TreetreeTREE

An Act of Parliament in December 1885 resulted in Highbury Fields being purchased for “perpetual use by the public for exercise and recreation”. Although of modest size, it is the largest park in Islington, north London. We can still see the original interplay between open grassland and the formal design of interlocking avenues of London plane trees laid out in the first years of the park.

The chief concern is conservation: conservation of the individual trees and, above all, of the nineteenth and early twentieth century landscape design – vistas of open fields united by interlocking avenues of plane trees are the main feature of this park. While both the landscaping and the complement of London plane trees have suffered some degradation over the years, the most important features remain sound; parts in poor condition can be rescued and restored.