Highbury: Park, Architecture and Football History

Highbury Between Parkland and Architecture

Highbury combines a distinctive parkland character with a notable architectural and football history. Highbury Fields is the largest park in Islington and serves as a clear point of reference within the area. North of Highbury Fields, remarkable Victorian villas stretch from Highbury Hill to Aubert Park. Two different urban landscapes therefore stand side by side in this part of Highbury: the expansive parkland and historic residential architecture with its preserved Victorian character. Those considering Highbury as a base for a trip to London will therefore find here not only a name from sporting history, but also an environment where parkland and historic residential architecture belong together.

The History of Highbury Stadium

Highbury Stadium, also known as Arsenal Stadium, was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club from 1913 to 2006. Its first match took place on 6 September 1913: Arsenal won 2–1 against Leicester Fosse. The beginning of the stadium's history is therefore dated just as clearly as its end as a home ground in 2006. Between these two milestones, the building complex changed through several separate stands and construction phases.

The Art Deco East Stand opened in October 1936 and is a Grade II listed building. Its Art Deco façade was retained during the redevelopment. The façade of the locally listed West Stand was also retained during the redevelopment. The East Stand and West Stand are therefore connected by their preserved façades, while their designated statuses differ: the East Stand is protected as a Grade II listed building, while the West Stand is locally listed. The new North Bank Stand of Highbury Stadium opened in 1993 and stands as a separate, later construction phase alongside these two façades. The historic stadium therefore includes both the Art Deco design of the East Stand and the structural additions of later decades.

Further Notable Buildings

Another distinctive architectural feature of the area is Highbury Barn Public House. It has a rendered façade with wooden elements, decorative pilasters, and a combination of render and tiled cladding. The façade therefore combines several visible materials and design elements that differ from the Art Deco architecture of the East Stand. Together with the villas north of Highbury Fields and the stadium architecture, the building represents another specific example of Highbury's architectural diversity.

The Highbury Clock Tower was donated by Alfred Hutchinson in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The tower adds another clearly identified reference to the Victorian era to the area's history. Alongside the park, the Victorian villas, the former home ground of Arsenal Football Club, and the preserved stadium façades, a donation from Victoria's reign is therefore also among Highbury's notable points of reference.

Other London Destinations

You can also find Highgate, Kilburn, Southall, Beckenham, Wallington, Croydon, Ruislip and Harrow.