Did you know Brownswood Park wasn’t always parkland? It was once a manor dating back to the 13th century. Imagine this area centuries ago a landlord named Brand may have lived here.
Brownswood Park, a name sometimes used for part of Finsbury Park, has a rich history. It sits between Blackstock Road and Green Lanes. This area in Hackney has seen many changes over the years.
Back in 1852, the New River Company built filter beds here. These filter beds sat on the west side of Green Lanes. Soon after, around 150 acres began to be built upon. Within two decades more than a thousand homes stood on the Brownswood Park estate. Blackstock Road transformed becoming part of Finsbury Park shopping district. Later in the 1990s the filter beds were filled and more houses were built.
The manor of Brownswood belonged to the prebend of Brownswood in St. Paul’s. This likely existed before records noted its holders in the early 12th century. The manor possibly came from a property division between the bishop of London and St. Paul’s chapter. In 1577, Brownswood manor covered all of Hornsey south of Topsfield and Farnfields, including parts of Stoke Newington.
Prebendaries of Brownswood held the manor until 1840. Then it went to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. For a time during the Interregnum, Richard Utber a London draper bought it. The land was under grass in 1547.
From about 1550 to 1850 the cultivated area expanded. This expansion took place at the expense of woodland and waste. Brownswood’s largest wood, Hornsey Wood covered 122 acres in 1548 and 1577. But by 1796 only 27 acres remained to make room for pleasure grounds. Botanists were attracted to the flora from the 16th century.
In the 1860s and 1870s Brownswood Park was built up. Attempts were made to create select suburbs. The establishment of Finsbury Park helped Brownswood develop independently. In 1855 the Ecclesiastical Commissioners took possession of 156 acres of Brownswood demesne. Its accessibility from London made it ideal for building. The road system was decided by 1861 and plots were let to individual builders.
The district was considered a good part of a select suburb. By 1894, there were 1077 houses with 7359 inhabitants in Brownswood Park’s 164 acres.
Over time, Brownswood Park saw social changes. Many original families moved out by 1895. By 1954, the area was mainly inhabited by students foreigners and the working class.
Today Brownswood conservation area was designated on February 24 2020. It is a high quality late Victorian suburb. The area has a clear hierarchy of housing types from the 1860s onwards.
The Brownswood conservation area seeks to preserve original features. These include original windows doors brick detailing and distinctive porches. These features give the streets their special character. Brownswood Park continues to evolve balancing its historical roots with modern life.