Brent

Gladstone Park

Dudden Hill · 2.5 miles

Covering about 35 hectares in the Dollis Hill area of north-west London, Gladstone Park lies on both sides of the Dudding Hill Line. The London Borough of Brent manages the site, which is reachable on foot from Dollis Hill underground station on the Jubilee line, roughly a ten-minute walk to the south-west, and from Cricklewood Thameslink station to the east. Bus routes 226 and 232 pass nearby. A footbridge spans the railway at the western edge, while a service-road bridge at the eastern side is used by park staff. The park originated from the former estate of the Finch family, acquired by the Municipal Borough of Willesden at the end of the 19th century and opened in 1901, named after former Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Early design by surveyor Oliver Claude Robson retained the northern ground in a natural state and allocated the southern area for sport, resulting in facilities such as football and cricket pavilions, a bowling green and tennis courts. A children’s playground and an Old English garden, created from the house’s former vegetable plot, remain prominent. The former Dollis Hill House, an early-19th-century farmhouse, stands near the northern boundary. Although the original public swimming bath has been closed, the park still offers paved pathways, plane-tree avenues and a sundial installed in 1907. No admission fee is mentioned, and basic conveniences are provided within the grounds.

Gladstone Park

Dudden Hill · 3.1 miles

A substantial green space of roughly 35 hectares lies in the Dollis Hill district of north-west London, straddling the Dudding Hill freight line and bordered to the north by the former Dollis Hill House farmstead. The park can be reached on foot from Dollis Hill underground station on the Jubilee line after about a ten-minute walk, while Cricklewood Thameslink station sits to the east. Local bus routes 226 and 232 also serve the vicinity, and a footbridge at the western edge provides a pedestrian crossing over the railway; a private road bridge at the eastern side is reserved for Brent Parks Service. The area was acquired in 1899 after a public inquiry supported the purchase of part of the Finch estate, and it was formally opened in 1901 under the name of former Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Surveyor Oliver Claude Robson oversaw the layout, preserving the northern section in its natural condition and allocating the southern part for recreation. Facilities introduced in the early twentieth century included a children’s playground, pavilions for football and cricket, a bowling green, four tennis courts, and an Old English garden created from the former vegetable plot of Dollis Hill House. A sundial, supplied in 1907, marks the centre of that garden. Although the park’s original public swimming bath has since closed, the overall network of pathways, plane-lined avenues and former farm ponds – some converted into paddling pools before removal in 1920 – remains accessible to visitors.

Wormwood Scrubs

Old Oak Common · 3.7 miles

Covering 67 hectares, this open space in Old Oak Common lies in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and is the borough’s largest park. Known locally as The Scrubs, it forms one of the biggest commons in London. The area is divided by Scrubs Lane and the West London line railway, with the eastern section referred to as Little Wormwood Scrubs. The park has been publicly accessible since the Wormwood Scrubs Act of 1879, which secured its use for recreation while allowing occasional military training. Within the grounds are a range of sports facilities, including the Linford Christie Stadium, numerous football pitches and a pony centre. The southern edge abuts two notable institutions: HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs, constructed between 1875 and 1891, and the Hammersmith Hospital campus, which incorporates the relocated Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital. Historical uses have been diverse – from cavalry exercises leased to the War Office in 1812, to an airship landing ground in 1910 and a naval air station during the First World War. The park also formed part of the 1908 Olympic marathon route. Management is undertaken by the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust, which funds maintenance through leases of the hospital car park, rental of sports fields, advertising billboards and two public car parks. Access is via the surrounding road network and public transport routes that serve Old Oak Common; entry to the park is free and open to all.

Golders Green Clock Tower

Golders Green · 5 miles

The Golders Green War Memorial is a war memorial in Golders Green, North London, United Kingdom. The memorial, which takes the form of a clock tower, was dedicated on 21 April 1923. It commemorates both victims of World War I and World War II. The names of the honoured are written on a bronze wall plaque for World War I and on a bronze book for World War II. The name of Captain M Allmand VC was added at a later date to the victims of World War II.

Hampstead Heath Extension

Brent Cross · 5.6 miles

A stretch of green land adjoining the historic Hampstead Heath lies to the north-east of the main area, close to Brent Cross. Designated as a park, the Hampstead Heath Extension forms part of the wider open-space network that includes the original heath, Golders Hill Park and the surrounding woodlands and ponds. The site falls within the London Borough of Barnet, while the larger heath complex is primarily administered by the City of London Corporation and largely situated in the London Borough of Camden. The extension shares the character of the adjoining heath, which is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. Although specific facilities on the Extension are not listed, the broader heath area offers a mixture of open grassland, woodland, and water features, together with a lido, playgrounds and a training track on the main site. Access is public and free of charge, with the nearest urban reference point being Brent Cross. Management responsibilities rest with the City of London Corporation, the same body that looks after the adjoining Hampstead Heath. Visitors can therefore enjoy the same unrestricted entry and natural setting that the larger heath provides, while remaining within the Barnet boundary.

Hampstead Heath

Highgate · 6.2 miles

Dating back to at least the 10th century, this 320-hectare open space stretches across a sandy ridge that forms one of the highest points in London, linking the districts of Hampstead and Highgate. Managed by the City of London Corporation, the heath lies principally within the London Borough of Camden, while the adjoining Hampstead Heath Extension and Golders Hill Park fall under the London Borough of Barnet. The terrain is undulating, interspersed with ponds, ancient and more recent woodlands, a lido, playgrounds and a training track, and it borders the historic Kenwood House estate. Along the eastern edge a chain of ponds runs, three of them serving as open-air public swimming pools; these water bodies were originally reservoirs for the River Fleet. The site is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, and part of the adjoining Kenwood estate holds the status of a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Summer concerts are held on the lawns, and the vista from Parliament Hill is protected by law. Public access is open and facilities such as the lido, playgrounds and the training track are available throughout the year.