Park of the week

53. Victoria Recreation Ground

Victoria Recreation Ground is in East Barnet. It’s mainly grassed, is popular with walkers and dog walkers, and has playgrounds for younger and older children, football pitches, tennis and basketball courts, and a bowling green. 

The park is roughly square-shaped and was laid out in the late nineteenth century on land previously known as “Mrs Cook’s Farm”. Barnet Football Club played there in the 1889–90 season. It has flower beds which are the remains of a formal flower garden: a circular mound with a walk around the edge, laid out as a rose garden. Next to this is a drinking fountain with the inscription ‘Honest Water which ne’er left man in the Mire’. This was the gift of Thomas Morgan Harvey, in 1882. He was a local landowner and businessman who lived in East Barnet and the fountain originally stood on his land. It was moved to Victoria Recreation Ground in 1935. 

Shirebourne Brook runs along the south side of the park.  This brook rises in King George’s Fields, Hadley, and after passing the park it joins Pymmes Brook (see number 46). The Pymmes Brook Trail passes north-south through the park.

New Barnet Library and Leisure Centre, built in 2019, is at the edge of the park. We haven’t been inside it, but Jack added its pool to the list of those he wants us to visit. I won’t be writing about that, because the enjoyability or otherwise of swimming with Jack depends entirely on the attitude of other people there to obvious learning disability. As anyone who knows me is aware, I am meek and quiet - but I’ve shouted at kids teasing him (the first time I did, adrenaline erased forty-six years of living in London, and my initial thought was “who’s that Scouse gerl shouting b***er off?”). The Incredible Liverpudlian Hulk also chased a gang of teenage lads (they ran away up a staircase). We’re going to New Barnet Leisure Centre this month, so haters beware. 

There are no cafes or toilets in the park but it’s possible to use the ones in the leisure centre. There’s a car park and there’s also room to park on the surrounding roads. Access is from Park Road, Victoria Road, Lawton Road, and by a footpath and footbridge from Cromer Road.

Judith Field

Victoria Recreation Ground, Lawton Road/Victoria Road/Park Road, East Barnet, EN4 9QB