Borough

Hackney

About:

The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough in East London and part of Inner London.

The first real records of settlement in Hackney date back to Saxon times. Before this most of the borough was farmland, providing food for the Roman city of Londinium, whose defensive walls rose up just south of Shoreditch.

The actual name 'Hackney' was first recorded in 1198 AD and is probably derived from an island or a raised place in a marsh (an 'ey') in the vicinity of the River Lea, together with the name of a Dane called Haca or Hacon, who owned it.

Hackney has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the country and is home to London's biggest Turkish speaking community and the largest Charedi Orthodox Jewish population in Europe.

Routes that go through Hackney:

Population:

202,824 which is 2.8% of the total London population (2001 Census)

Area:

19 square kilometres

Tube:

There are two underground stations, on the Borough borders at Manor House (Piccadilly line) in the north-west of the borough and Old Street (Northern line, City branch) in the south-west. Other nearby Tube connections accessible on foot and/or by bus are at Finsbury Park (Piccadilly and Victoria lines) and Bethnal Green (Central line). Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/ for more information.

Rail:

Most of the built-up area in Hackney is within a 10-minute walk of a rail station. There are 10 overland rail stations in Hackney. The Silverlink North London Line and the 'one' West Anglia Line pass through the borough. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/rail/ for more information.

Bus:

Hackney is served by a comprehensive network of bus routes. Virtually the whole of the built-up area in Hackney is within a 5-minute walk of a bus stop. Most of the local bus network now operates 24 hours a day. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/ for more information.

Green space:

Hackney's main parks and open spaces cover an area of 329 hectares (the largest area of green space found within any Inner-London borough). There are eight major parks in the London Borough of Hackney and 56 minor parks and open spaces.