London Fields
Directions
The path bends to the left along the side of Goldsmith's Row, with Haggerston Park on the left. At the end of Goldsmith's Row, cross the canal into Broadway Market. Those who took the short cut along the canal rejoin the route at this point. At the end of Broadway Market, use the cycle crossing of to enter London Fields. Continue along the cycle path to a point where two cycle paths cross. This is just after a children's playground and before a stone-built house both on the right.
From here you have a choice of routes:
- Section 5 to visit Fassett Square (left)
- Section 2 for the Cassland Gardens / Victoria Park loop (right)
- Return directly to Hackney Central (straight ahead).
Description
London Fields are on former Lammas land once owned by Hackney Manor, which was still in strip divisions at the end of the 18th century. It was reputedly a burial place of plague victims in 1665. Cricket was played here as early as c.1820. The park retains its regular 19th century system of paths, numerous notable 18th and 19th century planes, and is bounded on several sides by fragmentary ranges of 18th and 19th century dwellings. The play area in the south-east corner has a sculptural seating area, described by Pevsner as ‘an endearing pebbly sculpture of flower sellers and sheep’.
