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Moorfields

Moorfields is a historic open space in the City of London, originally comprising marshy fenland adjacent to and north of the city's ancient Roman and medieval walls, near the site of Moorgate.^[1] This low-lying area, prone to flooding from the River Walbrook, remained largely undeveloped through the medieval period due to its boggy terrain, serving as common ground for activities such as ice skating, football, archery, and livestock grazing.^[1]^[2] Drainage efforts began in earnest in the early 16th century, with significant progress by 1527 through the dumping of rubbish and other waste materials, transforming the once waterlogged moor into usable land.^[1]^[2] Following drainage in 1527, Moorfields was leveled in the mid-16th century. It was planted with trees and laid out with formal walks in 1606–1607, establishing it as London's first public park and a popular recreational venue for Londoners.^[2]^[3] The area quickly became a hub for leisure and social activities, hosting markets, fairs, public shows, alehouses, and even early forms of public preaching and gatherings, while also attracting cloth dyers who used the open space for drying fabrics.^[1] Over the following centuries, urbanization encroached upon Moorfields; the eastern portion, known as Upper Moorfields, was built over in the 1770s to form part of the street layout around City Road, while the western part, Lower Moorfields, retained some open character longer.^[1]^[2] Notable institutions emerged on the site, including Bethlehem Hospital (Bedlam), which occupied a site in Moorfields from 1676, and, later, Moorfields Eye Hospital, which relocated to Lower Moorfields in 1822 and took its name from the surrounding area, becoming the world's first dedicated eye hospital in 1804.^[4]^[1] Today, Moorfields primarily endures as a historical reference, with remnants of its legacy preserved in the naming of streets, institutions, and the urban fabric of the London Borough of Islington.^[4]^[1]

Geographical Setting

Location and Extent

Moorfields was situated immediately north of the London Wall in the City of London, adjacent to Moorgate at coordinates 51°31′05″N 0°05′19″W.^[5] This positioning placed it as a key extramural area, easily accessible from the city while lying beyond its fortified boundaries.^[5] The area formed part of the larger medieval Manor of Finsbury, which extended outside the northern city wall and encompassed marshy lands to the north of the urban core.^[6] Historical records indicate that Moorfields represented a significant portion of this manor, contributing to its role in early suburban expansion.^[5] The exact boundaries of Moorfields have been subject to ambiguities in historical accounts, with some descriptions extending its limits northward to include areas now part of modern Finsbury, while others confine it more narrowly to the immediate vicinity of the wall.^[5] The 1676 map by John Ogilby and William Morgan offers a detailed visualization of its contours at the time, depicting it as an open expanse bounded by the wall to the south and emerging developments to the north and east.^[7] In the 16th century, Moorfields covered approximately 220 acres, acting as a natural barrier that separated the westward and eastward patterns of London's urban growth.^[8]^[5] Its marshy conditions, influenced by the nearby River Walbrook, further defined its spatial character during this period.^[5]

Topography and Hydrology

Moorfields originated as a marshy fen north of the Roman London Wall, constructed around 190–220 CE, which acted as a dam impeding the flow of the River Walbrook and its tributaries. This obstruction caused water to back up, transforming a pre-Roman seasonal wetland into a perennial boggy area characterized by standing water and poor drainage. The marsh extended across a low-lying depression, with the western branch of the Walbrook—spanning approximately 3,260 meters from Barnsbury to Blomfield Street—contributing significantly to the waterlogged conditions until later interventions.^[9] The terrain of Moorfields consisted of low-lying, uneven ground with waterlogged peat soils, prone to frequent flooding, particularly during heavy rains that could create temporary lakes. Archaeological evidence reveals peat-like organic silty clay deposits accumulating to depths of 2.0–2.5 meters over roughly 1,250 years, from the 3rd century to the mid-15th century, indicative of prolonged wetland conditions with wetland plants and molluscs suggesting seasonal or permanent waterlogging. Early records refer to the area as "Moor Mead," reflecting its meadow-like yet boggy quality, as an incultivated suburb outside the London Wall.^[10]^[9]^[5] Hydrological changes began in the medieval period with the diversion of the Walbrook's headwaters by the Charterhouse monastery in 1431 and 1456, redirecting flows to the River Fleet catchment and initiating partial drying of the marsh. This reduced the base flow through Moorfields, allowing peat accumulation to cease by the mid-15th century, though pre-drainage flooding remained common, exacerbated by blocked or inadequately maintained culverts under the wall.^[9]^[5] The marsh's environmental features supported unique seasonal activities, such as ice skating on its frozen surfaces during harsh winters, as the expansive, flat fen provided ideal conditions for the sport among Londoners. Contemporary accounts describe youths sliding or skating across the ice using primitive aids like bone runners and poles, highlighting the area's role as a natural recreational ground before systematic drainage.^[5]

