Description
Whittington Park started life in 1954 as a small public open space of under 1 acre, but it was not officially opened until August 1973 by which time it had grown to c.6 acres. It was opened by the then Mayor of Islington, Cllr Harry Reid. Festivities included a play with over 300 children taking part, a barbecue for 500 people and a disco in the evening. A time capsule, to be opened in 50 years' time, August 2023, was buried with a message to be read by future Islingtonians. Since 1973, the park has been extended to over 10 acres and provides numerous sport and play facilities. Horticultural features include rose and shrub beds, woodland and a war memorial is set into the grass near the park's boundary with Holloway Road.
Practical Information
| Site location | Holloway Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N19 4DJ |
| What3Words | ///span.ruled.bottle |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk |
| Facilities | Children's playground, sand pits, water play feature; toilets; facilities for basketball, football, outdoor gym, table tennis, changing rooms |
| Public Transport | Tube: Archway (Piccadilly). Rail: Upper Holloway. Bus: 17, 43, 271 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2013 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Recent additions to the park include an RSPB trial meadow, new pond and ecology garden.
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, Paradise Park and Highbury Fields.
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, Paradise Park and Highbury Fields.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ298865 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 4.09 |
| Site Ownership | LB Islington |
| Site Management | Greenspace; Friends of Whittington Park, Whittington Park Conservation Volunteers |
| Dates | 1954; 1973 |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| 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
St John's Church is a yellow-brick Commissioners Church built in 1826-28 as the parish church for Upper Holloway and designed by Charles Barry. Fine monuments in the church include that of Ann Sykes (d.1835) and her daughter Martha Venn (d.1840), which feature sculpted figures by Slevier of Faith and Charity. Closed for burial in 1855, the churchyard is now a garden surrounded by brick wall and has flowerbeds, lawn and trees.
Although Royal Northern Gardens is a new park created in 2002 it is on the former site of the Royal Northern Hospital, which opened here in 1888. A new Casualty Department was opened in 1923 following WWI as a war memorial to the people from Islington who died during the war. The hospital later transferred to Whittington Hospital and most of the old buildings were demolished in 1997, and the site was developed for housing. A condition of planning permission was the creation of a new public open space, and this was laid out incorporating a war memorial wall that contained fragments of the old hospital masonry.
Tufnell Park Playing Fields were formed on the site of a C19th cricket pitch. It was later the University of London Playing Field, but is now owned by LB Islington and is a large grassy expanse, part railed with trees around its south, north and west boundaries.