Description
Finsbury Fields was a large area of open ground, which had been used since medieval times for the practice of archery. It was enclosed in the C17th when the precursor of the Honourable Artillery Company moved to Finsbury in 1641 and it became the Artillery Garden or Artillery Ground. A map of 1677 shows it marked as 'New Artillery Garden'. Since at least 1725 it was used for a cricket pitch, and in September 1784 it was the site of the launch of Vincenzo Lunardi's first manned balloon flight in Britain. It is now used for rugby, hockey and football in winter, cricket in summer and also hired out for events. Trees of various species were planted around the perimeter of the sports ground in 1996, as part of the Millennium celebrations.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Finsbury Fields; Honourable Artillery Company Grounds |
|---|---|
| Site location | City Road/Bunhill Row |
| Postcode | EC1Y 2BQ |
| What3Words | ///miles.nodded.print |
| Type of Site | Institutional Grounds |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail/Tube: Old Street (Northern); Moorgate (Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith & City). Bus: 76, 141, 214. 271. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Guild of St George, the oldest military establishment in the UK, had gained its royal charter from Henry VIII in 1537 and became known as 'the Fraternity or Guild of Artillery of Longbows, Crossbows and Handguns'. The prefix 'Honourable' was used from 1685 onwards. The Guild consisted of citizen archers and was founded to supply officers for the City of London's Trained Bands for the defence of London and also in foreign wars, continuing to do so until 1794 when the City of London Militia was formed. The Honourable Artillery Company was the only volunteer reserve to survive after the Napoleonic Wars and became part of the new Volunteer Force that later became the Territorial Army. Members of the Company included Christopher Wren, Samuel Pepys, Milton and Cowper. Until 1642 their training ground was Artillery Lane near Bishopsgate before moving to the Artillery Ground on City Road; a surviving archery target (wood or stone posts) can be seen in Armoury House, the oldest remaining building, probably designed by Thomas Stibbs in 1734-6. Later additions were made to the building, such as the east and west wings of 1828 and the gates date from 1793, designed by George Dance. Finsbury Barracks were built here in 1857, designed by architect Joseph Jennings and the extension, faced in striped stone and granite that links Finsbury Barracks to Armoury House, was designed by Arnold & Boston and dates from 1994.
Since at least 1725 the site has been used as a cricket pitch, the first great match played here was on 18 June 1774 between Kent and All England, described in a poem by James Love. Ballooning was fashionable in the late C18th and in September 1784 the ground was the site of the launch of Vincenzo Lunardi's first manned balloon flight in Britain, accompanied by a dog, cat and pigeon, which flew to Ware. It is now used for rugby, hockey and football in winter, cricket in summer and also hired out for events by the Honourable Artillery Company.
Since at least 1725 the site has been used as a cricket pitch, the first great match played here was on 18 June 1774 between Kent and All England, described in a poem by James Love. Ballooning was fashionable in the late C18th and in September 1784 the ground was the site of the launch of Vincenzo Lunardi's first manned balloon flight in Britain, accompanied by a dog, cat and pigeon, which flew to Ware. It is now used for rugby, hockey and football in winter, cricket in summer and also hired out for events by the Honourable Artillery Company.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ327821 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Honourable Artillery Company |
| Site Management | Honourable Artillery Company |
| Dates | C17th |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Armoury House. LBII: Finsbury Barracks and attached railings on City Road |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | nn |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Islington |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Bunhill Fields & Finsbury Square |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Area |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The site was previously known as Finsbury Fields, part of the old Moorfields outside the City walls. They were used from medieval times for archery and the Lord Mayor's Hunt, and in the early C17th trees were planted and walks laid out. Following the Fire of London in 1666 many people camped on the Fields, and plague victims were buried here. In the mid C18th John Wesley and the early Methodists first preached in Finsbury Fields to large crowds. Finsbury Square was formally laid out in the late C18th, but none of these early buildings survive. The central garden was originally circular and reserved for the private use of residents well into the C20th. Just before WWII, work had begun on redesigning the garden as a square with a subterranean car park beneath it, but this was not completed until the early 1960s. In 1955 Finsbury Council had acquired freehold of the site and the public garden was then created in its present form with flowerbeds, bowling green and changing rooms, and a refreshment house.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Bunhill is probably a corruption of 'Bone Hill', and the area has been a site of burial for upwards of 1,000 years. The Corporation of London had originally enclosed this site for a new burial ground for plague victims just outside the City walls, but it was subsequently leased for a private cemetery. Bunhill Fields was established in 1665 and became the country's pre-eminent Nonconformist cemetery. Between 1665-1854, when it was closed for burials, some 123,000 interments took place, the oldest existing memorial that of Theophilus Gale, d.1678. Among many important Nonconformists buried here are John Bunyan, Susannah Wesley (mother of Charles and John Wesley), Isaac Watts, Daniel Defoe and William Blake. In 1868 it was converted into public gardens by the Corporation of London, when new walls and gates were erected, paths laid out and trees planted. Following bomb damage, after WWII the north area was largely cleared and laid out as a garden and the south area re-landscaped with 5 railed areas containing over 2000 monuments.
Bunhill is probably a corruption of 'Bone Hill', and the area has been a site of burial for upwards of 1,000 years. The Corporation of London had originally enclosed this site for a new burial ground for plague victims just outside the City walls, but it was subsequently leased for a private cemetery. Bunhill Fields was established in 1665 and became the country's pre-eminent Nonconformist cemetery. Between 1665-1854, when it was closed for burials, some 123,000 interments took place, the oldest existing memorial that of Theophilus Gale, d.1678. Among many important Nonconformists buried here are John Bunyan, Susannah Wesley (mother of Charles and John Wesley), Isaac Watts, Daniel Defoe and William Blake. In 1868 it was converted into public gardens by the Corporation of London, when new walls and gates were erected, paths laid out and trees planted. Following bomb damage, after WWII the north area was largely cleared and laid out as a garden and the south area re-landscaped with 5 railed areas containing over 2000 monuments.
Quaker Gardens is all that remains of the former burial ground of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, on a site once part of Bunhill Fields that the Society purchased in 1661. The land was subsequently extended and thousands of Friends were buried here including George Fox, the Founder of the Society (d.1690). A school was built here in 1840 and in the corner of the garden is what remains of the Society's Memorial Buildings, built in 1881. All but one wing of the building was demolished as a result of WWII bombing. The burial ground was closed in 1855 and in 1880 the Metropolitan Board of Works compulsorily purchased some of the land. It was eventually laid out as a recreation ground in 1965 within the GLC's Banner Street estate. In one corner is a playground and small enclosed garden of the Quakers' Horticultural Project, which runs horticultural therapy workshops. The garden has impressive mature plane trees and a few monuments. It has been substantially re-landscaped with new planting and seating in recent years.