(Photo: Colin Wing)
Open:
Saturday 10:00–17:00
+ Sunday 10:00–17:00
Description:
A Landscape Institute award-winning park with Green Flag status (under one hectare). It is one of only three London parks cited as a well-designed community space by CABE Space in It's our Space (2007).
Edward Square was built in 1853 as a housing development with an enclosed garden, part of which was opened to the public in 1888, one of the first London public gardens.
In 1963 it became a temporary London County Council open space following the clearance of bomb-damaged houses. Plans for a new secondary school were abandoned due to a falling school population in Islington.
During the mid-1980s the open space became overgrown and neglected. Local community action led to Single Regeneration Budget funding from the King’s Cross Partnership, with additional funding from Islington Council.
Landscape architects J & L Gibbons designed the new park. The mural in the orchard area on the wall of the Mitre Pub was painted by Dave Bangs in 1984, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Tolpuddle Martyrs' demonstration on Copenhagen Fields and using local people as models.
Artist Kate Blee created the wall panel in the main park. Children from Copenhagen and Blessed Sacrament schools designed the gate panels.
Activities:
Free pot-a-plant. Story telling for toddlers.
Entrance:
West side of Caledonian Road just north of the canal. Also south side of Copenhagen Street.
Nearest postcode: N1 0SP
Buses:
17, 91, 259, 274
Station:
King's Cross
Access:
Cobbled access from street at both entrances.
Dogs:
Working assistance dogs only
Conditions:
Dogs on leads in one section of site; however the majority of site is no dogs.
Further information:
Nearby Gardens (click on names for details):
Last updated: 03/07/2009