Subdivisions

Moorfields encompassed a distorted rectangular expanse north of London's City wall, internally partitioned into distinct subdivisions that reflected variations in topography and accessibility, with paths such as the gravel walks established after 1606 facilitating connections between them.^[5] These divisions arose from the area's marshy character, where southern sections were more prone to flooding due to proximity to the Walbrook's tributaries.^[11] The Great Fen formed the largest southern portion, immediately adjacent to the northern City wall and characterized by extensive waterlogging and stagnant pools that made it the most marshy area, central to early medieval records of the site's fen-like conditions.^[12] This subdivision, often described as washing against the wall, extended eastward from near Cripplegate toward Moorgate, serving as a primary low-lying zone within the overall layout.^[5] Little Moorfields and Moorfields Proper occupied smaller western and core areas, respectively, which were somewhat less flooded and provided key access points from the City gates. Little Moorfields lay west of Moorgate, encompassing a compact, open strip that bordered the wall and early suburban paths, while Moorfields Proper represented the central expanse, linking the western access to the broader fields and exhibiting moderate drainage compared to the Great Fen.^[11] Together, these core subdivisions formed the heart of the site's usable ground, with Little Moorfields often noted for its proximity to emerging urban edges.^[5] Middle and Upper Moorfields extended as northern subdivisions, slightly elevated and drier relative to the southern fen, bordering the expanding suburbs toward Finsbury and Hoxton. The Middle section occupied a transitional zone northward from the core, while Upper Moorfields marked the northernmost reach, with gentler slopes allowing for earlier pedestrian routes and less inundation.^[12] These northern areas connected via north-south alignments to the southern divisions, creating a cohesive spatial framework across the roughly 220-acre site.^[11]

Surrounding Neighborhoods

Moorfields' eastern border adjoined the emerging East End, particularly Shoreditch, where early suburban development in the late 16th century marked a separation between the concentrated western growth within and around the City of London and the more dispersed eastern expansion beyond the walls.^[13] This boundary contributed to Moorfields serving as a transitional zone, with Shoreditch experiencing rapid population growth driven by tenements and entertainment venues like the Theatre (1576) and Curtain (1577).^[13] To the west and south, Moorfields lay proximate to the City wall gates, including Moorgate—constructed in 1415 under Mayor Thomas Fauconer, reedified in 1472 by Mayor William Hampton, and further enlarged in 1511—linking it to the adjacent Cripplegate and Bishopsgate wards.^[14] These edges bordered Coleman Street Ward and Broad Street Ward internally, with the wall itself forming a southern barrier that reinforced Moorfields' position as an external outlier to the urban core.^[5] The northern limits of Moorfields transitioned into Finsbury Fields and extended toward Islington, which in medieval times comprised semi-rural suburbs characterized by pasture and meadows with a longstanding dairy economy that by the late 18th century supported around 1,200 to 1,500 cows, distinct from London's denser settlements.^[15] This area, recorded as "Isendone" in the Domesday Book, featured gravelly loam soils suited to limited arable use and open lands held by institutions like St. Paul's Cathedral.^[15] These surrounding neighborhoods positioned Moorfields as a buffer zone outside the City walls, its marshy terrain limiting urban encroachment until drainage works in 1605–1607 facilitated greater integration with London in the 17th century.^[5] In modern terms, the western and eastern equivalents include Clerkenwell and Shoreditch, respectively, reflecting the area's evolution into built-up districts.^[5]

