Clissold Park, Stoke Newington, London

Praise be to Clissold Park and the magical powers it exudes to dissipate the most vile mood I can manage to work myself into.

Angry? Run through the woods at the top along the uneven trail as fast as you can, snapping twigs and jumping gaps.

Morose? Watch the goats jumping about then go and look at the roses.

Hot? Pretend to be a parent, roll up your jeans and sneak into the paddling pool.

Stressed? Join in with the woman that does the yoga and stretching at 10am on the grass beside the cafe.

Tired? Sit on the fallen tree and watch the dogs play then wander aimlessly about til you get home.

Bored? Try to see whether you can get yourself and a larger than fair sized dog into one of the toilet cubicles.

If you can avoid the Yummy Mummies and the prams - a fantastic place to go for an afternoon jog!

Clissold Park is a much-loved local space in Stoke Newington and is well used by the local community.

It’s relatively small compared to some of the other London Parks but packs a fair amount in to the area – a big house with a cafe, a couple of lakes with wildfowl, a play area for children, tennis courts, football pitches, a wildlife enclosure with deer, goats and rabbits, and even an aviary!

If you fancy a long walk though, you’ll end up going in circles, so better head to Hampstead Heath if you really want to stretch your legs for over an hour.

Best park in the east! Clissold is such a lovely relief to the dingy dirty pitbull filled parks that seem to populate this area of east london.

It’s huge for a start, and has a plethora of things to do if you come bearing children. There’s a big adventure play area, lido, lake with ducks you can feed..all things kids (and most adults) love! I also love the no dogs area, the kid equivalent of a dogs only enclosure..great idea as this park is heaven for pups and dogs, of which there are plenty.

Our pup loves Clissold and so far, every dog/dog owner we’ve met has been lovely. There’s plenty of room for dogs to roam about, and it’s clean! Take it for granted at your peril, a lot of the other parks round here are not. So thanks to those who keep it one of the nicest parks to come to.

Clissold Park is a local park serving the area of Stoke Newington in North London. Despite being a medium sized park, it offers a lot to its visitors. The grounds are well laid-out and lanscaped. At one end of the park there are two small ponds and the surrounding benches always seemed to be occupied by people enjoying their book or newspaper. There are tennis courts for those looking for sporting activities. The childrens playground is larg-ish and well equipped. Strolling through the park you’ll discover a fenced area where animals such as deer, rabbits, goats and birds are kept. An old mansion in the park offers various toddler and baby playgroups during the week, as well as the caffe at the ground floor. The seating outside is always full at the weekend, with people enjoying their coffee and croissant in the fresh air.
This is very much a family park, with parents strolling around with their children at any time of the day.
The edge of the park is marked with a tiny old church whose grounds are dotted with old washed-out gravestones, giving it a very 'villagey’ feel.

this park is great and the kids always have a blast,it has a lido and small lake and play area. U can sit abd relax on the grass or have a walk round with the dog which i do. It has a friendly atmosphere and is a good day out and fun for all ages.

Clissold Park Is One Of The Relaxing Place’s To Go, It Has A Large Football Pitch And Tennis Court’s, Also Has A Playground And A Fashionable Cafe And Large Grass Areas…..I Go There Alot And Is One Of My Favourite Parks. It Also Has Animals You Can Feed. Also Has A Special Path For Running And Cycling.

i feel that is the place to relax and get a sun tan. so many bad things have been said about this park but there are more good things then bad things.

Where is a bad park? I mean sure, some parks ARE better than others on many measurable scales. They can be bigger - have more trees - a nice cafe - great facilities. But if you live in a big city instead of somewhere out in the bush, anywhere set aside for green land has got to get five stars, I reckon.
Clissold park though is not just any old park.
This really is a park amongst parks. An example of how a green space can be very well developed for the whole community.
Ravers, dope heads, Carribean food connoisseurs and half naked tatooed people had a great time at the recent Stoke Fest.
Fitness freaks have the running track, the football pitch and the tennis courts. People scared of dogs and their excrement have their own area. There is a cafe, a little zoo, a wading pool and a little water way. There is boundless space with grass, lakes and chairs. There are ducks and other animals.
It’s truely a top spot.
My favourite part of it is that if you are walking towards Manor House tube from church st - then the shortest way is through the park. On top everything else, it gives us a short cut as well.

Loads of different play areas for the kids, paddling pool, some parks and also the wildlife bit, with many different animals, a lovley outdoor space, perfect for any family day out.
I regualarly visit there

This park is great in may, when the chestnuts are blossoming. The whole place turns pink and white and it’s nice. And the rest of the summer, when the sun’s out, it’s just nice to walk around the ponds and look for ducks and turtles. Yes, the poor turtles people throw away sun themselves on logs. And then there are the deer and the goats, but sadly a lack of rabbits since the foxes have been busy, warranting a new, stronger rabbit enclosure. Hackney council are about to start work to revamp the main building (plans in your local library) and apparently there was a flat built on the top floor in the 60s. I can’t imagine anything better. I don’t think the building’s being turned into anything as useful as housing though, just some kind of meeting space.