Finsbury Park

Finsbury Park is a Victorian public park in north London, on the edge of the London Borough of Haringey. It sits where the old Hornsey Wood once stood, a woodland cleared for grazing in the Middle Ages. In the 18th century a tea room became the Hornsey Wood Tavern, with a lake and sports like archery. The park was planned in the 1850s and opened in 1869 after an act of Parliament. A large underground reservoir was built beneath it at the same time. The reservoir held five million gallons of water and was used until the early twenty-first century. The park was created to give Londoners an open space away from dense streets. It has formal gardens, avenues of mature trees and an arboretum. A lake attracts waterfowl and a café serves visitors. Sports facilities include football pitches, a cycling club, a bowling green, a skatepark and courts for tennis and basketball. Unusually, there are diamonds for softball and baseball and an American football field. The Parkland Walk links the park to nearby neighbourhoods and stations. Live music festivals have taken place here, from Irish Fleadh to Wireless Festival. The park has also featured in films and TV programmes. After years of decline, a £5 million grant restored the lake, playgrounds and courts. The Friends of Finsbury Park challenged large events that closed too much of the park. The council now invests more in maintenance and improvements. The park remains a place for leisure, sport and community events.