouse stands in the Stables Market, Camden Town, and it was designed by the sculptor Scott Eaton. It was unveiled on 14 September 2014, which would have been her 31st birthday, according to NME. Her friend Barbara Windsor opened it, and a local guide quoted by NME says her father Mitch felt it captured her personality.

It did not start out in the Stables. A spot near the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm was considered first, but Wikipedia says public access there was poor, so the statue went into the market instead. Good call. It is somewhere people can actually stand and look.

Visitors describe it as free to see and a good place for a photo. Expect other people doing exactly that, so be patient and do not block the lane for the market stalls. The Stables is a working market, so go earlier in the day if you want a clear look.

The pub: the Hawley Arms

Visit London lists the Hawley Arms as the pub Amy was said to have visited most often, with a giant mural of her on the outside. The address is 2 Castlehaven Road, NW1 8QU, on the Camden Town and Chalk Farm side, just off the market area. Layers of London says it was best known in the 2000s as her pub, with other regulars including Noel Fielding, Pete Doherty and Kate Moss. The pub itself dates back to 1851, when it was the Hawley Arms Tavern, according to Wikipedia.

Visit London also says it hosts regular live music. Check what is on before you go, and if you are heading to a gig afterwards, eat first.

The house and the street signs

She died at her home in Camden Square in July 2011, a short walk from the statue. 30 Camden Square is a private house, so there is nothing to go in and see. Fans leave flowers and messages on the road sign, according to Culture Trip. NME reports that replacement Camden Square street signs have been stolen 14 times. If you visit, keep your voice down and leave the doorstep alone. People live there.

NME also points to a mural of Amy and Michael Dixon on Pratt Street, which is an easy detour from Camden Town.

A walking tour, if you want the stories

Jennifer Brown, who runs the Rock ’n’ Roll Camden Walking Tour, told NME that Amy called Camden her “playground”. If you would rather be told where to stand than work it out from a map, there are guided options. The GetYourGuide two-hour tour starts at the Roundhouse, lists at least nine stops including four pubs and bars, and is listed as wheelchair accessible. Brit Music Tours runs a separate Camden Town Amy Winehouse tour. Check prices and times with the operators before you book.

Make a night of it: the Dublin Castle

For live music after the walk, the Dublin Castle at 94 Parkway is a short walk from Camden Town station. It is a pub with a separate live music room at the back, and Songkick shows gigs listed well ahead. It was built for Irish railway navvies and became a music venue in the late 1970s after Madness built a live reputation there, according to Wikipedia. Tripadvisor reviewers say there is no real ale, but there is always Guinness or Beavertown beer. Order one of those and go and see a band.

A sensible route

• Stables Market: the statue, ideally before the crowds.
• Castlehaven Road: the Hawley Arms and the mural outside.
• Pratt Street: the mural of Amy and Michael Dixon.
• Camden Square: the road sign, quietly.
• Parkway: the Dublin Castle for a gig and a pint.

That is a respectful way to spend an afternoon in the streets she called her playground.