Primrose Hill: Duels, Druids and Shakespeare

Climbing up on Primrose Hill

The history of Primrose Hill is a captivating story. It transformed from a wild, wolf-infested ancient forest into an infamous site of crime and duelling, before ultimately becoming one of London’s most cherished public parks.

Ancient and Royal Origins

During the Roman era and Early Middle Ages, the hill lay hidden within the dense Forest of Middlesex. In 1539, King Henry VIII seized the land to expand his vast royal hunting grounds. Long before it became a public park, the mound was known as Barrow Hill, sparking speculation that its summit was once an Iron Age burial site. 

By the Elizabethan era, it was officially recorded as Primrose Hill, named after the wild yellow primroses that carpeted its slopes every spring. This seasonal display established a tradition where city dwellers would journey north to watch the flowers bloom.

The Dark Era

For centuries, the hill sat well outside official London city limits, making its secluded slopes a notorious hotspot for illegal activity.

In October 1678, the hill became the epicentre of a massive national scandal when the body of Protestant magistrate Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey was found in a ditch at its base. Driven by anti-Catholic hysteria, authorities falsely convicted and hanged three innocent Catholic labourers, Robert Green, Henry Berry, and Lawrence Hill, at the summit. For years afterwards, locals mockingly nicknamed the site "Greenberry Hill." Today, the local Greenberry Café on Regent's Park Road stands as a subtle historical nod to this event.

From the 17th through the early 19th centuries, the hill also served as one of London's primary locations for resolving "affairs of honour" by sword or pistol.

The 1792 Druid Ritual

On June 21 1792, Iolo Morganwg (born Edward Williams) founded the Gorsedd of the Bards of the Isle of Britain during a ceremony at the top of the hill. Morganwg was an antiquarian, poet, and literary forger who claimed to be a surviving initiate of ancient Celtic Druidry. Seeking the "nearest mountain" in London to conduct an open-air moot, he chose Primrose Hill.

• The Setup: Morganwg formed a small, symbolic circle of stones featuring a central altar stone known as the Maen Gorsedd.

• The Ceremony: Held on the summer solstice, the ritual included Morganwg reading original poetry, reciting prayers, and formally proclaiming the Gorsedd.

• The Message: The event blended reimagined Celtic mysticism with radical political ideals, calling for an end to despotism and a celebration of liberty.

Though Morganwg constructed much of this history out of his own imagination, his creation became extraordinarily influential. The Gorsedd rituals were later integrated into the National Eisteddfod of Wales, where they remain a central feature of Welsh cultural identity today.

Victorian Rescue and Public Park Status

As London expanded rapidly during the 19th century, the land was saved from urban development. Eton College originally owned the property and planned to build housing estates across the slopes. To prevent this, the Crown acquired the land in 1841 via an Act of Parliament.

In 1842, Primrose Hill officially opened as a public park. It was intentionally designated as a green space for working-class residents of North London, giving them a place to escape overcrowded tenements and enjoy fresh outdoor recreation. Around the same time, in 1837, engineers dug the Primrose Hill Tunnel directly beneath the park. It was the world's first major rail tunnel and remains a Grade II* listed landmark today.

Shakespeare's Tree: A Living Monument

On the steep slopes of the park grows a historic oak known as Shakespeare's Tree, or the Shakespeare Oak, a living monument dedicated to the legendary playwright.

• The 1864 Original: To celebrate the 300th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth, the Workingmen's Shakespeare Committee organised a massive celebration on 23 April 1864. An estimated 100,000 working-class citizens marched across London to watch actor Samuel Phelps plant the original oak sapling, claiming the Bard as a symbol of self-improvement for everyday people. The tree was symbolically christened using water brought directly from the River Avon.

• The 1964 Replacement: After the original tree eventually died, it was replaced exactly a century later on 23 April 1964 to mark Shakespeare's 400th birthday. The current oak was planted by celebrated stage actress Dame Edith Evans on behalf of the Society for Theatre Research.

The World Wars to Present Day

During World War II, the idyllic park was heavily militarised. An anti-aircraft gun battery was installed at the summit to defend London from German air raids, and bomb craters from the Blitz pockmarked the landscape.

In the mid-20th century, London implemented legal protections to keep surrounding tree canopy levels low, permanently preserving the protected panoramic view of St Paul's Cathedral and the Palace of Westminster from the summit.

Living Reminders on the Hill Today

Visitors exploring the summit can discover several active markers of this rich history:

• The 2012 Skyline Map: A dedicated plaque installed to record how London looked during the 2012 Summer Olympics, illustrating how the city's skyline continues to evolve over time.

• The Gorsedd Memorial Plaque: Unveiled in 2009, a circular stone plaque carved by sculptor John Meirion Morris is embedded into the ground to commemorate Morganwg and the historic 1792 meeting.

• Modern Druidry: The site remains an active sacred space. Contemporary Druid groups, including The Druid Order, still gather at Primrose Hill during the autumn equinox and summer solstice to perform seasonal rituals.