Gillespie Park

Gillespie Park is a 3.4-hectare Local Nature Reserve in Highbury, within the London Borough of Islington. It contains meadow and woodland areas alongside several ponds, including a main pond with a reed bed. The site also hosts the Islington Ecology Centre, which runs environmental education programmes for schools and organises walks and talks for adults. Owned and managed by Islington Council, the park is protected by Fields in Trust under a legal agreement that preserves it as public recreation land. Access points include Drayton Park and Quill Street. The park supports 244 plant species, 94 bird species and 24 butterfly species, including rare plants in Central London such as narrow-leaved bird’s-foot-trefoil, grass vetchling and pyramidal orchid. In 1990, it became the first recorded breeding site in London for the long-tailed blue butterfly. These features make it an important place for wildlife and nature study in an urban setting. Visitors find a quiet green space with paths winding through meadows and woodland, leading to ponds where birds and insects gather. The Islington Ecology Centre provides information and guided activities that help people learn about local wildlife. The reserve offers a chance to see rare plants and butterflies in the heart of the city.