Historical Evolution

Origins and Medieval Period

Moorfields originated as a marshy expanse outside London's northern city walls, first recorded in the late 12th century by William FitzStephen, who described it as a "great fen" utilized for winter skating during Henry II's reign.^[11] This area, larger than the later defined Moorfields, was alternatively known as "Moor Mead," reflecting its fenland character derived from Old English terms for marsh or moor.^[11] In the Roman period (1st–4th centuries AD), the site featured stream channels and quarrying activities, but the construction of the city wall around AD 200–220 impeded natural drainage from Walbrook tributaries, leading to post-Roman stagnation and persistent waterlogging that defined its early medieval landscape.^[11] During the early medieval era, Moorfields formed part of Finsbury Manor, a prebendal estate owned by St. Paul's Cathedral and occasionally claimed by the City of London, which leased parcels for limited use within the extra-mural parish of St. Giles-without-Cripplegate.^[11] Anglo-Saxon reoccupation after the 5th century was minimal, with evidence limited to occasional pottery and a single sherd of early medieval sandy ware (c. 970–1100), indicating sparse activity amid the dominant marsh.^[11] By the 12th–13th centuries, usage remained restricted due to inaccessibility, primarily involving occasional grazing on water meadows, foraging, and small-scale tanning operations (e.g., at "le Taninghus"), supported by drainage ditches and waste disposal rather than significant urban integration.^[11] High-status buildings with distinctive roof tiles appeared sporadically in the mid-12th to 13th centuries, but the terrain's boggy conditions precluded broader settlement or agriculture.^[11] In the 15th century, gradual environmental shifts began as monastic institutions, including Holy Trinity Priory and the canons of St. Martin-le-Grand, exerted influence over adjacent lands, contributing to early efforts at stream management in the Walbrook valley.^[11] In 1412, ditches were dug and rubbish cleared in the area to initiate flood mitigation efforts in the Walbrook valley, while the City divided the manor into allotments by 1415 for rented plots.^[11] These changes, alongside the establishment of Moorgate in 1415 for improved access, marked the onset of increased oversight, though the area retained its marshy inaccessibility through the medieval close.^[5]

