The 28th Stoke Newington History Talks took place this week at a packed St Matthias Halls. Thank you to everyone who came along and made it another sold-out event. My talk explored how Clissold Park could have become part of a vast royal park stretching from Highbury to Seven Sisters Road, as part of the long journey that eventually led to the creation of Finsbury Park. Rob Briggs surveyed Stoke Newington’s historic buildings and sites on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and the work being done to protect them. Sue Doe returned with another collection of remarkable women connected to Stoke Newington, from pioneers in fashion and accountancy to footballers, the Kray twins, the ‘Poisonous Sisters’ and Sinéad O’Connor. The event raised £678 for the Claudia Jones Organisation.
The Park That Never Was: The Lost 467-Acre Scheme That Almost Transformed Stoke Newington by Amir Dotan
Recording
Summary
This talk explores the ambitious, century-spanning history behind the creation of Finsbury Park and how it almost completely reshaped the landscape of Stoke Newington through the ‘Albert Park’ scheme.
The Origins of the ‘Albert Park’ Scheme (1841–1850)
- A Lung for the Poor: Following the creation of Victoria Park, campaigners sought a royal park for the overcrowded slum dwellers of the Finsbury constituency (0:26–2:49).
- The Grand Vision: Architect Sir James Pennethorne proposed the ‘Albert Park’ in 1850—a massive 467-acre space (nearly four times the size of today’s Finsbury Park) (8:16–8:45).
- Integration of Clissold Park: Crucially, early proposals for this mega-park would have absorbed the land that later became Clissold Park, creating a vast continuous landscape of meadows and reservoirs (1:34–1:47; 11:16–11:25).
Evolution and Shrinkage (1853–1869)
- Financial Hurdles: The scheme was deemed too expensive and ambitious. Plans were repeatedly revised and reduced in size as the government moved away from a royal-funded model toward a municipal one (13:25–15:34).
- Removing Clissold Park: By 1857, the Metropolitan Board of Works opted to exclude the area east of Green Lanes—effectively cutting Clissold Park out of the final design to reduce costs (17:18–19:22).
- The Final Result: Finsbury Park eventually opened in 1869, 20 years before the separate campaign saved Clissold Park from development in 1889 (19:54–20:55).
Legacy
- Constituency Mismatch: Ironically, after a 28-year struggle, the completed Finsbury Park fell outside the boundaries of the original Finsbury constituency, and later efforts to adjust the borders to include it were unsuccessful (20:26–22:44).
Slides
Heritage at Risk in Stoke Newington by Rob Briggs
Recording
Summary
In this talk, Rob Briggs, chair of the Hackney Society’s Buildings at Risk group, explores the ongoing efforts to protect Stoke Newington’s built heritage. He highlights the borough’s historical reflex to preserve its significant spaces, such as the St Mary’s Old Church (0:22) and Abney Park Cemetery (1:26), while addressing the contemporary challenges of heritage management.
Key takeaways from the discussion:
- The Role of the Hackney Society: Since its formation in 1967, the society has acted as a civic watchdog, advocating against insensitive redevelopment and promoting the preservation of historic sites like Sanford Terrace (6:16).
- Heritage at Risk Register: Briggs explains how the register (9:34) serves as a vital tool for tracking neglected or threatened assets. While the number of entries has fluctuated, the register continues to galvanize owners into action, as seen with successes like the gas house at the East Reservoir (10:55).
- Challenges facing historic sites:
- Ecclesiastical buildings: Many local churches, such as St Matthias (16:03) and the Old Church of St Mary (17:44), face complex repair challenges, often compounded by failing post-war roofs, financial constraints, and multiple stakeholders.
- Private and Public structures: Buildings like 175 and 179 Church Street (19:54) highlight the difficulty of balancing refurbishment costs with conservation area restrictions. Meanwhile, the Stoke Newington Municipal Buildings (21:04) remain a focus for future, albeit incipient, regeneration plans.
- Defining Heritage: Briggs concludes by questioning where we draw the line for preservation. He uses examples like the local Banksy mural (24:34) and the post-industrial factory at 146 Church Walk (25:36) to prompt reflection on whether industrial age functionalism or contemporary architectural awards (26:22) carry more weight in modern planning.
Briggs encourages public engagement through the Buildings at Risk group, which meets monthly to share information and advocate for the borough’s historic built environment (27:35).
Slides
Women from Hackney’s History: Stoke Newington – Part Two by Sue Doe
Recording
Summary
In this talk from the 28th Stoke Newington History Talks (9 July 2026), speaker Sue Doe presents a selection of remarkable women associated with Stoke Newington and Hackney. These profiles are being researched for the upcoming third volume in her Women from Hackney’s History series.
Key Figures Discussed:
- Florence Bley (1877–1962): A wealthy resident of Woodbury Down who established a World War I hospital at her home and was a notable figure in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (3:17).
- Marjorie Kresik Atkinson (1891–1970): Lived at 158 Albion Road; she was instrumental in coordinating welfare and rehousing during World War II and led post-war housing initiatives like Hawksley Court (5:10).
- Susanna Beatty (1850–1889): A Salvation Army convert who was the first woman to die as a direct result of violence from the anti-Salvationist “Skeleton Army” (7:53).
- Millie Miller: A former Stoke Newington councillor and the first female leader of Camden Council, noted for her work in social housing preservation (11:33).
- Mary Harris Smith: One of Britain’s first female accountants, who campaigned for two decades to gain entry into the Institute of Chartered Accountants (12:58).
- Rosemary Crochet: A suffragist and philanthropist who established a prize for women writers and is memorialized at Clissold House (14:30).
- Sarah Sweetapple: A 19th-century headmistress at Sisters Place, a site whose name remains on the building today (16:50).
- Ethel Cox: An influential pioneer in fashion education who shaped the curriculum for the London College of Fashion (19:58).
- Sylvia Young: Founder of the Sylvia Young Theatre School, who previously worked at the Stoke Newington Library (22:28).
- Annabelle Dott: A noted architect who lived in Amherst Road (23:14).
Additional Topics:
- Musical and cultural links: Sue Doe touches on the Stoke Newington connections of Sinéad O’Connor (living in Cazenove Road) and Amy Winehouse (18:42).
- Local History: The talk also explores potential connections to early female footballers like Amelia Annie Baldwin (23:56) and links to the Kray twins’ history in the area (24:32).