Alexandra Park, London

An avenue in the park lined with lime trees

Alexandra Park is an 80 hectare, Green Flag Award and Green Heritage winning [1][2] landscaped park in the Borough of Haringey in north London. The name is also widely used locally to describe the neighbourhood directly to the north of the park.[3]

Overview

Alexandra Park is split between hilly terrain [4] and flat ground. It is adjacent to Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green. It is dominated by Alexandra Palace. From 1936 to 1981, the BBC transmitted TV programmes from a tall mast built onto one of the towers of the palace. In 1980, most of the palace was gutted by a huge fire. The building has since been restored and is now a conference and exhibition centre.

The vast, tree-lined sloping hill has wide views over London. On a clear day, the Crystal Palace Transmitter on the far south-east side of London is visible.

An Act of Parliament in 1900 created the Alexandra Palace and Park Trust. The Act required the Trustees to maintain the Palace and Park and make them available for the free use and recreation of the public forever.

The park is named after Queen Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII.[5]

The park has a secondary school named after it called Alexandra Park School.

Until September 1970, Alexandra Park hosted horse racing, including many evening meetings that were televised by the BBC. The racecourse in the park grounds was nicknamed "the Frying Pan" owing to its shape, and boasted an ornate Victorian grandstand and cast-iron railings. Its most prestigious race was the London Cup.

Alexandra Park Cricket and Football Club is situated within the old racecourse providing sporting facilities for the local community.

It was declared a Local Nature Reserve in 2013,[6] and is also a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1.[7][8]

Events

Haringey Council used to put on a firework and music display on the nearest Saturday to Guy Fawkes Night.

As of spring 2010, Haringey council have stated that they will not be continuing with the firework display in 2010 in light of the 'current economic situation'. The display has now been staged since 2013 but as a ticket-only event.

At the foot of Muswell Hill, the park is host to a farmers market most weeks selling fresh organic produce as well as other products. Venue and information.

Alexandra Park also hosts a weekly 5 kilometer Parkrun each Saturday morning.[9]

The Friends of Alexandra Park also organise Fungi, Tree, Wild Flower, History, Bat Walks etc.. Events coming up in the Park.

Wildlife

A medium-sized lake attracts a variety of waterfowl in all seasons, and used to have a large enclosure housing a small herd of fallow deer.[10] The deer were moved to Devon early 2016.[11]

Access

Accessibility by public transport became well developed in the late nineteenth century, the park and its palace being well connected to both to the electric tram network and to London's train network through Alexandra Palace railway station (Muswell Hill branch), sited on the grounds of the palace itself. Since the closure of both, the attraction is accessible by the frequent W3 bus (connections at Wood Green and Finsbury Park tube stations), or by W3 or walking uphill from the current Alexandra Palace railway station which is currentily served by First Capital Connect services from King's Cross and Moorgate.

Plans to link the park back into London's public transport network have several times been proposed, but at present car and bus access predominate.

Alexandra Park Neighbourhood

The area to the north of the park is known locally as Alexandra Park. Like many London neighbourhoods, its precise boundaries are not clear but it can be approximately placed in the area bounded by the North Circular Road to the north, the Great Northern Railway line to the east, the park to the south and a line to the west somewhere between Avenue Road and Curzon Road. The area's identity has been reinforced by its local website, Alexandra Park Neighbours.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/GreenFlag/GreenFlagAwardSites/London/Default.aspx?parkID=574
  2. ↑ - About (accessed 31 January 2008)
  3. ↑ Local residents refer to the area north of Alexandra park as simply Alexandra Park, Alexandra Park Neighbours
  4. ↑ grid reference TQ299902
  5. ↑ Mills, A.D. (2010). A Dictionary of London Place-Names. Oxford University Press. p. 6. ISBN 9780199566785.
  6. ↑ "Alexandra Park". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "Alexandra Park". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "iGiGL data portal (map)". Greenspace Information for Greater London. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  9. ↑ http://www.parkrun.org.uk/allypally/
  10. ↑ http://www.alexandrapalace.com/park/animal-enclosure/
  11. ↑ http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/environment/alexandra_park_deer_set_to_move_to_greener_pastures_1_4389116

External links

Coordinates: 51°35′44″N 0°07′34″W / 51.59568°N 0.12603°W / 51.59568; -0.12603

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