Octavia Hill fought to save the recreational open spaces that were being devoured by the expanding metropolis of London. Amongst her most outstanding successes were the creation of Vauxhall Park and Brockwell Park, the campaigns for Queen’s Wood in Highgate, Parliament Hill Fields, West Wickham Common, Archbishop’s Park and Hilly Fields, Lewisham.
She publicised her campaigns in newspaper articles such as “Space for the People” and “More Air for London”. She frequently worked with the Commons and Footpaths Preservation Society (now the Open Spaces Society), whose lawyer, Robert Hunter, became an invaluable ally and one of the co-founders of The National Trust.