Drainage and Early Modern Use

In the sixteenth century, city authorities undertook significant efforts to drain the marshy expanse of Moorfields, transforming it from a stagnant fen into more usable land. As early as 1512, Mayor Roger Acheley commissioned the construction of dikes, bridges, and initial drainage works to mitigate the persistent flooding caused by impeded flows from the River Walbrook and its tributaries, though the area remained notoriously wet. By 1527, Mayor Thomas Seymour advanced these initiatives by installing sluice gates in the city wall, channeling excess water through the town ditch into the Walbrook and hardening the ground sufficiently for basic access, with further sewer-like channels built to redirect runoff. These projects, overseen by successive mayors and aldermen, marked the primary infrastructural push to reclaim the low-lying fields north of the city wall, addressing both hydrological stagnation and public health concerns from standing waters.^[5] Enhancements to Moorgate, the principal entry point to Moorfields, complemented these drainage works and improved pedestrian access during the early modern period. Originally constructed in 1415 as a postern for citizens to reach the fields, the gate was refurbished in 1472 by Mayor William Hampton to widen passages and facilitate easier movement. By the early seventeenth century, around 1605, further leveling and paving near the gate supported the area's emerging recreational role, allowing greater influx of Londoners without the prior encumbrance of mud and flooding. These modifications underscored the city's intent to integrate Moorfields into urban life beyond mere drainage.^[14] By 1606, Moorfields had evolved into London's inaugural public park through targeted landscaping under the direction of the Court of Aldermen. Contractors John Perceval and Michael Wilson were engaged to level the terrain, plant rows of trees—including 107 elms arranged in a St. George's Cross pattern in Lower Moorfields in 1607—and lay out gravel walks encircled by brick walls for ornamental and promenading purposes. Additional plantings, such as a St. Andrew's Cross of trees in Middle Moorfields by 1612, emphasized civic pride and provided structured paths for public leisure, distinguishing the space from its prior utilitarian or hazardous state. This formalization positioned Moorfields as a pioneering urban green space, accessible to all citizens.^[3]^[5] During the seventeenth century, Moorfields served diverse practical functions, including military training and emergency shelter. The Honourable Artillery Company, granted a royal patent by James I in 1605, established the area as its primary drill ground, where members practiced artillery and infantry maneuvers in the open fields, contributing to London's defensive readiness amid civil unrest. Following the Great Fire of London in 1666, Moorfields became a vast encampment for thousands of displaced residents, who erected tents, wooden sheds, and makeshift stalls; refugees camped there for several months, with some makeshift structures and stalls persisting into the following year, fostering temporary markets that evolved into a semi-permanent trading zone known as "New Cheapside" along one of the gravel walks. This post-fire activity highlighted the fields' role as a communal refuge, with King Charles II overseeing relief efforts and encouraging the refugees to relocate and rebuild.^[5]^[16] Even as these uses proliferated, early debates arose over balancing preservation of Moorfields' open character against encroaching development. Chronicler John Stow voiced concerns in his Survey of London about unauthorized constructions threatening the recreational walks, urging authorities to protect the space from builders seeking to exploit its proximity to the city. City officials, while investing in maintenance, faced ongoing tensions between maintaining public access and pressures for private enclosures, foreshadowing later conflicts over the fields' future.^[5]

18th and 19th Century Transformations

During the late 17th century, key infrastructure enhancements improved connectivity to Moorfields, supporting its evolving role in London's urban fabric. In 1672, Moorgate was rebuilt as a more substantial stone structure with pedestrian arches and a high central arch, primarily to facilitate easier access for residents and visitors to the increasingly popular open fields beyond the city walls.^[14] This upgrade, following the drainage works of prior decades that had rendered the marshy terrain more usable, encouraged greater foot and militia traffic, laying groundwork for subsequent encroachments.^[17] Urban development accelerated with the leasing of Little Moorfields for building purposes, amid disputes over land use that began in 1678 and were resolved by 1692, allowing systematic construction on this subdivided portion of the fields. This marked an early shift from communal open space to private development, with leases enabling the erection of residences and workshops in a formerly peripheral area. Industrial and institutional presences soon followed, beginning with the relocation of Bethlem Royal Hospital to a new site in Moorfields in 1676, where it occupied a purpose-built facility designed by Robert Hooke to replace the aging Bishopsgate structure and accommodate growing patient needs.^[18] By the mid-18th century, further institutional growth included the founding of St. Luke's Hospital for Lunatics in Upper Moorfields in 1751, established by philanthropic apothecaries in a converted building to provide treatment for incurable pauper patients, housing up to 300 individuals in its initial phases.^[19] Industrial activities also took root, exemplified by Thomas Moore's carpet manufactory, established in 1752 on Chiswell Street in Moorfields after he recruited skilled French weavers, producing luxury hand-knotted wool carpets in neoclassical styles for elite clients like Robert Adam until operations wound down around 1793.^[20] These encroachments reflected broader economic diversification, as Moorfields attracted manufactories and hospitals amid rising demand for specialized labor and charitable institutions. Major planned developments further transformed the landscape, with Finsbury Square laid out between 1777 and 1791 on the eastern edge of the former Finsbury Fields portion of Moorfields, designed by George Dance the Younger as a quadrangle of terraced townhouses around a central garden to emulate West End elegance near the City.^[21] Similarly, Finsbury Circus was constructed from 1815 to 1817 on the site of Lower Moorfields, featuring a circular garden enclosed by curved terraces under the direction of William Montague, the City Surveyor, as part of ongoing land reclamation and suburban expansion.^[22] These transformations drove socio-economic shifts, converting Moorfields from a predominantly recreational public ground into a semi-urban zone blending housing, commerce, and institutions, as London's population surged past 1 million by 1800 and northern fringes absorbed villages and ribbon developments.^[21] The influx of professionals and tradespeople fostered a mixed economy, with affluent terraces contrasting emerging industrial sites, while the area's integration into the metropolis highlighted widening class disparities in housing quality and land use.^[21]

