Have you been to Waterlow Park lately? It’s the one at the top of Dartmouth Park Road on Highgate Hill and includes Lauderdale House.
I haven’t been there for ages but it might be just the place for a gentle autumn stroll this weekend, especially if you have children with you. This park has hidden depths – it may be small but it has a lot to offer. Did you know, for instance that it has three ‘historic ‘ ponds? The plentiful fresh water supply here was one of the reasons Highgate developed in the 16th century and the ponds today are still fed by those springs.
Then there is historic Lauderdale House which has just been extensively restored and looks great. Lauderdale House, was the home of the notorious Earl (later Duke) of Lauderdale in the 17th century. It appears certain that King Charles II stayed at the house, which bears out the long-standing colourful tradition of his mistress, Nell Gwyn, residing there. The house dates from the 16th century. So too does the garden, which is of interest to garden historians, being a very early example in Britain of a terraced garden.
Pop in and see what they have done – and check out the cafe too.
One of the things I love about this place is the fact that the poet Andrew Marvell once lived in a cottage here. One of Marvell’s verses, recorded on a bronze plaque in the Park, reminds us of this much-loved poet.
It’s also a good place to spot some of our favourite trees and if you are a beginner but would like to learn a little bit about trees there is a really good leaflet which you can download and take with you on a tree hunt. Again – this is great for families but also for anyone who does not know their beech from their hornbeam but would like to. Download the leaflet here: http://www.waterlowpark.org.uk/media/publications/Trees%20in%20Waterlow%20Park.pdf
And lastly, did you know the park is home to the headquarters of LUX – the principal centre for the promotion and distribution of experimental film and video works in the UK. It has one of the largest collections of experimental work and houses works of approximately 1500 artists and puts on regular events for the public. Click here to see what’s on this weekend: https://lux.org.uk/whats-on
So there we have it – a small park which packs a big punch – why not pay a visit this weekend. http://www.waterlowpark.org.uk/
