Remember the name Hornsey Wood House. Before Finsbury Park existed Hornsey Wood was a leisure destination for Londoners. John Hinshelwood gave a talk on Hornsey Wood before Finsbury Park. You can find it on the 2NQ YouTube channel.
Before 1869 the area was fields and woods. Villages surrounded it. These included Stroud Green Crouch End and Newington Green. The north-western part of the park was woodlands. It was called Brown’s and then Hornsey Wood. From the early 1600s there was a manor house. It was next to the woods. It was called Copt Hall.
In 1649 Copt Hall was described after the Act of Parliament. This abolished Cathedrals and Collegiate Churches. It was described as a manor house. It had a hall a parlor a kitchen a cellar and two chambers. There was a hay house a stable and garden with a wood. There was also a little brick house. This had a hall a kitchen a butterir five chambers and a barn.
In 1735 Copt Hall was described again. It was called one messuage or tenement. It had two barns one stable and a small garden. There was another tenement called the Hornes. This had a piece of ground called the Old Orchard. It abutted on Pease field north.
Thomas Allen Esq and John Aldridge held it by lease. They were under the Reverend Thomas Cartwright. Licensing records show that John Dellow kept the ale house. It was called the Horns beside the Copt Hall. The ale house became known later as Hornsey House.
In 1774 it was described as a coppice of trees. This was called Hornsey Wood. At the entrance was a public house. Many people came from London. The house was on top of an eminence. It had a delightful prospect of the country.
The House looked different before it was extended. Some trees were felled. Gardens were enlarged. A lake was formed. William Hone recalled the history of the house. He lived near Bruce Castle.
The old Hornsey-wood house suited its situation. It was embowered and seemed a part of the wood. Two sisters kept the house. They were Mrs Lloyd and Mrs Collier. They were ancient women and large in size. They sat before their door. Their seat was fixed between two venerable oaks. Swarms of bees hived themselves there. The cheerful dames tasted many a refreshing cup. They told tales of bygone days. One passed to her grave in very old age. The other followed in a few months. Each died regretted.
The rural dwelling was soon pulled down. The oak trees were felled. This made room for a more fashionable building. Ten thousand pounds was spent by the proprietor John Berkenhead. Hornsey-wood Tavern was now a well frequented house. Its pleasant situation was a great attraction.
By 1816 the House changed its name. It became Hornsey Wood Tavern. A viewing platform was added to the roof. A sign showed its new name. Thomas Hosmer Shepherd painted the House.
The Rev John Godwin Hale noted how Hornsey Wood had become a major sporting venue. It was also a tavern and tea garden. It attracted families people holding dinner parties anglers and aristocratic pigeon-shooters. Hornsey Wood was renowned for duels.
Thomas Dugdale explained that Copt Hall was at the entrance to Brown’s Wood. It was improperly called Hornsey Wood. It was called Hornsey Wood House. It was long celebrated as a resort. People came for recreation and refreshment. It was on the summit of an eminence. It had a delightful prospect. At present it is nearly pulled down. It is uncertain if it will be rebuilt.
In 1866 the Hornsey Wood Tavern was demolished. The tea gardens lake and recreational facilities were replaced. They were replaced by Finsbury Park. The site of the former Hornsey Wood House has been defined. It is an Area of Archaeological Significance.
Today the area is known as Finsbury Park. Remember its origins as Hornsey Wood House. It was a place of leisure and recreation for Londoners.