Friary Park
Encyclopedia
Friary Park is a formal Edwardian park in Friern Barnet
in the London Borough of Barnet
. It is owned and managed by Barnet Council, and has a children's playground, tennis courts, a bowling green, a pitch and putt, a skateboard park and a cafe. It is a Local Nature Reserve
, and received a Green Flag Award
for 2009-2010.
The site was home to the Knights Hospitaller
in the Middle Ages
, and of Friern Barnet Manor House from the sixteenth century. The name Friary Park was adopted in the 1870s and it was opened to the public in 1910. In 2010 the Friends of Friary Park and other local societies organised centenary celebrations.
The cafe is housed in the nineteenth century Gothic Revival Friary House, which is otherwise mostly unused, although Barnet Council announced in 2010 that work is underway to convert it to a base for the local police Safer Neighbourhood Team
.
A prominent feature is a statue, the 'Bringer of Peace', dedicated to the memory of King Edward VII
, and erected on 7 May 1910, the day after his death.
Its most interesting features ecologically are ancient oak trees and a small stream, a tributary of Pymme's Brook.
There is access from Torrington Park, Friary Road and Friern Barnet Lane.
, which are rare in London, breed in the ponds, which are a Local Nature Reserve, Borough Grade II. The reserve is not open to the public.
Friern Barnet
Friern Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburban development situated north of Charing Cross. The centre of Friern Barnet is formed by the busy intersection of Colney Hatch Lane , Woodhouse Road and Friern Barnet Road .-History:Friern Barnet was an...
in the London Borough of Barnet
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 owned and managed by Barnet Council, and has a children's playground, tennis courts, a bowling green, a pitch and putt, a skateboard park and a cafe. It is a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
, 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 site was home to the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, and of Friern Barnet Manor House from the sixteenth century. The name Friary Park was adopted in the 1870s and it was opened to the public in 1910. In 2010 the Friends of Friary Park and other local societies organised centenary celebrations.
The cafe is housed in the nineteenth century Gothic Revival Friary House, which is otherwise mostly unused, although Barnet Council announced in 2010 that work is underway to convert it to a base for the local police Safer Neighbourhood Team
Police community support officer
A police community support officer , or community support officer is a uniformed non-warranted officer employed by a territorial police force or the British Transport Police in England and Wales. Police community support officers were introduced in September 2002 by the Police Reform Act 2002...
.
A prominent feature is a statue, the 'Bringer of Peace', dedicated to the memory of King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, and erected on 7 May 1910, the day after his death.
Its most interesting features ecologically are ancient oak trees and a small stream, a tributary of Pymme's Brook.
There is access from Torrington Park, Friary Road and Friern Barnet Lane.
North Middlesex Golf Course Ponds
The North Middlesex Golf Course is adjacent to the park to the north. The stream runs from two small ponds on the golf course and then enters the park. Palmate newtsPalmate Newt
The Palmate Newt is a species of newt found in most of Western Europe, including Great Britain. It is protected by law in all countries where it occurs, and is thought to be extremely rare to endangered in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and vulnerable in Spain and Poland but common...
, which are rare in London, breed in the ponds, which are a Local Nature Reserve, Borough Grade II. The reserve is not open to the public.