Alexandra Park, London

Alexandra Park is a large convert|196|acre|km2|sing=on [http://www.alexandrapalace.com/about.html Alexandra Palace - About] (accessed 31/01/2008)] (79.3 Ha) landscaped park in the London Borough of Haringey in Greater London. It is on a hill [gbmapping|TQ299902] , adjacent to both Muswell Hill and Wood Green and north of Crouch End. It is dominated by Alexandra Palace. From 1936 to 1981, the BBC transmitted TV progammes from a tall mast built onto one of the towers of the palace. In 1980, most of the palace was gutted by a huge fire. The building has since been restored and is now a conference and exhibition centre.

The vast, tree-lined sloping hill has wide views over London. On a clear day, the Crystal Palace Transmitter in the London Borough of Bromley is visible.

An Act of Parliament in 1900 created the Alexandra Palace and Park Trust. The Act required the Trustees to maintain the Palace and Park and make them available for the free use and recreation of the public forever.

The park has a secondary school named after it is called Alexandra Park School.

Until September 1970, Alexandra Park hosted horse racing, including many evening meetings that were televised by the BBC. The racecourse in the park grounds was nicknamed "the Frying Pan" due to its shape, and boasted an ornate Victorian grandstand and cast-iron railings. Its most prestigious race was the London Cup.

Events

Haringey Council also puts on a firework and music display on the nearest Saturday to Guy Fawkes Night. At the foot of Muswell Hill, the park is host to a weekly farmers market selling fresh organic produce.

Wildlife

A medium-sized lake attracts a variety of waterfowl in all seasons, and a large enclosure houses a small herd of fallow deer.

Access

Accessibility by public transport became well developed in the late nineteenth century, the park and its palace being well connected to both to the electric tram network and to London's train network through Alexandra Palace railway station (Muswell Hill branch), sited on the grounds of the palace itself. Since the closure of both, the attraction has become less accessible, with Alexandra Palace railway station a short walk from the eastern gate. Plans to link the park back into London's public transport network have several times been proposed, but at present car access predominates.

Notes