Local Attractions
Places of Interest in and around Palmers Green
Broomfield Park is a five to ten minutes walk away and well worth the effort. It is located off Alderman’s Hill just up the road from the Triangle and Railway Station in Palmers Green. Within it’s 54 acres there are the usual outdoor play facilities including crazy golf, tennis, bowling green, basketball court, a football pitch and an enclosed children’s play area and commando course. There are also three ponds and a large greenhouse open to the public. There is a separate, quiet garden of remembrance in one corner, an aviary and a braille garden. Also within the park is the relic of Broomfield House. This previously beautiful, Grade II listed Elizabethan property was destroyed by a series of fires and is now enclosed by scaffolding. There are plans to rebuild it. (map).
Grovelands Park off The Bourne, between Palmers Green and Southgate. This is a large open parkland with a pond, a small café offering hot & cold refreshments with a designated children’s area alongside and a nine-hole pitch and putt course. This was the favourite park of the late local poet Stevie Smith (map).
Arnos Park off Powys Lane N13 (pedestrian entrance). This is another large open parkland of 44 acres with a small traditional children’s play area (map).
Trent Park is at Cockfosters just past the tube station (Piccadilly line) on the right. There are nature walks, barbecue facilities and a café. As well as being home to a campus of the Middlesex University, this holds the country’s finest wallpaper collection (map).
Alexandra Palace surrounded by 196 acres of beautiful parkland and grounds is just a short train ride away (hop on a W3 bus from opposite Alexandra Palace Station if you do not like steep hills). The views towards London from this vantage point are wonderful and it is great fun trying to spot the Telecom Tower, Canary Wharf, St Paul’s Cathedral or the Shard. National exhibitions are frequently held in the exhibition hall. There is an ice skating rink and also an outdoor playground and a boating pool (rowing boats for hire) with lots of wild fowl, so remember to take a few crusts! A fishing area is available for use by those with an Environment Agency Rod Licence which is available from Post Offices. There is also a quiet area called the rose gardens in the park complete with a small pond and fountain. Approximately 1,500 free parking spaces available. On most Sundays a Farmers Market is held at the Muswell Hill Entrance ( Hornsey Gate). For more visitor information and transport options.
Kidzbiz, previously known as Clown Town, is an indoor adventure playground and is located within 3 minutes walking distance of The Sound Learning Centre, the entrance is via the car park in Lodge Drive located at the rear of McDonalds. They have ball pools, tube slides, tarzan ropes, biff bash bags, twizzle maze, net climbs and a monkey tree house. They also have a special toddler area and a café. Tel: 020 8886 7520 (map).
Kidz Adventure Zone is an indoor adventure play area based at Unit C, 2 Coburg Road, Wood Green, London, N22 6UJ, telephone 020 8881 9737. It has a 6 metre high slide, roller squeeze, spin pole, mirror maze, bridge arch and sports zone. Toddlers can have fun too with the ball juggler, ramp log, slide and interactive play sessions. They also offer an after school and holidays club. (map).
Southgate Leisure Centre Tel: 020 8882 7963, in Winchmore Hill Road has a 33.3m, 6 lane swimming pool. There are also gymnasium, sauna, steam room and parking facilities. Either the 121 or W6 bus from the bus stop at the “Triangle” outside W.H.Smith on Alderman’s Hill will take you to Southgate tube station and the pool is just a short walk from there (map).
Great North Leisure Park about 3 miles drive away has a number of facilities on one site including an eight screen multiplex cinema North Finchley Vue Cinema, a bowling ally with a micro brewery, a swimming complex Finchley Lido, together with restaurants and a pizza parlour. Located just off the North Circular Road on the old A1000 on the right hand side before you reach Squires Lane going north towards Tally Ho Corner (map). Large parking facility.
Lee Valley Regional Park is 26 miles long and contains many venues worth visiting. Within its length there is a Leisure Complex at Edmonton, with an Odeon multiplex cinema, sports centre, large swimming pool, practice golf course together with various restaurants and pizza parlours. There are also several caravan and camping facilities within the park. A number of park maps in .pdf format, are available which detail the main sections of the park, what is available and how to get there.
David Lloyd Centres has two locations with sports and beauty facilities within easy reach. One is in Finchley (map) next to the Great North Leisure Park and the other is in Enfield (map) in Carterhatch Lane off the A10 heading north. Please note: you have to be a paid up member to enjoy their facilities.
For adults who would prefer a game of golf Barnet has three public golf courses: East Barnet Golf Club (Tudor Golf Course), Clifford Road, New Barnet (020 8449 2366) (map). Bethune Recreation Ground, Beaconsfield Road, Friern Barnet, N11 (020 8368 8153). Oak Hill Park, Parkside Gardens, East Barnet, (020 8368 3949) (map).
Horse riding facilities can be found at Trent Park Equestrian Centre near to Oakwood Tube station (Piccadilly Line). Turn right when you leave the station and the stables are along on the left hand side (map). You can also check out Kings Oak Equestrian Centre, Theobalds Park Road, Crews Hill, Enfield, EN2 9BL, telephone: 020 8363 7868 (map).
Two major shopping centres are within a reasonable bus ride from Palmers Green, The Mall Wood Green in the centre of Wood Green south of Palmers Green, which also offers a multiplex cinema on the first floor (map) and Brent Cross Shopping Centre on the North Circular Road heading west from Palmers Green (map). Our own local shops offer a wide variety from fast food outlets to the £1 bargain store. Enfield Town has a traditional market in the town centre on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
RAF Museum London is well worth a visit with a display of World War Two aircraft (map).
Keats House is a museum about John Keats the poet. (map).
Hampstead Heath is a lovely open heath land where you can walk (map).
Forty Hall at Enfield is a museum and gardens containing items of local interest (map).
Church Farmhouse Museum is a handsome Grade 2 listed building dating from the mid- seventeenth century and has regular exhibitions throughout the year – admission free. Open Monday to Thursday 10 to 1 and 2 to 5, Friday closed, Saturday 10 to 1 and 2 to 5.30, Sunday 2 to 5.30 (map).
College Farm Finchley at 45 Fitzalan Road, London N3 3PG, telephone 020 8349 0690, is currently closed (map).
Parkside Farm Pick Your Own farm 15 minutes from the centre at Hadley Wood, open June to October. They also have a large playground (map).
Tottenham Hotspurs Football Stadium located off Tottenham High Road (map) and Arsenal Football Stadium at Drayton Park (map) are two local premier football teams that are open to visitors when a game is not scheduled.
The Walker Cricket Ground, Waterfall Road, Southgate. Professional cricket games are sometimes played at this venue (map).