Letchmore Heath

Hadley Green

Hadley · 7.5 miles

Spanning roughly ten hectares, Hadley Green lies on the historic Great North Road, between Hadley Green Road and Fold Lane, in the London Borough of Barnet. The area is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, and its open-space character reflects its long use as a village common. Public access is unrestricted and entry is free, with the nearest settlement being the town of Hadley. The reserve consists mainly of acid grassland dotted with trees and several ponds, creating a mosaic of habitats that support regionally rare plant species. The water bodies host a notable invertebrate community, including eleven recorded species of dragonflies and damselflies. A footpath forming part of the London Loop long-distance walk traverses the site, linking it to the adjoining King George’s Fields and offering walkers a quiet stretch of countryside within the urban area. Historically, the green is associated with the Battle of Barnet in 1471, a decisive engagement of the Wars of the Roses, and it remained common grazing land for local villagers until the twentieth century. In 1818 the land was formally secured for the people of Hadley parish as public open space, preserving its natural and historic value for contemporary visitors.

Monken Hadley War Memorial

Hadley · 8.1 miles

The Monken Hadley War Memorial is located immediately to the north of Monken Hadley at the western end of Camlet Way in Monken Hadley Common. It commemorates the men of the district who died in the First and Second World Wars and is in the form of a tapered decorated column with a celtic cross at the top and the names of the dead shown on the shaft. It was unveiled by Francis Fremantle, Member of Parliament for St Albans, in December 1920. It became a Grade II listed building in April 2017.

Darland's Lake Nature Reserve

Totteridge · 8.1 miles

I've mapped the Nature Reserve to cover the whole area based on previous visits there, and the attached map

Swan Lane Open Space

Woodside Park · 9.3 miles

The park offers a compact green space within Whetstone, part of the London Borough of Barnet, and is listed as the smallest of the borough’s sixteen Premier Parks. It combines open, mown lawns with a collection of mature trees, notably giant redwoods and a Cedar of Lebanon, alongside more natural zones that are actively managed for wildlife. Visitors can use the children’s playground, stop at the on-site café, or follow the pond’s edge, where reeds and water plants now fringe a spring-fed water body that once hosted model boating. Laid out around the 1930s, the site was reclaimed from former gravel pits that bordered a nineteenth-century estate. Locally dubbed “The Pits” from at least the 1960s, the area bears a somber memory of a 1925 tragedy in which three schoolchildren drowned while exploring the disused workings. The park’s upper section appeared in the early 1970s during filming of a Monty Python “Hells Grannies” sketch, with the period Wendy House visible in the background. Rose beds beside the café have been planted to commemorate two local residents, adding a personal touch to the landscape. Access points are provided from Swan Lane, Whetstone High Road and Woodside Lane, situating the open space close to the Woodside Park neighbourhood. As a public amenity, the park does not charge admission and offers basic facilities such as the playground and café for casual visits.

Brent Park

Temple Fortune · 9.3 miles

A strip of woodland bordering the River Brent offers a quiet natural corridor within Hendon, situated between the North Circular Road, Brent Street and Bell Lane. The 2.24-hectare site forms part of the Lower Dollis Brook Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II, and is characterised by a narrow, tree-lined passage that runs west of the main road. Apart from a modestly mown grass area at the northern end, the park is managed primarily for wildlife, with three ponds lining the river. These water bodies are the remnants of a medieval lake that may have been created by Westminster abbots as a duck decoy, and they continue to support breeding tufted ducks, mallards, coots and moorhens, notably on a small wooded island in one of the ponds. Historical mapping from 1875 records the area as Decoy Wood within the grounds of Brent Bridge House, surrounded by Decoy Farm. The park opened to the public in 1934, and the associated house was demolished the following year. A section of the Capital Ring walking route traverses the park, providing a link for longer walks. Barnet Council operates the site, and visitors can reach it directly from the North Circular Road, Brent Street or Bell Lane. No admission fee is mentioned, and the park’s facilities consist mainly of the natural landscape and the maintained footpaths.

Oak Hill Park

East Barnet · 9.9 miles

Oak Hill Park occupies a sizeable stretch of green space in East Barnet, within the London Borough of Barnet, and is maintained by Barnet Council. The site carries a Green Flag Award for the 2009–10 period, reflecting its quality as a public amenity. Visitors can make use of an outdoor gym, a dedicated bowls green, several football pitches, a golf course, three tennis courts, a multi-sports court and a toddler-friendly play area, offering a variety of activities for different ages and interests. A portion of the grounds was designated Oak Hill Wood as a Local Nature Reserve in 1997, and the watercourse Pymme’s Brook, together with the Pymmes Brook Trail, run through the park, providing opportunities for walking and wildlife observation. Since August 2011 the park has hosted a weekly Parkrun, adding a regular community fitness element. Access points are situated on Church Hill Road, Parkside Gardens, Daneland and Vernon Crescent, allowing entry from several surrounding streets. The area traces its origins back to at least the 11th century as part of the Monkenfrith estate held by the church. Following the dissolution of the monasteries the land was sold in the 1530s and stayed in private hands until the late 1920s, when the death of Charles Edward Baring Young led to the council’s purchase in 1930. Oak Hill House subsequently became the home of Oak Hill College, while the remaining estate was laid out as a public park in 1933. A monument to early-18th-century owner Sir Simon Haughton Clarke can be seen in the cemetery of St Mary’s Church opposite the park.