Clissold Park

Clissold Park lies in Stoke Newington, a quiet corner of Hackney, London. The 22.57-hectare green space is bordered by Green Lanes and Church Street, with St Mary’s Old Church at its south-east edge. A Grade II listed house, Clissold House, sits at the centre, now run as a café and events venue. The park contains two small lakes, a paddling pool, tennis courts and a skatepark bowl. A stretch of the New River, an 18th-century water channel, winds through the grounds. The park’s history begins with Jonathan Hoare, a Quaker merchant who built Clissold House in the late 1700s. He used part of the New River to create an ornamental lake in his private garden. After changing hands several times, the estate was bought in 1887 by the Metropolitan Board of Works to open as a public park. The lakes were later named Beckmere and Runtzmere after two local campaigners who helped secure the purchase. Today visitors find restored animal enclosures, an aviary and open meadows for sport. A butterfly dome and deer paddock add variety, while the lakes hold wild ducks and swans. The park’s paths include sections of the Capital Ring walking route. Clissold House still serves coffee, and its grounds remain a busy community space.