Recreational and Public Functions

Moorfields was transformed into one of London's earliest formal public parks between 1605 and 1607, when the marshy fen was drained and leveled by the City of London Corporation to create tree-lined pathways designed for public promenading and leisure.^[5] This transformation marked a deliberate effort to provide an organized open space amid the expanding urban environment, with the southern section featuring pleasant walks planted with trees for communal enjoyment.^[23] By the early 17th century, these walks had become a favored venue for city dwellers to stroll, particularly on Sundays, fostering social display through fashion and conversation.^[5] Daily recreational activities in Moorfields evolved from medieval pastimes to more structured pursuits, serving as a vital "lung" for Londoners seeking respite from dense city life. The fields hosted ice skating during harsh winters, a tradition dating back to the medieval period when the frozen surface attracted skaters, and football games that drew crowds for informal matches.^[16] In addition to these sports, the area functioned as a hub for public spectacles, including open-air fairs with markets, auctions, and shows that proliferated after the Great Fire of 1666, as well as balloon ascensions—such as Vincenzo Lunardi's notable flight in 1784 from the adjacent Artillery Ground, which spilled crowds into Moorfields—and military parades by the Honourable Artillery Company conducting drills.^[5]^[24] These uses underscored its role as a multifunctional public ground, briefly referenced in its post-drainage layout as a series of rectangular fields adapted for communal gatherings.^[5] The park's free public access via Moorgate ensured broad social reach, drawing people from various classes who utilized the space for leisure without entry fees, from well-dressed promenaders in the early 18th-century gravel walks known as the City Mall to vendors, wrestlers, and everyday walkers escaping urban congestion.^[23] By the early 18th century, Moorfields had evolved from its fen origins into more organized gardens, with re-landscaping in 1730 enhancing its appeal as a landscaped retreat for diverse urban populations.^[25] This accessibility promoted inclusivity, allowing apprentices, merchants, and laborers alike to engage in routine activities like walking and public festivals, thereby reinforcing community bonds in a rapidly growing metropolis.^[5] Moorfields frequently appeared in cultural depictions as a recreational haven contrasting the encroaching city, immortalized in 17th-century literature and maps that highlighted its open allure. Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare referenced the fields in their works as vibrant social locales for leisure and encounter, while Wenceslaus Hollar's 1666 map illustrated its divided tracts as expansive recreational areas post-Fire.^[5] John Rocque's detailed 1746 map further captured its role as a promenading ground amid urban expansion, preserving its image as a cherished public escape in historical records.^[26]

