Hackney Downs is an open space and a broader area in Lower Clapton, in the London Borough of Hackney; it is also the name of a local council ward. It borders on Stoke Newington to the west and Shacklewell to the south. Although part of Clapton, as a distinct area, it can be said to be bounded by Amhurst Road to the south, Kenninghall Road to the north, Cricketfield Road to the east and the railway to the west, thus occupying most of the western half of Lower Clapton and some of the shrinking district of Shacklewell. The streets north and south of the park are dominated by social housing – these areas were largely rebuilt during the 1930s and 1960s.