Activities in Islington Parks
Find out:
- What Islington parks offer and their health benefits
- Activities in parks, including ones that are approved for referrals by health and care professionals
Parks in Islington shows where Islington parks are and highlights the main parks and their features.
Support for organisations to deliver an activity in a park states the support available for organisations to create or continue an activity in an Islington park.
Parks and open spaces has other information about parks.
What Islington parks offer
- Free and open to all. They offer something to see and do, to be in nature, and to meet other people
- Open long hours. Parks with gates open at 8am, usually close at sunset, and are open all year
- There are over 100 parks in Islington, so there is a park near to everyone
The leaflet to the right, Parks in Islington, has information about parks: their benefits and the Islington offer.
Health benefits
The Government says being in nature, such as a park, improves our mental health and wellbeing and can:
- reduce stress, fatigue, anxiety and depression
- help boost immune systems, encourage physical activity and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as asthma, and can combat loneliness.
Parks are an excellent place to be active, which cuts the risk of dementia & Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, stroke, bowel, breast and womb cancer, type 2 diabetes and other health conditions.
Activities in parks
- Activities are shown for north Islington (Archway, Holloway, Tufnell Park), central Islington (Canonbury, Highbury, Newington Green) and south Islington (Barnsbury, Clerkenwell, Finsbury). Included are activities run by Friends of Park groups, who are residents that volunteer to help maintain a park and may offer gardening and other activities. They are a great way to be involved with a park and meet other people
- Leaflets showing activities in parks for July to September 2023 in north, central and south Islington are to the right
- Activities in parks are free and open to everyone unless stated otherwise
- Booking is required for most activities; these activities are shown by an asterisk. Please check an activity is taking place before attending for the first time
- Gardening is a popular activity. A leaflet showing gardening in Islington parks is to the right
- 18 activities have been approved by Age UK Islington in its role as a social prescribing organisation to accept referrals by health and care professionals. These activities are all free; a donation may be requested for some of them. These activities are marked Approved for referral. An Islington resident can go straight to any of these activities without a referral by a health and care professional
- 39 parks offer opportunities to do sport including football, basketball and netball, outdoor gym, table-tennis, tennis, running and walking routes, cricket, and bowls.
North Islington: Archway, Holloway, Tufnell Park
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Activity |
When |
Organiser * Booking required |
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Caledonian Park, near Caledonian Road tube station, N7 |
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2k run for 4- to 14-year-olds |
Sundays, 9am |
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Cardio and muscles keep fit |
Wednesdays, 10.30-11.45am |
Healthy Generations * |
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Gardening |
Wednesdays & Sundays, 10am-12pm |
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Park Cuppa |
Wednesdays, 11am-12pm |
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Play for under 1s |
Various times |
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Volunteering for adults with a learning disability |
Wednesdays, 11am-1pm |
Mencap. For more information, contact Fatima; johny.brown@mencap.org.uk. Bring pocket money |
|
Volunteering with community rangers |
Various times |
|
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Walk around the park and the surrounding area |
Friday 22 December, 11am |
Islington Guides * |
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Dartmouth Park, Tufnell Park, N19 |
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Qi Gong |
Mondays, 10-11am |
Healthy Generations * |
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Walk around the park and the surrounding area |
Friday 30 June, 11am |
Islington Guides * |
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Elthorne Park, Archway, N19 |
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Play for under 8s |
Various times |
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Sport for young people |
Various times |
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Paradise Park, near Liverpool Road, N7 |
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Gardening |
Various times |
Friends of Paradise Park |
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Play for under 8s |
Various times |
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A walk for intermediate walkers; meet at Station Place, Finsbury Park |
Wednesdays, 2pm |
Contact Susan Aykroyd, Hornsey Lane Estate Community Association walkleader@hlcea.org.uk, 07985 156876 * |
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Volunteering each week at one of Islington’s 3 nature reserves: Barnsbury Wood, Gillespie Park, Parkland Walk |
Thursdays, 10am-3.30pm |
Parkland Walk, Islington Council
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Volunteering maintenance |
Usually 2nd Saturday of the month, 10.30am-1pm |
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Penn Road Gardens, near Holloway Road, N7 |
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Gardening |
Last Sunday of the month, 10am-12pm |
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Sunnyside Community Gardens, Hazellville Road, next to Elthorne Park, N19 |
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Gardening |
Various times during the week |
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Whittington Park, Holloway Road, N19 |
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Football for ages 2-12 |
Various times |
Islington Football Development Partnership * Fee applies |
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Football for girls and women |
Various times |
Islington Borough Ladies Football Club * Fee applies |
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Play for under 5s |
Various times |
|
|
Qi Gong |
Wednesdays, 8.30-9.45am |
Healthy Generations * |
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Volunteering with community rangers |
Various times |
|
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Walk around the park, Foxham Gardens, and the surrounding area |
Friday 27 October 2023, 11am |
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Wray Crescent, near Hornsey Road, N4 |
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Cricket |
Various times |
Pacific Cricket Club * Fee applies |
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Football for women |
Sundays, 9.30am |
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Gardening and other activities |
Check website |
|
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Walk around the park and the surrounding area |
Friday 29 September, 11am |
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Walking football |
Sundays 11am-12pm |
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Central Islington: Canonbury, Highbury, Newington Green
