Isn’t it remarkable how a building can hold so many stories? I want to tell you the story of Clissold House. It stands here as a testament to history, architecture, and community.
Clissold House is located in Clissold Park in Stoke Newington. The park itself is one of Hackney’s most cherished open spaces. The main building within its boundaries is the Grade II listed Clissold House. It is now run as a cafe and events venue.
Clissold House was originally named Paradise House. It dates back to the latter half of the 18th century. Jonathan Hoare, a City of London merchant, commissioned it. He was also a Quaker, philanthropist, and anti-slavery campaigner. Hoare chose this location due to its proximity to the New River. This artificial waterway supplied London with fresh water.
Hoare later faced financial difficulties. He mortgaged the estate and lost it to Robert Pryor. Thomas Gudgeon, a merchant, then owned it around the beginning of the 19th century. In 1811, William Crawshay I purchased Clissold House.
The house eventually passed to Augustus Clissold through a Crawshay family connection. After Clissold died in 1882, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners bought the property. They intended to develop it for profit. However, John Runtz and Joseph Beck intervened. They persuaded the Metropolitan Board of Works to purchase it in 1887. This ensured it would become a public park. The two lakes in the park were later named Beckmere and Runtzmere in their honour.
The story of how Paradise House became Clissold House is quite intriguing. William Crawshay forbade his daughter Eliza to marry her beloved curate from St Mary’s. They waited until William died. Eliza inherited the house and finally married Reverend Augustus Clissold.
Clissold House faced a passionate campaign to preserve it for the public. In 1884, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners intended to develop the site. Joseph Beck chaired the Clissold Park Preservation Committee. They fought for two years to secure its purchase “for the recreation of the public forever”.
There was fierce opposition to the purchase. Some locals felt they shouldn’t contribute to a park outside their parish. They believed the money could be better spent elsewhere. Despite the challenges, the Metropolitan Board of Works purchased the park in the summer of 1888. It officially opened on July 24, 1889.
In 2007, Clissold Park was voted the Heart of Hackney. The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant to restore the park and house. Work commenced in January 2010. Over the next two years, around 8.9 million pounds was spent upgrading the house and parkland.
The restoration included restoring Clissold House. It also included restoring a section of the New River. Extensive maintenance was carried out on the two small lakes. The animal enclosures were renovated. A new play and wheels park area was created. Clissold House was removed from the English Heritage “Heritage at Risk Register” in 2012. This followed the completion of the restoration program.
Today, Clissold House stands proudly. It is a beautiful example of architectural restoration. Its original plans have yet to be discovered. The recent restoration took place along best-guess lines with regards to layout. The building features lovely old oak floorboards. Its highlight is definitely the spiral staircase, which reaches up towards a glass dome.
As you stand here, consider the layers of history. Think of the people who walked these halls before us. Clissold House isn’t just a building. It is a living testament to the power of community. It shows us what we can achieve when we work together to preserve our heritage.