Description
Arundel Square was one of the last of Islington's Victorian squares to be built and was laid out in the 1850s on Pocock's Fields, named after the Pocock family of dairy farmers who leased much of this land in the early 1800s. The central garden was initially managed by the Trustees of Pocock's Estate and then from 1863 by a residents' committee. Playground equipment was installed in 1936 with funding from the National Air Raid Distress Fund and the King George's Fields Foundation. By the 1950s the gardens were run down and had become a wasteland. In 1957, Islington Council converted it into a public park with a refurbished playground.
Practical Information
| Site location | Arundel Square |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N7 |
| What3Words | ///hotel.deaf.indeed |
| Type of Site | Garden Square; |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Facilities | Children's playground, table tennis, tarmac ball court |
| Public Transport | Rail/London Overground/Tube (Victoria): Highbury and Islington. Bus: 17, 43, 91, 153, 259, 271, 274, 393 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The land was once part of Barnsbury Manor, once known as Pocock's Fields after the dairy farmers who leased much land. The Pococks had moved to Shoreditch in Queen Anne's reign, and in 1826 a descendent acquired land north of Islington village including 14 acres of grassland. By 1841 the family owned all the open land between Pentonville Prison and the Back Road. The Pocock Estate was developed piecemeal from the 1850s, and Arundel Square was the latest of Islington's Victorian squares. The square was not completed to plan as money ran out before the south side was built and the square was then truncated in the 1860s by a deep railway cutting of the North London Railway. The central area was originally maintained as open space by the Pocock's Trustees and from 1863 by a residents' committee.
In 1936 playground equipment was provided through the National Air Raid Distress Fund who gave a donation of £1,000 and plaques remain on the gate piers near the playground recording this and the contribution by the King George's Fields Foundation of £1,670 made to Islington Borough Council. By the 1950s the garden was run down, more wasteland than anything else and in 1957 Islington Borough Council converted the site into a public park with a playground. In 1970 Arundel Square was the among the first properties in LB Islington to be designated part of a Conservation Area under the 1967 Act.
Until the early/mid 1990s the gardens were well kept and had numerous rose beds, but later became overgrown. The garden had also become very shaded by large plane trees but as a result of action by Ellingford Road Residents Association, Islington Council has now crown-pruned the trees. The roses have largely been removed as they were old, and new planting has been undertaken. The playground equipment has recently been renewed and the park newly refurbished and extended across decking over the railway line.
In 1936 playground equipment was provided through the National Air Raid Distress Fund who gave a donation of £1,000 and plaques remain on the gate piers near the playground recording this and the contribution by the King George's Fields Foundation of £1,670 made to Islington Borough Council. By the 1950s the garden was run down, more wasteland than anything else and in 1957 Islington Borough Council converted the site into a public park with a playground. In 1970 Arundel Square was the among the first properties in LB Islington to be designated part of a Conservation Area under the 1967 Act.
Until the early/mid 1990s the gardens were well kept and had numerous rose beds, but later became overgrown. The garden had also become very shaded by large plane trees but as a result of action by Ellingford Road Residents Association, Islington Council has now crown-pruned the trees. The roses have largely been removed as they were old, and new planting has been undertaken. The playground equipment has recently been renewed and the park newly refurbished and extended across decking over the railway line.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ311845 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.51 |
| Site Ownership | LB Islington |
| Site Management | Greenspace |
| Dates | 1850-60; 1936; 1957 |
| Listed Structures | LB: No.60 Arundel Square, St Clements Court |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Islington |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Arundel Square |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Protected Vista |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic/local view corridor. |
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
This is one of the first eight schemes of the Samuel Lewis Trust, established in 190 to building housing for the poor. The buildings were designed by C S Joseph and Smithem and consist of five rows of blocks with trees between them, including notable pollarded planes, and small island gardens set in paved areas. It has been described as 'the best illustration in Islington of the tremendous improvement in standards of planning and humane appearance that became apparent in the best working class housing around 1900' (Nikolaus Pevsner).
Mountfort Crescent was built from 1834-47 as part of the Bishop Estate and comprises pairs of bow-fronted villas set around a central garden, which forms the nucleus of this small cul-de-sac off the north side of Barnsbury Square. Named after Mountfort House, it occupies the ground of what used to be Reed Moatfield, in which was a moated site described in 1756. The architect John Carr McLellan lived at No.3 from 1883-88. In 1928 the garden was described as a 'small area enclosed by light railings owned by freeholders of surrounding houses, who maintained the garden'. No longer railed the garden has several notable trees.
Barnsbury takes its name from Ralph de Berners, who owned land here in the C13th that remained in his family until the early C16th. The manorial estate was eventually broken up when the area was developed for housing from the 1820s. Barnsbury Square was once the site of a medieval moated farm belonging to Barnsbury Manor, and the central garden was built as 'ornamental pleasure grounds' for the private use of residents of the Bishop Estate developed from 1834. The MPGA purchased the lease on the gardens in 1889 and laid them out before transferring them to Islington Vestry in 1891 when they were opened to the public. However, there were disputes over the freehold interest and attempts to purchase the gardens for the public failed in 1911. They became neglected, although there was some use by tennis clubs, but were eventually conveyed to Islington Council in 1933, re-planted and opened to the public once more in 1934. Further re-landscaping was carried out in the 1960s including a new pavilion, new railings, paths and raised beds.