Park of the week

20. Arrandene Open Space 

This week I’m writing about a place in Mill Hill, close enough to our house for us to go there on foot. We visited in May 2021, as you can see from the photos (especially the one of what Jack, Mill Hill’s answer to David Attenborough, called a “red bug”), the weather was much drier and sunnier than this May has been – though things are looking up at last.

Arrandene is a site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. It’s surprisingly rural, for a place surrounded by residential streets. The Council purchased it in 1929 to preserve it for public recreation, when there was a lot of local suburban development going on. It’s on a hilly site and contains mixture of open space (rough grassland divided by ancient hedgerows) and woodland. It contains a traditionally managed hay meadow dating from the Victorian times and the need to feed horses (see also Sunny Hill Park below). There’s a network of footpaths with some benches, and a horse ride. In one of the open parts is a row of trees, each with a plaque commemorating a Mayor of Barnet.

The plants spotted there are apparently uncommon, but characteristic of unimproved grassland. Some of these have wonderful names: adder’s-tongue fern, ragged robin and, in particular, sneezewort (which has a smell that is meant to makes you sneeze). Some words have an appealing sound to me, if pronounced the right way, and sneezewort is one. I’ve been repeating it while writing this, and it’s most efficacious in keeping the “where’s the”/ “I want” mob out of the room. It's home to various birds, such as woodpecker, tawny owl and kestrel, and animals such as squirrels, foxes, rabbits and muntjac deer.

There are two small ponds. One is served by a tiny stream that had dried up when we visited. The other is overshadowed by trees and can only be seen from Mill Hill School because it’s otherwise cut off by a dense bramble thicket (more blackberries for us!). 

Arrandene seems popular with local dog walkers, particularly the professionals who turn up with van loads of dogs to walk at the same time. There are entrances in Wise Lane, Milespit Hill and Wills Grove, all NW7 and there are spaces to park on the street.

Judith Field
 

Arrandene Open Space, Wise Lane, London NW7 2RS