Park of the week

191. Hollickwood Park

When I wrote about Halliwick Park (see 183), I mentioned Colney Hatch asylum, originally sited near that park. Hollickwood Park, the subject of this post, is on the former site of the hospital itself, later named Friern Hospital.
This park, in Haringey near Muswell Hill, was originally landscaped by Barnet Council, using compensation money for widening the adjacent benighted North Circular Road. It was was created as a result of efforts by the Friends of Hollickwood Park, a community group. The park contains a time capsule put in by residents and council officers to commemorate the opening in 1963. 

The park is named after Hollick Wood, which was 160 acres in the 1650s, and joined with Tottenham Wood in 1623. It was cleared for the Colney Hatch Asylum in 1852. The place name Colney Hatch was first mentioned in 1409, the 'hatch' perhaps being a gate of Hollick Wood. 

It combines both formal and informal areas, including meadows, shrubberies and a pond, although that badly needs maintenance. It has a children's playground but no cafe or toilets. I found this formation of paving slabs, I imagine it's meant to be a giant chess board, but it's not mentioned anywhere that I could see.

The meadow areas support common wildflowers, and the shrubberies provide nesting sites for birds, including the house sparrow, of which numbers are generally declining. 

There’s no car park, but we found space of park on a nearby street. Although it is close to a large main road, it’s a quiet place, with benches to sit on and paths to walk on.

Judith Field

Hollickwood Park, Alexandra Road, N10 2RT