London Metropolitan Archives

Located in Clerkenwell, London Metropolitan Archives holds over 105 km of shelving filled with documents, film, prints and maps on London.

Its film collection reflects over 90 years of London architecture, pageantry and expansion. Visit the LMA YouTube Channel

While we've not yet found anything specifically about Finsbury Park in the miles of film and video footage the LMA holds (much of which is still to be digitised), the films below about London's parks and leisure areas below help can help give a good idea of the recent history of inner-London parks.

London's Green Heritage, 1950

(36:57 mins)

In 1947 the Parks Committee accepted the public spirited offer of Mr A.E. Reneson Coucher, a member of the committee, to take shots of London County Council (LCC) parks with his camera. In 1950 the film was updated and was even sent as far afield as Johannesburg and Durban, to be shown, as well as the USA.

Included are locations such as Brockwell Park, Clapham Common and Hampstead Heath with a look at the flowers, trees, boating lakes, open air theatre, brass bands and range of sports available, such as football, cycling, swimming, athletics and even skiing. The latter, in particular, references a ski slope built for jumping, using snow imported from Norway.

Green Islands, 1954

(11:24 mins)

This film discusses the parks and pleasure gardens of London, showing many of the sports and pastimes carried on in them. Made by the LCC to show all the activities that London Parks have to offer, one inter-title notes:

'There is a green belt around the city and green islands at its heart - all carefully kept to provide places of rest where nature is to be enjoyed'.

The changing seasons in London's parks and open spaces, from summer to winter and through to spring, are also shown in locations such as Hampstead Heath, Battersea Park and Victoria Embankment Gardens.

Keep Off the Grass, c.1960s

(14:30 mins)

This film looks at the importance of play areas for children in Inner City London and what was being done to accommodate their construction in the 1960s.

At 4:10 mins you can hear about London County Council's 'play parks' scheme - enclosing children's play areas within ordinary parks. Some are surprised to learn that this is a relatively recent concept, only implemented in London in 1959.

Click to read People's Stories about the children's play areas in Finsbury Park