Old Court House Recreation Ground
Encyclopedia
Old Court House Recreation Ground is a public park in High Barnet in the London Borough of Barnet
. It is one of the borough's Premier Parks and received a Green Flag Award
for 2009-2010.
The park has six free tennis courts, a bowling green with a pavilion, a children's playground, a café and a car park (off Manor Close). It has formal gardens, grassed areas, rockeries, and a tree trail. Some of the trees are from California, such as a Monterey pine
and a Brewer's weeping spruce, planted in the nineteenth century.
, and in 1923 the council purchased the Old Court House estate. The park was opened in 1926.
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
. It is one of the borough's Premier Parks and received a Green Flag Award
Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
for 2009-2010.
The park has six free tennis courts, a bowling green with a pavilion, a children's playground, a café and a car park (off Manor Close). It has formal gardens, grassed areas, rockeries, and a tree trail. Some of the trees are from California, such as a Monterey pine
Monterey Pine
The Monterey Pine, Pinus radiata, family Pinaceae, also known as the Insignis Pine or Radiata Pine is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California....
and a Brewer's weeping spruce, planted in the nineteenth century.
Conservation areas
A refurbishment plan carried out since 2007 included the introduction of three conservation areas. The Orchard Conservation Area was formerly an orchard and some fruit trees survive. Old varieties of fruit trees have also been planted and some parts, which were formerly mown short, are now managed for a variety of flowers and herbs. The Bungalow Conservation Area was formerly the park keeper's lodge. It has now been cleared and is managed for nature conservation studies by local schools. A former tennis court has been dug up and left to develop its own wildlife as the Old Disused Tennis Court Conservation Area.History
The park is named after a county court adjacent to the site which was held until the First World War. In the nineteenth century, the land was owned by the Rumball family and leased as pasture, a brewery and stables. In 1912 the brewery site was purchased by Barnet Urban District CouncilBarnet Urban District
Barnet was a local government district in south Hertfordshire from 1863 to 1965 around the town of Barnet.-Creation:Barnet Local Government District was created on September 25, 1863 under the Local Government Act 1858, and was governed by a local board...
, and in 1923 the council purchased the Old Court House estate. The park was opened in 1926.