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Activity |
When |
Organiser * Booking required |
|
Arvon Road Community Garden, near Holloway Road, N5 |
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Gardening |
Check website |
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Canonbury Square, Highbury, N1 |
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Gardening |
Third Saturday of the month from 10am |
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Compton Terrace Gardens, Highbury, N1 |
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Gardening |
Check website |
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Gardening |
Check website |
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Gillespie Park and Ecology Centre, Highbury, N5 |
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Dementia- and family-friendly walk |
First Friday of the month, 10am |
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Park Cuppa |
Second Tuesday of the month, 10.30am-12pm |
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Qi Gong |
Thursdays 10.30 to 12 on October 19th, 26th, 2nd Nov, 9th Nov, 16th Nov 2023. |
Ariyananda Luo * |
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Volunteering each week at one of Islington’s 3 nature reserves: Barnsbury Wood, Gillespie Park, Parkland Walk |
Thursdays, 10am-3.30pm |
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Graham Street Park, near City Road and next to Regent's Canal, N1 |
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Gardening |
Check website |
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Highbury Fields, near to Highbury & Islington station, N5 |
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5k run |
Saturdays, 9am |
parkrun * |
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2k run for 4- to 14-year-olds |
Sundays, 9am |
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Activities for residents with a child under 8 |
Various times |
|
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Fitness session |
Saturdays, 9.45am |
Healthy Minds Healthy Bods. For more information, contact Lawrence Curtis: hmhb2016@outlook.com |
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Gardening |
Wednesdays and Sundays, 10am-4pm |
Highbury Fields Garden Volunteers. Contact Flora Goldhill: flora@highburyplace.co.uk; 07487 880778 * |
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Netball |
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings |
Islington Netball * Fee applies |
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Tennis |
Check website |
Highbury Fields Tennis League; membership fee applies |
|
Tennis |
Check website |
Highbury Tennis Club; membership fee applies |
|
Total Body Workout |
Fridays, 9.45-10.45am |
Healthy Generations * £3 optional fee |
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Tag rugby |
Various times |
Try Tag Rugby * Fee applies |
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Walks for adults with a learning disability. The group meets at Highbury Corner and takes in local parks |
Wednesdays, 11am-12.30pm |
Mencap. For more information, contact Johny (07506 844 649, johny.brown@mencap.org.uk) Bring pocket money |
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Highbury Fields Association is a Friends group for the park |
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Mitchison Baxter, near Balls Pond Road and Essex Road, N1 |
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Bike polo |
Wednesdays, 7-9pm |
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New River Walk, Canonbury, N1 |
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Maintenance |
Check website |
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Volunteering with community rangers |
Various times |
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Walk around the park and the surrounding area |
Friday 25 August, 11am |
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Olden Road Community Garden, near Holloway Road, N5 |
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Gardening |
Check website |
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Packington Square, Canalside Square, Rheidol Gardens, Towpath Orchard, near Regent’s Canal, N1 |
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Gardening |
Various times |
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Rosemary Gardens, Southgate Road, N1 |
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Volunteering with community rangers |
Various times |
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Friends of Rosemary Gardens is a Friends group for the park |
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South Islington: Barnsbury, Clerkenwell, Finsbury
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Activity |
When |
Organiser * Booking required |
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Barnard Park, near Caledonian Road, N1 |
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Activities for residents with a child under 8 |
Various times |
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Gardening |
Check website |
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Barnsbury Square Gardens, between Caledonian Rd and Upper St, N1 |
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Gardening |
Saturdays from 10am |
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Barnsbury Wood nature reserve, near Caledonian Rd and Barnsbury station, N1 |
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Volunteering each week at one of Islington’s 3 nature reserves: Barnsbury Wood, Gillespie Park, Parkland Walk Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, south of Old Street, EC1 |
Thursdays, 10am-3.30pm |
|
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Culpeper Community Garden, near Upper St, N1 |
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Gardening |
Check website |
|
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Fortune Street, Golden Lane, EC2 |
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The park has a Friends Group |
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King Square Gardens, near Goswell Road, EC1 |
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Activities for residents with a child under 8 |
Various times |
|
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Men's shed for local men aged 55+ to socialise while gardening |
Tuesdays, 2-3.30pm |
|
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Qi Gong |
Tuesdays, 10-11.15am |
Healthy Generations * |
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Spa Fields, near Rosebery Avenue, EC1 |
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Fitness session |
Wednesdays, 5pm |
|
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Football for adults with a learning disability |
Mondays, 11.30am-1pm |
Mencap. For more information, contact Johny (07506 844 649, johny.brown@mencap.org.uk) Bring pocket money |
|
Walk around the park and the surrounding area |
Friday 24 November, 11am |
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Thornhill Square Garden, near Caledonian Road, N1 |
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Gardening |
First Saturday of the month, 10am-12pm |
|
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Play for under 8s |
Various times |
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If you have a question about the content on this page, contact John Thorne; john.thorne@islington.gov.uk; 020 7527 7096.
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