Park of the week

96. Durants Park

We’ve now visited 207 parks, although some aren’t worth writing about (for example, the rubbish-strewn wastelands we’ve been to just because they had one of the big swings Jack likes). As this is the 96th post, I suppose a 46% worth-writing-about rate isn’t bad. I plan to go on with the visits, weather permitting.

Durants Park is a large open space in the heart of Enfield, and I decided to write about it as soon as we walked in because there was more to it than open space.

As well as the grasslands, the west part of Durants Park is laid out with an area of floral displays by the entrance and there are shrubs and a willow by the small lake, where we saw ducks. There’s a small, wooded area which is home to different species of birds. 

It’s named after Durrants, a sub-manor of the Enfield Estate dating from the thirteenth century. At some time it seems to have lost a letter r in the name. In 1903 the local authority had bought 14 hectares of estate land for a public park. It initially had a bandstand and drinking fountain, but by the nineteenth century tennis courts, bowling and putting greens, and an athletics track had been provided. 

There must once have been an orchard there: The Middlesex Gazette in August 1912 reports that two boys (aged 13 and 11) had been charged with stealing apples from the orchard to the value of 1 shilling (5p – worth about £8 at the time). They also damaged the trees. They were fined two shillings and sixpence (12.5p – worth about £18), and 1 shilling respectively.

In the late nineteen nineties, a grant enabled the children's paddling pool to be created, with rocks and landscaping around the perimeter and a series of colourful cut-out zoo animals affixed to the iron railings. 

It has an outdoor gym bowling green, paddling pool, pond, football pitches, children's play area, basketball courts, tennis courts and a skateboard area. There are wide paths for walking or bike riding. There are lots of benches. There’s a toilet but no café. There doesn’t seem to be a car park, but we found a space to park on a nearby street.

Judith Field

Durants Park. Hertford Road, Enfield, London, EN3 7JF