In the 1880s the grounds of Clissold House and the adjacent Newington Common were threatened with development, and two prominent campaigners, Joseph Beck of The City of London and John Runtz of The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) persuaded the Board of MBW to buy the land and create a public park. On 24 July 1889, Clissold Park was opened by the newly formed London County
Council (LCC). The two ponds in the park are named the Beckmere and the Runtzmere in honour of the two principal founders.

Clissold Mansion, a Grade II listed building, dates back to the 1790¹s when it was built for Jonathan Hoare, a local Quaker. In 1811 the house passed into the ownership of the Crawshay family, one of whose daughters was courted by the Reverend Augustus Clissold, who on acquiring ownership of the estate after marriage, changed the name of the estate to Clissold Place.

The short stretch of water in front of Clissold House was once part of the New River, which ran from twenty miles outside of London to Roseberry Avenue, supplying drinking water to the capital. Other remnants of the New River can be seen in Canonbury.

Like many other great London parks it was managed and maintained by the LCC until the abolition of the GLC in 1986, when it passed into the hands of Hackney Council. The 54 acre park has a very wide range of tree species, and for many years the larger pond was used as a boating lake. The CPUG has been working for some years with officers at Hackney Council to submit a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore Clissold Mansion and upgrade the quality of the landscape, along with the paths, gates, railings and other ornamental features.

For more information on the local history of Stoke Newington visit: www.hackney.gov.uk/archives.htm