Lovely, spacious, and diverse neighborhood park. The park has a number of entrances and a diverse…read moreecosystem ranging from small woodlands, a wetlands area, a lake that you can walk around, a children's playground, mini golf, and open spaces to relax or play sports at. Great for people of all ages and fitness levels. Nice to have a green space like this in the local community. Well maintained and clean. It's sad that the cafeteria has fallen into disrepair and had to close down as well as the toilets. The council should get into action to fix those issues.

Four! Well actually it took me 8 attempts to sink a ball on the first hole, but I improved as the…read moreafternoon wore on. This is an excellent pitch and putt course in Grovelands Park. It's well maintained and the greens look immaculate. The nine holes are quite challenging and the course is nestled amongst some beautiful parkland. The prices are reasonable, about £4.00 for a round, which lasts for as long as you want it to, depeding on your standard and how many of you playing. If you don't have your own club you can hire one. The staff good fun and always willing to offer some advice, if you're a novice player like me. I've played here a few times, and always found it to be a very enjoyable way of killing a couple of hours on a slow Sunday afternoon.

This is such a great park with so many corners and areas tucked away for you to discover…read more There are three lakes on which you have geese, ducks and coots nesting (and the odd visiting Egyptian Goose popping in to say hello) as well as a very well tended walled garden tucked out of the way with its own conservatory that is open for a few hours to the public every Sunday. The big open green spaces give way to tennis courts and basketball courts that are all open and (seem) free to use by the general public. These are right next to the much slower paced bowls pitch and just across the pond you have a new and well frequented outdoor gym. Behind the gym there is crazy golf course (could do with a little spruce up but still a good laugh and very reasonably priced) which then leads out into 2 big football pitches. This big area often welcomes fair grounds and summer fetes. Very easily accessed, is just opposite the Palmers Green train station. There is also a burned out stately home on the grounds that has planning permission to be turned into a cafe and a few other 'visitor centre' type things. I for one am looking forward to this going ahead and getting completed to bring more people into this particular part of the park as it feels a little abandoned and neglected. A fantastic place to go running and exercise, or simply to grab a picnic basket and do something much less energetic on the beautifully tended grass.

This is my absolutely favorite park in London. Mostly because I live right by it so its the one I…read morego to the most! It has a large field type area, with a few benches, and a few trees, but the highlight is a fallen tree, that is a great place to sit on/lean against and read a book. It also has crazy golf, and large pond complete with permanent little boys with boats, and an adventure playground. It is deceptively massive, and even has a house, that is now very run down, that I am reliably informed used to James I hunting lodge!

This park rocks. I used to bike over here over the summer from Whetstone…read more Oak Hill is lush and large with a bike path and a mote. There is also a neighbouring golf course. There was nothing like riding through this park with the summer sun streaming down. There aren't many places to bike but the park is large with flower beds and benches. This park is a hidden treasure, not a treasure of the deep, just a treasure of East Barnet.

This used to be one of my local parks and now sadly I live too far away to visit. It's a great huge…read moreexpanse of greenery with childrens playgrounds, golf course and a cute little tea shop. At the northern end there is a woodland area which is a beautiful contrast to the manicured greenery of the rest of the park. It's not to be missed if you're already in the area.

If there is a god, the people at The Wildlife Rescue Service in Trent Park do his work…read more For a small admission fee, you get a chance to meet all the inhabitants of the sanctuary including a beautiful raven, a stunning bird of prey. I saw some tawny owls, some escaped parrots, a couple of pigs, a goat unable to live with other goats..it was like Noah's arc for injured wildlife. Some of the animals they rehabilitate here go back into the wild, some stick around. The raven is rather attached one of the founding volunteers. I wish he was attached to me. I wanted to take him home and love him.

My favourite local park but keep it under your hat…read more Since moving back to North London, place of my Birth and ancestral home, I've enjoyed getting my South London park walking routine back on. A good brisk walk blows out the work cobwebs and keeps the business stresses at bay. My favourite park is Oakwood. Just round the corner from my house, it's a calm green and beautiful antidote to life toils. Do I sound stressed.......?

Friary Park is a bit of a formal affair with the only formal sport being bowls. The only other…read moresport to be had here are the free Tennis Courts. The tennis courts are what I would call average for the area; not great, but not falling apart either. The surface of the two courts is very similar, with the far court suffering from the problem of overhanging trees. This is only a problem after it has rained, so for most of the time the surface is good. The nets are in a good condition and well-maintained and the lines of the court are clearly visible. These courts can be popular however, and with only 2 courts in the entire park, it can get a bit silly on occasion. I had to wait over an hour for a court once, and I have spotted an argument over the courts a couple of times. Tennis is a popular family sport in the area, and it seems a bit silly that there are only 2 courts for a park of this size and popularity. The fencing isn't great either, but it does the job. On the basis of great, but not great surfaces, I'm giving it 3 stars. But on the plus-side, I'd give it 3.5 if the system would let me.

An oasis of calm, the jewel in the crown of New Southgate, the last refuge of the scoundrel? No,…read moreits just a little park in North London, though it does have a few tennis courts as well as a woodland feature. But I love it!

This is a terrific place to think and get away from it all. It's a beautiful, quiet, walled garden…read morein the heart of suburbia. Anyone expecting it to be full of flowerbeds bursting with colour though, will be disappointed; it's mainly bushes and trees. The real attraction and focal point is the ancient pollarded oak tree. It's more than 800 years old and thought to be a remnant of the ancient forest of Middlesex. In the19th century it was reputed to be the largest in England. Access to the garden is down four shallow steps, but the paving surface is quite uneven and therefore not very wheelchair-friendly.

My local sanctuary. Sits next to the cemetery which forms part of the church next door. Very…read morepeaceful. Usually empty or with one or two people in there when I visit. Occasionally there are mothers and children there after school which are not the most peaceful times to visit but Inlike it that children can enjoy playing there. I'm sure it evokes all sorts of imagination games! There are four benches in each quarter of the garden. The 800 year old Oak is the dominant feature. It stands surrounded by a little fence and there's an information board explaining its history, age and size. You can see that there were once structures in the garden which are now just remnants of its former glory; mini ruins, if you like. It's the sort of place that has a charm in all seasons! The glowing warmth of Spring and Summer, the golden decay of Autumn and the skeletal trees of Winter. A summer rain gives the garden a certain peaceful melancholy. I feel very lucky that this is so close to where I live.

I ride my bicycle here from Totteridge Lane to Barnet and then continue onwards sometimes…read more There are bike paths in this park. One slopes more than other but they are both pretty flat. A river runs through the centre of this park and a saw an Egret here before walking on his little yellow stilt legs. A portion of this park is open fields and I like to walk there as well. It is called Brook Farm Open Space. This a good place for a short run or bike ride that is not to strenuous.