Clapton Pond is a pond and garden, located in Hackney, east London. The name ‘Clapton’ or ‘farm on the hill’ is derived from the Old English words ‘clop’, meaning a lump or hill, and ‘ton’, meaning a farm. For centuries the land was owned by the Bishops of London, and occupied by tenant farmers who grew hay and food for the City of London. By the late 18th century Clapton had become a fashionable place to live, with many fine country houses built for the rich merchants of London. Huguenot and Jewish communities also moved into the area, helping to develop Clapton into a prosperous neighbourhood.