Clissold Park

(Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest, Description, 1987)

Grade II
Ref. no. TQ3286 / G1024

Late C19th public park, 21.5ha, in landscaped grounds of C18th house.

Clissold House (at one period known as Crawshaw Farm) designed late C18th or early C19th by Joseph Woods (1776-1864) for his maternal uncle, Joseph Hoare. House and grounds sold 1886, acquired from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners 1887, and opened as public park 1889. The two Stoke Newington Churches, St Mary’s Old Church, and St Mary’s Church, just outside the eastern corner of the park, are both visual elements in the landscape scheme.

The undulating ground of Clissold Park (at first generally called Stoke Newington Park) falls slightly to the northwards, and is enclosed by Green Lanes to the west, Greenway Close and Queen Elizabeth’s Close to the north, Queen Elizabeth’s Walk to the north-east, and by Stoke Newington Church Street to the south-east. The Park is railed, with belts or scattered trees along the boundaries, enclosing extensive areas of paths with chestnut avenues. Clissold House, in the eastern quarter of the park, overlooks a curving section of the New River – C19th cast-iron footbridge 60m to the south of the house. Landscaping of the grounds began parallel with the building of Clissold House, and the two artificial lakes along the north boundary, each with an island, are thought to have been disused clay-pits from this period. Present (1987) mature trees are more likely to be late C19th or early C20th, and include ash, lime, oak, plane, poplar, ailanthus. Numerous notable mature chestnut trees, singly or in avenues along paths. Late C19th development included the small zoo (with deer enclosure, and aviary) 50m to the west of Clissold House (i.e. on the west side of the New River). Further to west, bowling green with flanking bedding display, and prominent formal rose garden with central drinking fountain 1890. Formal scheme or rose beds to south of Clissold House.

Numerous sports and recreational facilities – children’s playground, paddling pool, tennis courts, varied pitches for cricket, football.

       

Cecil, E, London Parks & Gardens, 1907, pp141-144.
Pevsner, N, London except…. Westminster, 1952, pp427-428 & 430.
Sexby, J J, The Municipal Parks …. Of London Cemeteries, 1898, pp320-333.

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Page updated: 28 Feb 2007