An outdoor exhibition that highlights the essential role played by London’s parks and open spaces has opened at Epping Forest today.

From picnics and gardening to festivals and Sunday football kickabouts, Green City: A Visual History of London’s Parks and Open Spaces celebrates green spaces and the way in which Londoners have embraced and enjoyed the ‘great outdoors’ since the sixteenth century.

Curated by the City of London Corporation’s London Metropolitan Archives in Clerkenwell, the exhibition includes photographs and images of Epping Forest among the 100 photographs on display, which provide a unique record of these beautiful and varied sites.

The ancient woodland is London and Essex’s largest green space and is known as “the green lungs of London”.

 The Forest is of national and international conservation importance, containing two registered historic parks, seven listed buildings, and three scheduled ancient monuments.

More than two thirds of Epping Forest is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

The exhibition opened today at Epping Forest Visitor Centre on Ranger’s Road in Chingford, after being displayed in the Square Mile’s Guildhall Yard, Aldgate Square, and Hampstead Heath, and runs until 18 September.

As well as providing an escape, a place to relax or exercise in, and a habitat for wildlife, plants, and trees, Green City will acknowledge the hugely important role played by London’s parks and open spaces during ‘lockdown’ at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage, and Libraries Committee, Wendy Hyde, said:

“It feels entirely appropriate that an exhibition that celebrates the great outdoors is being held outdoors and, in common with previous exhibitions curated by London Metropolitan Archives, it is engaging, informative, and beautifully presented.

“Over the centuries, our parks and open spaces have played a variety of roles and have become very important to us, never more so than over the last two years, so ‘Green City’ is a fitting tribute to them.”

Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, Ben Murphy, said:

“Open spaces play an undeniably important part in our lives – as places in which to exercise, relax, entertain and be entertained, and work – and our archivists have risen admirably to the challenge of selecting some superb images of Epping Forest to illustrate this point.

“For generations, City residents with limited access to green spaces have travelled to Epping Forest to enjoy the many miles of protected habitat, so I am delighted that the exhibition’s journey from the City, on to Aldgate and then, to Hampstead, finishes here.”

Green City: A Visual History of London’s Parks and Open Spaces is one of many visitor attractions curated by the City of London Corporation.

On 15 October, a spectacular free event will transform the City of London’s streets with a huge programme of theatre, games, and performance.

Featuring over 100 performers, the family-friendly highlights include a mass treasure hunt, 16 doors into a ‘maze’ of adventures, three carnival-inspired fairs, and creative street theatre.

It is the first major event planned by the City of London Corporation under its new flagship Destination City programme.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

For further information, media interviews, and high-resolution images from Green City: A Visual History of London’s Parks and Open Spaces, please contact:

Andrew Buckingham, Media Officer (Arts, Culture, and Heritage), City of London Corporation / 07795 333060 / andrew.buckingham@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Green City: A Visual History of London’s Parks and Open Spaces has been presented at the following four locations:

18 July - 31 July Guildhall Yard, off Gresham Street, EC2V 5AE

1 August - 14 August Aldgate Square, Aldgate High St, London EC3N 1AF

15 August - 31 August Hampstead Heath, South End Green entrance to the Heath, close to Hampstead Heath Overground station, NW3 2PY

1 September - 18 September The View, Epping Forest Visitor Centre, 6 Ranger's Rd, London E4 7QH

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

About London Metropolitan Archives:

London Metropolitan Archives is a public research centre, which specialises in the history of London. It cares for, and provides access to, the historical archives of businesses, schools, hospitals, charities, and a wide range of other organisations from the London area. With over 100 km of books, maps, photographs, films and documents dating back to 1067 in our strong rooms, it is proud to provide access to one of the finest city archives in the world - you could call it the memory of London. Many of its finest London pictures, photographs, prints, maps and films are also available to use online. For all the latest information on London Metropolitan Archives, including free exhibitions, workshops and other events, please visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma