Park of the week

19. Hendon Park

This large hillside park was originally part of a medieval estate, the Steps Fields. In 1903 the Council opened it to the public. It’s one of Barnet’s Premier Parks, a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation and it won the Green Flag Award in 2009-10. 

Many mature trees survive from the original planting and the landscape includes one of the largest specimens of Japanese maple in London, which was recognised as one of the Great Trees of London in 2008. These are sixty one trees  listed by Trees for Cities after the Great Storm of 1987, following suggestions from the general public.

The park includes a Holocaust memorial garden enclosed by large hedges. It contains a pond, many plants and an arch was installed there in 2000, with a plaque next to it explaining that the Hebrew word is pronounced ‘lezikaron’, referring to remembering the past and looking forwards. 

The Children’s Millennium Wood planted in 2000 is a native tree and grassland area. The rest of the park is mainly informal parkland, with mown grass and mature trees, especially London plane and lime. There are benches to sit on and relax – Jack seems to be very good at spotting them and will charge away to an empty one to stake his claim, leaving me to stagger along and join him as soon as I can.

If you go at the right time of year, you’ll find wild blackberries. Part of our ritual last year was to pick a berry and eat it whenever we saw them and we’ll be doing that again this summer, assuming we get one. 

The park has tennis and basketball courts, exercise machines and five a side football pitches. There are children’s playgrounds and a bowling green. Next to the park entrance is what may be the only Kosher park café in London. There’s a small car park next to the café on Queen’s Road, where it’s free to park for the first 30 minutes. Otherwise, Hendon Central Station is a short walk away.

Hendon Park, 17 Queens Rd, London NW4 2TL