Description

The freehold of Penn Road Gardens was acquired by Islington Borough Council in 1921 and an Act of Parliament of 1906 prevented building on the enclosure in the lifetime of Lord Islington. In 1928 the garden was described as a 'triangular area attractively laid out with well-kept lawn, flower beds, shrubs, well grown trees'. Since 2005 the gardens' flower and shrub beds have been maintained by the community and in 2010/11 received a Green Flag Community Award Winning Park. As a result of an improvement grant in 2010/11, the raised central area was transformed with two circular lawns and various beds with different styles of planting, and has wheelchair access. A perimeter path surrounds the lawn, with niches for benches, each surrounded by privet hedging; shrub beds border the entire gardens to the boundary railings and there are well-established trees around the edges. It has been maintained by Penn Road Residents Association since 2005, and regularly picks up both ‘London in Bloom’ and ‘Islington in Bloom’ community awards.

Practical Information

Previously known as Penn Road Open Space
Site location Penn Road/Caledonian Road
Postcode N7
What3Words ///pipe.noting.fails
Type of Site Public Gardens
Borough Islington
Open to Public Yes
Opening Times 8am - dusk
Special Conditions no dogs
Events Regular community gardening sessions are held on the last Sunday of every month, between 10am and noon. All are welcome.
Public Transport Rail: Caledonian & Barnsbury. Tube: Holloway Road (Piccadilly) then bus. Bus: 4, 17, 29, 43, 91, 153, 253, 254, 259, 271, 393
Research Updated 24 March 2021
Last Updated 18 October 2026

Full description

Penn Road was built between 1865-70, running between Caledonian Road and Hillmarton Road, with Penn Road Gardens, a small public open space, at one end and St Luke's Church at the other. The freehold of Penn Road Gardens was acquired by Islington Borough Council in 1921 and an Act of Parliament of 1906 prevented building on the enclosure in the lifetime of Lord Islington. 

Penn Road Residents Association was formed in May 1997 and took over the regular horticultural maintenance of Penn Road Gardens in 2005 under a service level agreement with Islington Council, tackling the neglected beds through regular gardening days. In 2010/11 they were awarded an improvement grant and a new design for the central area was created by Colette Blanchard from Islington Council Greenspace, put out for public consultation, approved and then implemented. This has led to the transformation of the central area, changing the one central lawn into two circular lawns and introducing various beds with different styles of planting. The low stone edging around the lawn was retained and wheelchair access was added to the raised central area. This is surrounded by a perimeter path with niches for benches, each surrounded by privet hedging; shrub beds border the entire gardens to the boundary railings, with well-established trees around the edges. The final part of the make-over was completed with the installation of a beach garden. Penn Road Gardens became a Green Flag Community Award Winning Park in 2010/11 and regularly picks up both London in Bloom and Islington in Bloom community awards.  

In June every year since 1997, the Residents Association has put on a successful community party in Penn Road Gardens, an open event for residents of Penn Road and the local area. The Association runs regular community gardening sessions on the last Sunday of every month, to which all are welcome. They have also worked closely with the residents of the flats at Number 1 Penn Road on the Edible Islington project, who are now successfully growing their own fruit and vegetables.

 

Further Information

Grid Reference TQ305855
Size in hectares 0.12
Site Ownership LB Islington
Site Management Greenspace; Penn Road Residents' Association
Dates 1920s
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 Hillmarton
Tree Preservation Order No
Nature Conservation Area No
Green Belt No
Metropolitan Open Land No
Special Policy Area No

Gallery

Penn Road Gardens, photograph 1955. Courtesy of Islington Local History and Archives Centre
Penn Road Gardens, April 2019. Photograph provided by Penn Road Residents Association
Penn Road Gardens, May 2019. Photograph provided by Penn Road Residents Association

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Paradise Park, October 2012. Photograph Sally Williams
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