Waterlow Park is a large and leafy public park in Highgate, just across the road from Highgate Cemetery and popular with locals as an alternative to the nearby Hampstead Heath. In 1872 the land (all 26 acres of it) was leased to St Bartholomew's Hospital as a place where patients could come to recover, then in 1889 the owner Sir Sydney Waterlow donated it to the London County Council to serve as a “garden for the garden-less”.
Waterlow Park has been laid out in its garden formation since the 1600s, with a landscaped garden and water fountain next to Lauderdale House and a rose garden further out into the park. Three ponds within the gardens are home to ducks, geese, and other waterfowl, making it a popular sport for bird-watching. Nature enthusiasts are also drawn to the Waterlow Park’s Upper Pond nature area with wildflower meadows that attract butterflies, while photographers flock here for the panoramic views of London’s skyline four miles south.
The park began life as the grounds of Lauderdale House, a Tudor country mansion built in 1580 for the Lord Mayor of London and later owned by the Dukes of Lauderdale. One of the finest country houses in Highgate, it was briefly used by Nell Gwynn (the mistress of King Charles II) and visited by the king and the famous diarist Samuel Pepys. Today the Grade-II listed Lauderdale House is often used for weddings and other occasions, but day-to-day is an arts and education venue which provides workshops and volunteering opportunities. Visitors can learn all about the history of the house, as well as enjoying the art gallery and café inside before venturing out into the park, which occasionally hosts temporary sculpture exhibitions.
Note: the park’s closing times vary with the seasons according to when the sun sets - click here for more details.
Details
- Address:
- Waterlow Park
- N6 5HG
- Transport:
- Archway and Highgate Underground stations