Hornsey Wood Tavern being demolished, 1866

The Hornsey Wood Tavern was situated in what became Finsbury Park. From the 1750s on it became a popular place for Londoners to escape from the smoke and grime of the city and relax in green and pleasant surroundings.

This picture from an 1866 issue of the Illustrated Times shows demolition work beginning before the laying out of Finsbury Park.