Park of the week

68. Nightingale and Avenue Gardens

These two ornamental gardens, in Bounds Green, are linked by a section of former railway embankment. Together, they form a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation and are home to mature trees, including ash, poplars, cherry, oak, false acacia, whitebeams, and lime. There are three large poplars over a hundred years old at the south end. 

A hamlet known as Woodleigh existed here from Saxon times. Bounds Green Road existed as an old route from the fourteenth century and the land in the area probably formed part of the large Bowes Farm Manor Estate, granted by Henry IV to the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral in 1412. Wood Green remained largely farmland until the mid-nineteenth century, when the area began to be built over to house the growing population.

The gardens were laid out on former rural rough pasture between 1894 and 1913 and in 1956, the formal rose garden with rough artificial stone walls and crazy paving paths was created. The land is owned by Thames Water because the New River runs under here. That’s why no houses have been built on the land. The New River, which the local authority class as an Ancient Monument, is an artificial waterway constructed in 1609-13 to bring fresh drinking water into London from springs near Ware in Hertfordshire and later from the River Lea and other sources. 

I found, tucked away on a neighbourhood forum, a claim that Lloyds Bank filmed one of their television ads in the gardens last December. I have always thought those black horses were CGI and I think I must be right because, had they been real, I think there would be more about it – probably including complaints about the ground being churned up by stampeding horses.

There are benches in the gardens, but no café, toilets or playground. We could hear children playing and went to look, couldn’t find the source of the sound, and Jack got cross with me for making him come out to such a place when ‘Shark Tale’ was on television (for the umpteenth time). But I thought it was a pretty, restful spot and would go there again if Jack allowed repeat visits.

Judith Field

Nightingale and Avenue Gardens, Bounds Green Road, London N22 8DW