Park of the week

22. Pymmes Park

This large park is in Edmonton and, although my satnav kept calling it “Pimes Park”, it’s pronounced Pimms (l’chaim). I know that because a website called Pronounce London told me so. 

The park is next to the Silver Street part of the Benighted North Circular Road but there’s no traffic noise once you’re inside. The area is a site of Local Importance of Nature Conservation, and of Archaeological Importance because it’s the site of a medieval house, and apparently a Roman road. Maybe this is one of the straight paths – there are many to follow. We visited in April this year. There are plenty of benches and this was the first time we could sit and relax while out on a park trip, without freezing or being blown by the wind. 

The area of the park dates from 1327 when William Pymme built Pymmes House there. The estate changed hands several times until 1906, when the Council purchased it to provide public open space following an increase in the population. During World War II parts of the park were converted to allotments.

There are many mature trees round the edges of the park and the planting of the park has been chosen to encourage wildlife such as butterflies and bees. Jack likes to stroll around lakes looking at the birds, and Pymmes Park has a large lake supporting a wide range of waterfowl -we saw swans, ducks, coots, and Canada geese. This photo shows the way that in any gaggle of geese, one will always keep watch while the others eat (they get their turn later). It seems this happens even when there are only two of them.

There’s also a bowls club, tennis courts, games areas and football pitches, a small pond. There’s a walled garden open on “summer afternoons” (not defined), so we didn’t see it.  There are two children’s playgrounds, and toilets. It’s suitable for walking (with or without a dog), and a weekly park run is held there. There’s no car park but it’s possible to park on the surrounding streets.

Pymmes Park, Victoria Road, London, N18 2UG