Park of the week

38. Oak Hill Park

When Jack and I visited East Barnet’s Oak Hill Park in April 2020, there was talk of parks being closed as park of the lockdown. I was pleased to note that it would be hard to close this one, as there were no park railings - on Church Hill Road at least - just small wooden stakes. Perhaps this one could stay open. Of course, things never came to that.

It’s one of Barnet’s premier parks and won a green Flag Award in 2009-10. Part of the park became Oak Hill Wood, a Local Nature Reserve in 1997. Pymmes Brook and the Pymmes Brook Trail pass through the park. The brook rises in Hadley Common in Barnet and eventually joins the River Lea in Tottenham Hale.

East Barnet is, apparently, the oldest local settlement and the original Barnet. Oak Hill dates back to at least the 11th century, as part of the Monkenfrith estate owned by the church. Some of the original trees were used in the building of St Albans Abbey and their descendants are found in Oak Hill Woods. In 1536, after the dissolution of the Monasteries, the estate was sold and remained in private ownership until most it was bought by the local authority in 1930 and Oak Hill Park was established in 1933.

The park has its own ancient woodland of oak and hornbeam. There are two nature trails through the woodland and the woods, and the surrounding meadows are a Local Nature Reserve. Oak Hill Park has been home to a weekly 5k Parkrun since August 2011.

The park has gardens, a bowling green, cricket and football pitches, multi-sports court, an outdoor gym, toilets and play areas. It also has a café with a soft play area for children. The café sells all sorts of food including home-made traditional Polish dishes (I do like pierogi, as long as they’re vegetarian, and two of those on the menu are). 

There’s access from Church Hill Road, Parkside Gardens, Daneland and Vernon Crescent. There’s a car park, but it’s easy to find parking spaces on the surrounding streets.

Judith Field
 

Oak Hill Park, Parkside Gardens, East Barnet EN4 8JP