Description
Until the mid C19th the land now Highbury Fields was privately owned and used for farming. In 1885 Islington Vestry and the Metropolitan Board of Works jointly acquired c.10.3 hectares for a public park. An earlier proposal to create a much larger ‘Albert Park' in Islington had failed to raise the necessary money to purchase the land and by the end of the 1850s much of the area was built over. In 1891 additional land to the north was purchased and added to the park. Initially public meetings and the playing of music were not permitted but this restriction was lifted in 1896. The Boer War Memorial was erected in 1905 in the south-west corner of the Fields. Highbury Fields is scattered with fine oak, horse chestnut and lime trees, with London planes along the boundaries of the park and its principal walks.
Practical Information
| Site location | Highbury Crescent/Highbury Grove/Highbury Place/Highbury Terrace/Baalbec Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N5 |
| What3Words | ///woes.wiring.guards |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted [playground in south 8am - dusk] |
| Facilities | Children's playground, sandpit, water play feature, tennis courts, football pitch, netball pitch; Oasis Café (summer only), toilets. Highbury Pool and Fitness Centre |
| Events | Numerous events |
| Public Transport | Tube: Highbury & Islington (Victoria). Rail: Highbury & Islington. Bus: 4, 19, 30, 43, 236, 271, 393 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Highbury Fields is a triangular-shaped public park on sloping land. Until c.1781 the fields were the freehold of John Dawes (d.1788) who owned Highbury Place and the land was farmed until the 1850s, especially by dairy farmers for which Islington was famous. A map of 1735 shows a footpath across the 'Mother Field' from Highbury Corner to the former Manor House site; now designated Church Path, it was a public footpath in the early C19th. The fields remained private and divided into 7 large closes until 1885 when 10.3 hectares of land was acquired for a public park by the Metropolitan Board of Works at a cost of £60,000, one half of which was contributed by the Vestry of Islington, and laid out with walks.
It is the sole fragment of a larger 'Albert Park' proposed in 1850 with the support of prominent local residents and led by a Mr Lloyd. It was to stretch north and east of the Fields and cover approximately 121 hectares and including some 81 hectares covered by the villas of Highbury Grove and Highbury Vale. However, the campaign failed to raise the necessary £200,000 to purchase the land and by the end of the 1850s much of the area was built over with villas and terraced houses, with the mid C19th Highbury Crescent and the earlier Highbury Terrace, built 1789-1817, in the western boundary; by 1853 a line of trees had been planted along the east side opposite Highbury Place, built 1770s.
In 1891 a further plot of 0.9 hectares to the north of the fields was purchased and the first detailed published plan of the park dates from 1894-6. Initially the Act that authorised the original land purchase prohibited public meetings and the playing of music but this restriction was removed in 1896 and open air concerts were held in the former bandstand and the Territorial Army Corps held reviews here. Since then the Fields have been the site of numerous circuses, bonfires, rallies, religious crusades and sporting events. In 1905 the Boer War Memorial by Bertram McKennal, with flanking cannon, was unveiled at the south west corner of the Fields. In 1924 the Fields, apart from a shrubbery at the margin, were laid out in grass with gravelled walks with a dry playground at the northern end. From 1921-79 there was an open air swimming pool and in 1984 a new £1.5m swimming pool was opened. Air raid shelters were built here in WWII.
Highbury Fields is divided into two halves by Highbury Crescent. There are many notable plane, oak, horse chestnut and lime trees, with planes lining the perimeter of the park and its principal walks. In the north of the park are tennis, hockey and other sports facilities. To the north of the site is Christ Church Highbury (q.v.).
Following recommendations in the Vision for Highbury Fields, funding has been secured to improve the sports facilities on the northern boundary of the park. These are likely to include replacing the fencing, improving the floodlights, installing a 3G artificial turf pitch on one third of the space and resurfacing the remaining tarmac playing surface for netball, basketball, rounders and informal use. If planning consent is granted, it is hoped that work can start in spring 2012.
In 2009 conservationists launched a campaign to boost London's sparrow population, which had significantly declined as a result of deteriorating conditions such as traffic increase, paving over gardens and development over green space. In London the RSPB warned that sparrows were at risk of disappearing altogether, and set up a scheme working with other partners, funded by £170,000 from the SITA Trust. The 3-year scheme has led to the creation of meadows in areas of over 20 London parks, including Paradise Park, which have been sown to provide seed-rich habitats. Each site was to be managed using 3 different planting schemes of grass seed, wildflower meadow and wildlife seed mix, and it was hoped that butterflies and moths, as well as other birds and bats, would be encouraged. Partners in the scheme include Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, City of London, Royal Parks Agency, and Wandsworth, Islington and Southwark Councils. In Islington other parks participating in the scheme were Laycock Street, Whittington Park and Paradise Park (q.q.v.).