Notable Events and Associations

Following the Great Fire of London in 1666, Moorfields served as a primary refuge for tens of thousands of displaced residents, who established extensive tented camps and temporary shelters across the open fields.^[5] These encampments quickly evolved into makeshift markets and trading hubs, where vendors sold goods amid the chaos of recovery efforts, persisting for nearly a decade until the area's gradual restoration around 1676.^[16] King Charles II urged evacuees to disperse, but many remained, turning Moorfields into a sprawling shantytown that highlighted the fire's profound social disruption.^[27] In the 18th century, Moorfields gained a notorious reputation as a haunt for criminal elements, including highwaymen such as James Dalton and Jack Sheppard, who frequently hid in its labyrinthine paths and surrounding tenements to evade capture.^[28] The area was also rife with brothels catering to the poor and transient population, contributing to its image as a moral underbelly of London.^[29] Additionally, a central path known as Sodomites' Walk became a well-documented site for gay cruising, drawing men seeking discreet encounters and occasionally leading to arrests and public pilloryings for sodomy.^[30] Moorfields was a flashpoint during the Gordon Riots of June 1780, when anti-Catholic mobs, fueled by Protestant fervor, gathered in the fields to attack Irish Catholic workers and properties, including a Roman Catholic chapel and residences in the vicinity.^[31] The violence escalated as rioters looted and burned buildings, with Moorfields serving as a staging ground for broader unrest that paralyzed the city for days.^[32] Moorfields held significant ties to religious nonconformism, exemplified by Whitefield's Tabernacle, established in 1741 by the evangelical preacher George Whitefield as a hub for Methodist and Calvinist gatherings outside the established Church of England.^[33] The chapel, enlarged around 1759 to seat approximately 4,000, became a center for open-air preaching and dissenters' worship, underscoring the area's role in London's dissenting communities.^[33] It also featured in early aeronautical history, hosting the launch of Vincenzo Lunardi's hydrogen balloon on September 15, 1784, from the Artillery Ground—the first manned balloon flight in Britain, which captivated crowds and traveled about 24 miles before landing.^[34] Recent archaeological investigations, such as those during the Crossrail project at Finsbury Circus, have revealed Moorfields' medieval use as a marshy disposal site for urban waste, including organic refuse and artifacts from the 12th to 15th centuries, challenging assumptions about early waste management in London.^[22]

Decline and Legacy

Urban Development and Demise

The urban development of Moorfields accelerated in the late 18th century amid London's rapid population expansion and rising demand for commercial and residential space within the City's northern fringe. Following the drainage and recreational layout of the area in the early 17th century, incremental encroachments had already begun, but the construction of Finsbury Square in 1777 represented a pivotal shift, with architect George Dance the Younger designing the square to evoke West End elegance through classical terraces surrounding a central garden. This development paved over significant portions of Upper and Middle Moorfields, previously used for public walks, archery, and gatherings, reducing the once-expansive open land—originally spanning approximately 130 acres (53 ha)—to fragmented remnants.^[35] By the early 19th century, the process of enclosure and building intensified, driven by ongoing lease disputes resolved in favor of landowners seeking revenue from urbanization, as exemplified by the finalization of development rights for portions like Little Moorfields in the late 17th century that set precedents for later expansions. Records from 1754 document a marked decline in Moorfields' open recreational use, with increasing paving and informal structures signaling its transition from public green space to developable land. The completion of Finsbury Circus in 1817, based on Dance's earlier plans and overseen by City Surveyor William Montague, marked the full urbanization of the remaining core area, replacing the southern edge of Moorfields (including the site of the demolished Bethlehem Hospital) with an oval garden enclosed by terraced housing initially intended for affluent residents.^[36]^[37] The loss of Moorfields as open land was profound, with the mid-19th century seeing most of the site paved over for housing, warehouses, and industrial uses to accommodate London's commercial boom and the greater metropolitan area's population surge to over two million by 1851.^[38] This transformation fragmented the original expanse into small preserved pockets like the gardens of Finsbury Square and Circus, while the surrounding areas filled with dense built environments. Recent historical analyses in 2025 highlight how the delayed recovery of Moorfields after the 1666 Great Fire—where it served as a temporary camp for displaced residents and victims, with replanting only resuming around 1676—contributed to its vulnerability to long-term development pressures, refining earlier timelines of its gradual enclosure.^[39]

