Description
Princes Park was laid out as a public park in 1923, with tennis courts shown on inter-war OS maps. And includes mature oak trees that predate the surrounding housing development. To the south-east of the park is a small area of woodland that has a fragment of ancient woodland containing a mature wild service tree and old crab apple tree; the area is shown as wooded on a 1796 map.
Practical Information
| Site location | Oakfields Road/Princes Park Avenue/Park Way, Golders Green |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW11 0JS |
| What3Words | ///expert.harsh.talked |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Toilets, play area, tennis courts |
| Public Transport | Tube: Brent Cross (Northern). Bus: 83, 183, 210, 240 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2000 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The land was purchased to create the public park here in 1923 and it is surrounded by the back gardens of housing all around. It is a well-used neighbourhood park with lawns, flower beds and ornamental shrubbery. There are numerous mature oak trees particularly along Oakfields Road which pre-date the surrounding housing. A small woodland in the south east is a fragment of an older wood, and contains a mature wild service tree and old crab apple tree; the area is shown as wooded on a 1796 map. The park has a perimeter planting of shrubs and formal rose beds near the entrance; a mock-Tudor toilet block is surrounded by a neat evergreen hedge with an arch over the path leading to a circular bed with trees. The original park gates remain.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ243887 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.37 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet |
| Site Management | Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division |
| Dates | 1923 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Barnet |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Small Local Park |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Hampstead Garden Suburb was conceived by Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1903 when the area, hitherto rural, became ripe for development. Her aim was to provide a garden suburb for the working classes, with some larger houses as well as amenities. The overall layout was the work of Raymond Unwin. The street pattern followed the land contours, with curving and straight roads to create interesting viewpoints, closes and squares, street trees, a pedestrian network of footpaths and a variety of green spaces. The first phase was largely built between 1907 - 1912 and included Litchfield Square. Hedge and trees separate the square from the road, the houses on three sides fronting onto a neat slightly raised lawn.
Brent Park was opened to the public in 1934. It is on the site of Brent Bridge House, demolished in 1935, whose grounds contained Decoy Wood and a small stream forming a narrow lake, with the house situated at the southern tip. The lake was created as a duck decoy and the farmland surrounding it was known as Decoy Farm. A stretch of the lake remains, crossed in the north by a rustic bridge, with a perimeter walk between thickly wooded banks, with some mature evergreen specimens surviving close to the site of the former house.
Hampstead Garden Suburb was conceived by Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1903 when the area, hitherto rural, became ripe for development. Her aim was to provide a garden suburb for the working classes, with some larger houses as well as amenities. The overall layout was the work of Raymond Unwin. The street pattern followed the land contours, with curving and straight roads to create interesting viewpoints, closes and squares, street trees, a pedestrian network of footpaths and a variety of green spaces. Willifield Green was laid out as part of the first phase of development, largely built between 1907 -1912, and consists of an expanse of grass with trees and shrubs, low wooden posts to the road. Set behind the green are artisans cottages built in 1909 for the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company.
