London Guide: Haggerston is an interesting part of Hackney to explore. With mainly E8 and E2 postcodes, it rubs shoulders with Dalston, Shoreditch, and Hoxton. It is near to De Beauvoir Town, Columbia Road Flower Market, Broadway Food Market, and London Fields. It also benefits from being close to Regents Canal and is thus being called the Haggerston Riviera. I hope you enjoy my London Guide to Haggerston, it’s one of the cooler places to see in London. This guide doesn’t include absolutely everything but I hope it persuades you to explore a bit more and I also mention other nearby attractions if you want to make a day of it.
Arrive at the Overground Station
According to Wikipedia, the area was recorded in the Domesday Book as Hergotestane. On a 1745 map, it was shown as Agostone, then became Haggestone in the 19th century and I suppose later on they dropped the ‘E’ from the end of the word.
Haggerston Places of Interest
Haggerston Park is well worth investigating which has been open to the public since the 1950s and later extended in the 1980s. It has been awarded a green flag so is one of the best green spaces in the country. The leisure facilities include a fantastic BMX track which is free to use and also good to stop and watch the bike riders for a while. You’ll also find a football pitch and tennis courts. There is a wonderful woodland walk which is ideal for a shady stroll when the sun is too hot. Other amenities include a playground and a pond. The park address is Audrey Street, off Goldsmith’s Row, E2 8QH.
Beautiful Park
The Hackney City Farm is also located here which is quite special. You can see the pigs lazing about in the mud and goats kidding around. It is small but so very cute. A great place to take children and guests who are visiting London. There is also a good café called Frizzante which I have eaten at several times. They serve a variety of cooked breakfasts and for lunch, it’s along the lines of soup, salads, pasta, quiche, a good selection of fish dishes and roast dinners on Sundays. The café produce is sourced from local farms in Kent and they use seasonal ingredients. With alfresco dining and the sound of animals in the background, it seems as though you are in the countryside rather than the middle of a big city. They also have toilets on site. The farm is located at 1A Goldsmiths Row, E2 8QA which is actually quite close to Brick Lane if you want to head down there for a browse.
Hackney City Farm
Another green space, Stonebridge Gardens, is located right next to the Haggerston Overground station. Homeboy and I wandered around there one Sunday evening and spotted groups of friends hanging out and enjoying the place. It has quite a good play area for kids which includes a mosaic-covered giant snake. This isn’t a massive garden but it’s nice to have greenery in London. You can see the Overground Trains pulling into the station and hear the rumblings in the background. Close to Stonebridge Gardens is the beautiful All Saints Church which is a Grade II listed building fromn1855. It’s such an amazing building that it’s worth stopping for a moment to admire the architecture by Philip Hardwick and T E Knightley. The church is situated on Livermere Road, E8 4EZ. There is a pub overlooking Stonebridge Gardens called the Duke of Wellington if you fancy a pint and there are usually benches out the front for a spot of alfresco drinking.
All Saints Church
At the back of the church, you’ll find the amazing Albion Square. This is such a wonderful place in the middle of urban London which you really should seek out. It is a conservation area and is surrounded by 1840s houses which are delightful. You can sit on one of the benches and pretend you are in a village somewhere other than London. It is just so idyllic that you’ll want to visit it again.
Albion Square
If you’re a fan of Victorian architecture you should take a look at the famous Baths. This is no longer in operation as a swimming pool and it may be sold off to a developer and turned into flats. The Grade II listed building is imposing and impressive. It was designed by Alfred Cross and opened to the public in 1904. You’ll notice a separate entrance for men and women and if you look up there is a ship perched right on top of the roof. Make sure you take a photograph before the building is altered. The address is Whiston Road, E2 8BN.
Bath House
A short walk away is the Museum of the Home (formerly the Geffrye Museum) which is fantastic and free so it’s a double whammy! I popped along for a visit and will be writing up a separate feature. It’s a museum dedicated to the home and focuses on how the British middle classes lived, particularly Londoners. You can see recreations of living rooms from 1600 to the present day. There is a great café on site where you can eat lunch or enjoy scones with jam and clotted cream. The museum is set within 18th-century almshouses which are a delight. At the back of the building, you can enjoy the herb garden and further green spaces which is an oasis of tranquillity and calm. They are closed on Mondays unless it is a bank holiday. The address is 136 Kingsland Road, E2 8EA.
Museum of the Home
The Regents Canal is close by which stretches all the way from Little Venice to Limehouse. This area of the canal has become extremely popular that at the weekends it’s quite packed with people hanging about drinking, eating and partying. The canal is extremely scenic because you have a mix of Victorian warehouse buildings, new residential apartments, beautiful barges, vibrant street art, and some canal-side eateries, cafes and bars. If you have time you could walk along and explore Victoria Park which is particularly stunning.
Regents Canal
I had a tip-off a gentleman at The Millinery Works, a nearby Arts and Crafts Antique showroom, that there was a small collection of clown props located at Holy Trinity Church, Beechwood Road, E8 3DY. I haven’t been there but apparently they house eggs which clowns paint on their make-up to copyright their trademark look. Other places to check out nearby are Broadway Market which is packed with artisan food stalls on Saturdays until around 5 pm. You’ll find London Fields at the end of the street which is a great place to sit and devour your foodie purchases. On Sundays, you can visit Columbia Road Flower Market which starts closing around 3 pm. Here you can buy flowers, plants and browse the cute shops lining the street.
Haggerston Restaurants and Cafes
If you’re in need of food head to Acton Mews. This strip is in between the overground station and Regent’s canal which comes alive in the evenings. It’s a street of railway arches which have been transformed into restaurants and other interesting venues. On the corner is Trip Space Projects who provide dance, movement and yoga experiences. They serve seasonal modern British and European influenced food by Jones at Trip. Next, is Berber and Q with a modern update of a Middle Eastern grill house meze menu and heady cocktails. Their neighbours are Draughts, London’s first board game café who also serves food with craft beer. At the end of the Mews and across the road you’ll see a Japanese eatery called Tonkotsu who make their own noodles which are served with really tasty broths.
Trip Space Projects | Jones at Trip Café Bar
If you want to grab a coffee, you’ll find a few cute coffee shops in the vicinity; Haggerston Espresso Room (HER) at 13 Downham Road. On Kingsland Road, you can try By the Bridge at number 283A and Curio Cabal at 258. On the side of the road where you see the coffee shop By The Bridge if you wander along the canal path, you’ll come to some great restaurants which are more towards the De Beauvoir area. Proud Archivist is a restaurant, café, bar, gallery and events space. A couple of minutes along is Arepa and Co who serve very good Venezuelan cuisine. The Barge House offers brunch and a very good lunch and The Towpath also has a delicious menu. These are great for a spot of lunch by the waterside, some of these eateries are closed on Mondays.
Haggerston Related Articles
Here are a few articles I’ve written about places near Haggerston: Broadway Market Review, Columbia Road Market Review, Ten Things To Do Near London Fields and Mare Street Market.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. Thanks: Homeboy for eating out and walking around the area with me.