Modern Institutions and Remnants

Moorfields Eye Hospital, founded in 1805 as the London Dispensary for Curing Diseases of the Eye and Ear, occupied its original site in Lower Moorfields from 1822 until 1899, when it relocated to its current location on City Road in nearby Islington.^[40] The hospital remains a leading institution for ophthalmic care and research, retaining its historical name derived from the former open fields.^[40] St Mary Moorfields, the only Roman Catholic church within the City of London, traces its origins to the 1820s with the opening of its first building in Finsbury Circus, which was demolished in 1899; the present structure at Eldon Street dates to 1903.^[41] This church continues to serve as a key religious site, preserving the nominal legacy of Moorfields in its title.^[41] Among the physical remnants of Moorfields, Finsbury Circus Gardens stands as the last surviving open space, laid out in 1815–1817 on the site of Lower Moorfields and continuing its role as public open space since the early 17th century; it holds Grade II listed status as a historic park and garden.^[42]^[39] The Moorfields Highwalk, part of the City's elevated pedestrian network, provides a modern bridge system traversing the former grounds, with recent extensions enhancing connectivity to the Barbican as of 2024.^[43] Additionally, the British Red Cross headquarters at 44 Moorfields occupies a site on the historic area, maintaining an institutional presence since its establishment there.^[44] The name Moorfields persists in contemporary maps and addresses across the area, while heritage listings recognize elements like Finsbury Circus for their historical value.^[42] Archaeological investigations have uncovered remnants of the Walbrook river's ancient channels and ditches beneath the site, offering insights into Roman-era drainage that shaped the original fields.^[45] These legacies underscore Moorfields' enduring role in London's history of green spaces, with the gardens' major revitalization completed in June 2025 and no significant alterations reported since.^[46]

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[34]
Ballooning history timeline
The 18,000 cubic foot (510 cubic metres) balloon flew from the Artillery grounds at Moorfields and landed first at North Mimms, Hertfordshire, then, after ...
[35]
London Parks & Gardens - Inventory Site Record
### Summary of Finsbury Square Development (1777) and Moorfields Context
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Finsbury Circus | windowthroughtime
Oct 12, 2020 · Between 1815 and 1817, under the direction of the City Surveyor, William Montague but to the designs produced by Dance, the area was transformed ...
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Spitalfields Market area - British History Online
The more general purpose of the project was that an easy Communication for Carriages may be made between Moorfields and the great Road called Whirechapd Road, ( ...
[38]
History of Finsbury Circus Gardens | London's Oldest Public Park
### Summary of Finsbury Circus History as Part of Moorfields' Urban Development and Demise
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Our history - Moorfields Eye Hospital
When the hospital moved in 1822 to a purpose-built building in Lower Moorfields, close to what is now Liverpool Street station, it was renamed the London ...
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St Mary Moorfields - City of London
And in 1820 the first church of St Mary Moorfields opened in Finsbury Circus. The church was pulled down in 1899 due to the construction of the Metropolitan ...Missing: history | Show results with:history
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FINSBURY CIRCUS, Non Civil Parish - 1001259 | Historic England
Early C19 gardens in the centre of Finsbury Circus, laid out by the City Surveyor, William Montague, to the designs of George Dance the Younger, on the site of ...
[42]
21 Moorfields | WilkinsonEyre
An improved route for the Barbican Highwalk also creates a direct sightline from the Barbican to the newly pedestrianised Moorfields via a safe and accessible ...Missing: pedestrian | Show results with:pedestrian
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Contact us | British Red Cross
Write to us at: 44 Moorfields, London, EC2Y 9AL. Do you have a question about this page or want to give us feedback? Visit our Contact us page. CONTACT US ...Contact form · Our complaints procedure · Useful support organisations
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Lost rivers: The Walbrook | London Museum
Like many of London's lost rivers, it now exists as a sewer. But the Walbrook was a significant feature of both Roman and medieval life. It fueled industry, ...
[45]
London's first public park Finsbury Circus Gardens reopens - BBC
Jun 1, 2025 · The gardens first became a public park known as "Moor Fields" in the 1600s. A formal layout was introduced by George Dance the Younger in 1815.