London Fields
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London Fields is a park the east of Middlesex, by Hackney. It gives its name to London Fields station nearby. The park is common land, covering an area of 31¼ acres, and includes sporting and recreation facilities.
The park's history is recorded as early as the 13th century, and it has been known as London Fields since the mid-16th century.
Location
- Location map: 51°32’28"N, 0°3’34"W
History
In 1275, the area now known as London Fields was recorded as common pasture land adjoining Cambridge Heath.[1]
The park was first recorded by name in 1540; in the singular as 'London Field'. Still common ground, it was used by drovers to pasture their livestock before taking them to market in London. By the late 19th century the name had become pluralised to 'London Fields' and parts of the Fields were being lost to piecemeal development. There was a threat of comprehensive development of the park in 1860 but this threat was averted.
During the Second World War, an anti-aircraft battery was placed in the south-west corner the park hosted (the tarmac is still visible under the grass) and a bomb shelter in the vicinity of the tennis courts.[1]
The area was heavily bombed during the Blitz and houses along the northern and eastern edges of the park were among those destroyed. These houses had been built on land that was originally part of London Fields and the land was subsequently restored to the park. The previous boundary is marked by a wide arc of Plane trees.[1]
Sport and facilities
London Fields features a cricket pitch, a heated 164-foot lido and lido café, grass areas, a small BMX track, tennis courts, a table tennis table, toilet blocks and two children's play areas. In 2013 the Council turned a sandy, gritty area of London Fields into a pictorial meadow the size of a football pitch.[2]
There is a public house called the Pub on the Park on the east side of the park; this was opened in 1855 and known as the Queen Eleanor until 1992
A much-used cycle path runs from the Pub on the Park to Broadway Market.
A document in Hackney library records a game of cricket to have been played on the park[3] as early as 1802, and the cricket square on London Fields continues to host competitive games throughout the summer (late April – mid September). Several teams use the park as their home pitch, most notably London Fields CC, based at the Pub on the Park. During the summer the park can be extremely busy with many people combining an afternoon's picnic with watching the cricket. The Turley End of the ground is a popular vantage point for those watching the cricket.
The park is used as the starting point for an annual night-time cycle ride called the Dunwich Dynamo.[3]
The park is a training and competition base for Hackney Aquatics Club, the London Fields Triathlon Club and Team London Fields Running Club.
Outside links
- North East London Cricket League
- London Fields Cricket Club
- GLL's London Fields Lido information
- A History of the County of Middlesex - Volume 10 pp 18-22: Hackney: Mare Street and London Fields (Victoria County History)
- A History of the County of Middlesex - Volume 10 pp 18-22: Hackney: Hackney Village (Victoria County History)
- The London Fields Lido History
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 {{cite web |url=http://www.hackney.gov.uk/Assets/Documents/London_Fields_Managment_Plan.pdf London Fields Management Plan 2010–2015, updated January 2013]: Hackney Council
- ↑ "Hackney Council - London Fields". http://www.hackney.gov.uk/cp-londonfields.htm#.VTDk3yFViko.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Copy of 1802 scorecard (London Fields Cricket Club) accessed 19 September 2009