Alexandra Park

Alexandra Park is a large green space in north London’s Haringey borough, covering 80 hectares of varied landscape. It sits on land once called Tottenham Wood and later a farm of the same name. The park and its palace were named in 1863 for Alexandra of Denmark, who married the future King Edward VII. The park mixes gentle slopes with flat areas, lined by trees that frame wide views across London. From the hilltop near Alexandra Palace visitors can often see the Crystal Palace Transmitter and the North Downs in Surrey. The palace itself, built to rival the Crystal Palace in south London, once hosted BBC television broadcasts from a tall mast on its tower. The park has a long history of public use. In 1900 a law turned it into a public trust so people could enjoy it freely forever. For many years it held horse racing on the flat below the palace, with evening meetings broadcast by the BBC. The racecourse, shaped like a frying pan, had a grandstand and cast-iron railings. A lake in the park once held fallow deer, moved to Devon in 2016, and the whole site is now a local nature reserve. Regular events include food festivals, a summer fair, fireworks in November and a Saturday Parkrun. Local groups lead guided walks on fungi, trees and wildlife. Paths lead from Alexandra Palace railway station up to the hilltop in ten minutes. The park’s slopes offer sweeping views over London while the flat areas hold sports clubs and the old racecourse site. A farmers market meets weekly at the Muswell Hill edge. The surrounding neighbourhood shares the name and has its own library and schools. The park remains a place where people gather for sport, nature and celebration throughout the year.