Get a free valuation

Get an instant valuation here or contact one of our offices

London Fields area guide

London Fields | E8

Area Guide

Scroll Down

London Fields Area Info

London Fields Area Info

London Fields is situated in the heart of Hackney, with the fields themselves at its centre, offering more than 30 acres of stunning parkland. It’s a gorgeous place to hang out in the summer months, perhaps with a picnic assembled from the delicious offerings of nearby Broadway Market. And in the cold, winter months it takes on a starker kind of beauty, covered in frost surrounded by bare London Plane trees.

Classified as common land due to its history as a site for grazing animals before moving them to market at Smithfield, these fields have been in use since the 16th century. As well as tennis courts, a cricket pitch, ping pong tables and children’s play areas, the park is also the home of the London Fields Lido, the only Olympic-sized outdoor heated pool in the capital, a claim to fame that its residents are rightly very proud of.

The area is home to some wonderful independent shops, plus a high quota of excellent places to eat and drink. There’s plenty to do here any day of the week, though it’s on a Saturday when Broadway Market is on that things get really busy.

Property here is a great mix of new build flats, Victorian houses and warehouse conversions, so something to suit all tastes and lifestyles. However, homes in London fields come at a premium. Indeed, prices here are now outperforming De Beauvoir, its traditionally more expensive, more centrally located neighbour.

The area tends to attract a creative crowd who work in new media, art or fashion. However, improvements to the London Overground line has made travelling to the city from London Fields station much quicker and easier, which has resulted in an increasing influx of professionals. Families have long been attracted to London Fields thanks to the wealth of amenities on its doorstep.

Ofsted generally rates schools in the area as being good or better, with London Fields Primary School and St Paul’s with St Michael’s CofE Primary School both rated outstanding. At secondary level, nearby Haggerston School and the Mossbourne Parkside Academy are both rated good.

Things to do in London Fields

It goes without saying that Broadway Market on a Saturday is a must, but you’ll also find two great boozers here that are open every day of the week. The Dove is an unpretentious arts and crafts style place, with a great choice of Belgian beers and a no-nonsense food menu that always delivers on taste. Sunday lunches are quite a thing here and have been known to tip over into Sunday evenings. The Cat & Mutton, meanwhile, is set over two floors, with downstairs serving a great selection of local beers in cask, keg and can, as well as decent wines and spirits. Upstairs has more of a cocktail bar vibe and is accessed via a spiral staircase. The food here is good, with a few surprises mixed in among the pub classics.

Beyond the market are many more pubs, and worth a mention is the Pub on the Park, which is situated on the very edge of London Fields with amazing views across the park. Its large, decked area is heaving in the summer months but come winter it’s a cosy haven full of hidden nooks and crannies.

For a true local’s local with a wonderful beer garden out front, head to the shabby-chic Prince George on Parkholme Road. Old and new residents alike love this Hackney institution, situated on a leafy residential corner. It might be a bit off the beaten trek, but trust us, it’s well worth a visit.

Also tucked away on a residential street (Wilton Way to be precise), is acclaimed restaurant Pidgen, which serves a weekly changing menu, with no dish ever repeated. Six years and over one thousand dishes later, Pidgen continues to offer excellent, innovative food and its reputation is now such it’s become a destination dining spot.

Operating from one of the railway arches on Mentmore Terrace, you’ll find the legendary e5Bakehouse, an artisan bakery and coffee shop that is definitely worth a visit. Whether, breakfast, brunch or lunch, the food here is always wholesome and hearty. Oh and be sure to pick up a loaf of the Hackney Wild signature sourdough to take home.

Should you be seeking a creative fix, then Netil House is the place to go. A Brutalist 60s building that was once home to a college and council offices, it is now a thriving community of creatives occupying private studios and co-working spaces. Among its 300 residents you’ll find musicians, filmmakers, painters, acrobats, writers, fashion designers… the list goes on. There’s also a rooftop café, bar and garden as well as an outdoor market. Heck, this place even has it’s own radio station!

How much is your property worth?

Find out here

Find Schools in London Fields

See what our clients say about us.

Read all our testimonials

History of London Fields

Records show that in 1540 the area that is now London Fields was as common pastureland adjoining Cambridge Heath. By the late 1500's the name London Field is found recorded as a separate item consisting of around 100 acres in changing ownership of land. London Field was one of the many 'commonable lands' of Hackney where the commoners of the parish could graze their livestock on the fields from Lammas Day (Anglo Saxon for bread mass), August 1st, celebrating the first loaf after the crops had been harvested, to Lady Day, March 25th. This arrangement was known as Lammas Rights and was protected by law.

In the 19th century, Hackney was transformed beyond imagination. Its population surged from close to 13,000 in 1801 to nearly 200,000 by the early 20th century, carved up by railways, factories and canals. Formerly a series of disjointed villages outside London, Hackney was gobbled up by the metropolis becoming part of inner-city suburbia, an identity it retains to this day. City bank clerks, notaries and solicitors changed the face of the area, the wealthier middle classes ran for the hills, turned off by the endless sweeps of terraced housing.

During the 1980's Hackney resident Tony Blair claimed it introduced him to the 'society of fear' where people were petrified of opening their doors. The Blair's were just one middle-class family who'd taken a gamble and moved to Hackney in the mid-1980s, triggering both regeneration in the community, creating a wave of other middle class families returning to the area. They set about restoring multi-occupation Georgian and Victorian houses into single-family use, bringing history full-circle.

Today Hackney and in particular London Fields, are cultural and social hotspots. The emergence of the farmers organic food and antique market in 2003 along Broadway Market every Saturday and the independent shops and cafes around it, is provideed the catalyst for its recent popularity along with the extension of the East London which made London Fields more accessible via Stations in Haggerston and Dalston.

Now bursting with conservation areas, action groups and superb facilities including London Fields Lido a 50 metre open-air swimming pool, London Fields is one of East London's most desirable address'.

Broadway Market
Broadway Market

Customer reviews

The service provided by the entire team at Butler and Stag is fantastic. From purchasing a plot, to the sale of the properties was run fantastically. Very professional outfit and a pleasure to work with. We certainly will be using Butler and Stag again in the near future. Matthew Hammond

Read more reviews
Our office Google reviews

Our office Google reviews

★★★★★ 4.9 Bow (London Office)

★★★★★ 5.0 Theydon Bois (West Essex Office)

★★★★★ 5.0 Buckhurst Hill Office

Find your next property