'Alexandra Park' is a large landscaped park in the
London Borough of Haringey in
Greater London. It is on a hill
[1], adjacent to
Muswell Hill 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. The vast tree lined sloping hill has spectacular views over London and a network of paths and walks. Haringey council also put on a spectacular 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. 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.
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 for ever.
The park has a secondary school named after it
Alexandra Park School.
Wildlife
A medium-sized lake attracts a variety of waterfowl in all seasons, and a large enclosure houses
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. Since the closure of both, the attraction has become much less accessible. Plans to link the park back into London's public transport network have several times been proposed, but at present car access predominates.
Notes
1.