• Walk up the rather steep Kings Cross Road (A501) back to the junction with Pentonville Road…

 

• Cross over into Rodney Street and enter the gardens on your immediate left…

 

In a clear space you will see the grave of Joey Grimaldi the famous nineteenth clown and entertainment entrepreneur. His dazzling costume can be seen to the right. He was an English actor, comedian and dancer, who became the most popular English entertainer of the Regency era.   ///mugs.seats.prom

 

In the early 1800s, he made the role of the Clown in the harlequinade his own in pantomimes, notably at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Sadler's Wells and Covent Garden theatres. 

 

He became so dominant that the Harlequinade role of Clown became known as "Joey", and both the nickname and Grimaldi's whiteface make-up design are still used today. 

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The Building behind the gardens is now used as offices but used to be St James Burial Chapel. It now forms part of the memorial Joseph Grimaldi Park.