Parks and open spaces in Hackney

Abney Park Cemetery is now a nature reserve

The London Borough of Hackney, one of the inner London boroughs, has 62 parks, gardens and open spaces within its boundaries, totalling 330 ha. These provide the "green lungs" for leisure activities. Hackney Marshes contain the largest concentration of football pitches in Europe.

In July 2008, seven Hackney parks won Green Flag awards for Clissold, Springfield, Haggerston and Shoreditch parks, together with London Fields, St John's churchyard and Hackney Downs. St John's was also awarded 'Heritage Green Status'.^[1] However, by contrast, Abney Park in Hackney was included in the Heritage at Risk Register in 2009 as one of Britain's historic parks and gardens at risk from neglect and decay.^[2]

Principal open spaces

Apart from smaller green areas such as sports grounds and smaller gardens, the following are the major open spaces in the Borough:

• Abney Park Cemetery (Local Nature Reserve) – 12.53 hectares (31 acres)^[3]
• Clapton Common – 2.58 hectares (6.4 acres)^[4]
• Clissold Park – (22.57 hectares (55.8 acres))^[5]
• Hackney Downs – 16 hectares (40 acres)^[6]
• Hackney Marshes – 138 hectares (340 acres)^[7]
• Haggerston Park – 6 hectares (15 acres)^[8]
• London Fields - 12.65 hectares (31.3 acres) ^[9]
• Millfields (North and South)
• Shoreditch Park – 7.7 hectares (19 acres)^[10]
• Springfield Park (Local Nature Reserve) – 16 hectares (40 acres) ^[11]
• Stoke Newington Common – 2.15 hectares (5.3 acres).^[12]
• Victoria Park is an 88-hectare (220-acre) park, bordering on South Hackney, in the adjacent London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
• Well Street Common – 8.66 hectares (21.4 acres).^[13]

Water

Stoke Newington West reservoir, looking north.

In the north of the Borough there are the two reservoirs (West and East) at Stoke Newington.

The River Lee forms the eastern boundary of the borough. The towpath is suitable for walking and cyclists. It can be readily accessed from many places, and provides access to Hackney Marshes and the Lee Valley Park.

The Regent's Canal and the man-made New River also pass through the borough. Towards the east, the Regent's Canal exits the borough into the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, it then meets the Hertford Union Canal, which forms the southern boundary of Victoria Park, running to join the River Lee Navigation at Old Ford lock. The Regent canal turns south, and meets the River Thames at Limehouse Basin. On the west, the Regents canal passes near Broadway Market, then into the London Borough of Islington eventually entering the Islington Tunnel, which is not accessible to pedestrians, or cyclists.

City farms

• Hackney City Farm

References

External links

• LBH Parks dept.
• Abney Park Trust

London Borough of Hackney Districts Dalston De Beauvoir Town Finsbury Park Hackney Central Hackney Downs Hackney Marshes Hackney Wick Haggerston Homerton Hoxton Kingsland Lea Bridge London Fields Lower Clapton Manor House Newington Green Shacklewell Shoreditch South Hackney Stamford Hill Stoke Newington Upper Clapton Attractions Arcola Theatre Geffrye Museum Hackney Empire Hackney Museum Hoxton Hall Sutton House (NT) Transition Gallery Victoria Miro Gallery White Cube Parks and open spaces Clapton Common Clissold Park Hackney Downs Hackney Marsh Haggerston Park London Fields Shoreditch Park Springfield Park West Street Common Street markets Broadway Market Kingsland Waste Ridley Road Market Constituencies Hackney South and Shoreditch Hackney North and Stoke Newington Tube and rail stations Clapton Dalston Junction Dalston Kingsland Hackney Central Hackney Downs Hackney Wick Haggerston Homerton Hoxton London Fields Old Street Rectory Road Shoreditch High Street Stamford Hill Stoke Newington Other topics Coat of arms Council Grade I and II* listed buildings People Public art Schools

Parks and open spaces in London Royal parks Bushy Green Greenwich Hyde Kensington Regent's Richmond St James's Large urban parks Alexandra Arnos Barking Barra Hall Battersea Blackheath Brockwell Burgess Clissold Crystal Palace Dulwich Enfield Town Finsbury Forster Memorial Hampstead Heath Hanworth Holland Mayesbrook Mountsfield Old Deer Parsloes Primrose Hill Pymmes Queen's Park Ravenscourt Ruskin Southwark Valentines Victoria Wandsworth Wanstead West Ham Wimbledon Country parks Bayhurst Wood Bedfont Lakes Belhus Woods Eastbrookend Fairlop Waters Fryent Hainault Forest Havering High Elms Hornchurch Lee Valley South Norwood Stanmore Stockley Trent Commons Barnes Blackheath Bostall Heath Clapham Ealing East Sheen Hackney Marsh Hainault Forest Ham Hampstead Heath Hayes Keston Mitcham Monken Hadley Peckham Rye Plumstead Stanmore Streatham Tooting Tylers Wandsworth Wimbledon and Putney Wormwood Scrubs Marshes Aveley Crayford Erith Hackney Hornchurch Ickenham Ingrebourne Leyton Rainham Tottenham Walthamstow Wennington Woodland Bostall Coldfall Copse Dulwich Epping Forest Grangewood Park Highgate Lesnes Abbey Mad Bess Old Park Oxleas Park Petts Queen's Russia Dock Sydenham Hill House gardens Belair Park Boston Manor Park Broomfield House Cannizaro Park Chiswick House Danson Park Grovelands Park Grove Park Gunnersbury Park Hampton Court Park Hillingdon Court Kenwood House Langtons Manor House Gardens Marble Hill Park Morden Hall Park Morden Park Osterley Park Syon House Valence House Museum Walpole Park Entry-fee charging Kew Gardens London Wetland Centre Community gardens Phoenix Garden Calthorpe Project