It is the sole fragment of a larger 'Albert Park' proposed in 1850 with the support of prominent local residents and led by a Mr Lloyd. It was to stretch north and east of the Fields and cover approximately 121 hectares and including some 81 hectares covered by the villas of Highbury Grove and Highbury Vale. However, the campaign failed to raise the necessary £200,000 to purchase the land and by the end of the 1850s much of the area was built over with villas and terraced houses, with the mid C19th Highbury Crescent and the earlier Highbury Terrace, built 1789-1817, in the western boundary; by 1853 a line of trees had been planted along the east side opposite Highbury Place, built 1770s.
In 1891 a further plot of 0.9 hectares to the north of the fields was purchased and the first detailed published plan of the park dates from 1894-6. Initially the Act that authorised the original land purchase prohibited public meetings and the playing of music but this restriction was removed in 1896 and open air concerts were held in the former bandstand and the Territorial Army Corps held reviews here. Since then the Fields have been the site of numerous circuses, bonfires, rallies, religious crusades and sporting events. In 1905 the Boer War Memorial by Bertram McKennal, with flanking cannon, was unveiled at the south west corner of the Fields. In 1924 the Fields, apart from a shrubbery at the margin, were laid out in grass with gravelled walks with a dry playground at the northern end. From 1921-79 there was an open air swimming pool and in 1984 a new £1.5m swimming pool was opened. Air raid shelters were built here in WWII.
Highbury Fields is divided into two halves by Highbury Crescent. There are many notable plane, oak, horse chestnut and lime trees, with planes lining the perimeter of the park and its principal walks. In the north of the park are tennis, hockey and other sports facilities. To the north of the site is Christ Church Highbury (q.v.).
Following recommendations in the Vision for Highbury Fields, funding has been secured to improve the sports facilities on the northern boundary of the park. These are likely to include replacing the fencing, improving the floodlights, installing a 3G artificial turf pitch on one third of the space and resurfacing the remaining tarmac playing surface for netball, basketball, rounders and informal use. If planning consent is granted, it is hoped that work can start in spring 2012.
In 2009 conservationists launched a campaign to boost London's sparrow population, which had significantly declined as a result of deteriorating conditions such as traffic increase, paving over gardens and development over green space. In London the RSPB warned that sparrows were at risk of disappearing altogether, and set up a scheme working with other partners, funded by £170,000 from the SITA Trust. The 3-year scheme has led to the creation of meadows in areas of over 20 London parks, including Paradise Park, which have been sown to provide seed-rich habitats. Each site was to be managed using 3 different planting schemes of grass seed, wildflower meadow and wildlife seed mix, and it was hoped that butterflies and moths, as well as other birds and bats, would be encouraged. Partners in the scheme include Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, City of London, Royal Parks Agency, and Wandsworth, Islington and Southwark Councils. In Islington other parks participating in the scheme were Laycock Street, Whittington Park and Paradise Park (q.q.v.).
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ315849 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 11.75 |
| Site Ownership | LB Islington |
| Site Management | Greenspace; Highbury Fields Management Group |
| Dates | 1885; C20th |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Boer War Memorial; Nos. 1, 3, 7, 8, 11, 23, 24 Highbury Cres.; Nos. 5, 56 Highbury Grove; Nos. 1039 Highbury Pl.; 1-22 Highbury Terrace; 7 - 47 (odd) Baalbec Road |
| 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 | No |
| Local Authority | Islington |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Highbury Fields |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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 churchyard of Christ Church Highbury is a triangular plot that forms the northern tip of Highbury Fields. Christ Church was built in 1848 by Thomas Allom of Balham, who was later surveyor of the Ladbroke Estate in North Kensington. The site along with £100 was donated by Henry Dawes, a descendent of John Dawes of Highbury Place and Canonbury. The churchyard is laid to grass, with shrubs around the perimeter, and surrounded by reproduction railings dating from c.1980. Trees include notable robinia, horse chestnut and sycamore. Opposite the church is a fine cast iron and granite clock tower, erected in 1897.
John Spencer Square was laid out in 1963 with Prior Bolton Street, Grange Grove and St Mary's Grove as part of postwar rebuilding in the Canonbury area. The square overlooks the residents' communal garden, which has some mature trees but is otherwise rather featureless. It is named after Sir John Spencer who was Lord Mayor of London and had a country retreat at Canonbury in the early C17th; he is buried in St Helen's Bishopsgate. Former residents include Labour Party Cabinet Minister Barbara Castle and her husband Ted Castle (d.1979), journalist and GLC Alderman.
Highbury Roundabout was laid out in 1960-66, on land that had been devastated by a German bomb on 27 June 1944. It was previously the northern part of Compton Terrace and its communal garden, built between 1819-31. Surrounded by busy roads, the central area of the roundabout was planted with grass and a variety of trees of different species. A strip of garden adjacent to the roundabout at the north end of Compton Terrace commemorates those who were killed, injured or bereaved as a result of the 1944 bomb. Named Highbury Corner Garden it was created in winter 2008/09 as part of Islington Council's initiative, ‘Greening the Grey'.