Park of the week

56. Hadley Green

Hadley Green is an ancient tract of common land about a mile to the north of High Barnet, bisected by the A1000, the Great North Road. The Green has been in existence since at least 1345, which makes it the oldest public open space in the London Borough of Barnet. 

It is said to be the site of a decisive battle in the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Barnet of 1471, during which the Earl of Warwick, known (by me) as The Kingmacher, was killed. This led to Edward IV’s success over Henry VI. An obelisk commemorating the Battle is sited on the grass further along the Great North Road at Hadley Highstone. The coat of arms of the London Borough of Barnet includes red and white roses, and two crossed swords, to represent the battle. On the western edge of the Green is Livingstone Cottage, the one-time home of the African missionary and explorer, David Livingstone.

The Green was secured for the people of Hadley parish as public open space in 1818 and was a traditional village common, grazed by villagers’ animals until the late nineteenth century. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Hadley Green was the site of a ducking stool and stocks. I don’t know what happened to the stool, but in 1935 the bonfire held on the Green to celebrate George V’s Silver Jubilee got out of control and the stocks burnt down. 

The Green is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. It consists mainly of acid grassland, supporting a number of different plant species including my favourite, sneezewort (see 20.), plus tormentil and bladderwort (both named after certain members of my family).

There are some seasonally wetter areas, ditches, and permanent ponds.  Among the insect inhabitants are a number of different species of damselflies and dragonflies. The Green is crossed by paths, has a few benches, and some fine trees such as willows and conifers. The London Outer Orbital Path (the “M25 for walkers”), usually known as the London Loop, runs through the land.

Judith Field

Hadley Green, Great North Road, London, EN5 4PT