Camden Parks and Open Spaces

The London Borough of Camden is arguably the greenest of the Inner London boroughs. This is largely because it contains most of the extensive swathe of land that is Hampstead Heath. But there are also many smaller green spaces, like Primrose Hill. The Central London part of the borough, south of the Euston Road, is characterised by its elegant and historic squares, like Tavistock Square and Bedford Square, and the Regent's Canal (a 'Green Route') runs through the borough, around the top edge of Regent's Park, part of which is also in Camden. (Confusingly, while Highgate Cemetery is in Camden, Highgate Wood is in the neighbouring borough of Haringey.)

Apart from Camden Council, a variety of agencies are responsible for the upkeep of open space in the borough. For example, Hampstead Heath is mostly owned by the City of London Corporation, though the Kenwood House area of the Heath is maintained by English Heritage. Highgate Cemetery is managed by its own trust, Highgate Cemetery Ltd. The Phoenix Garden is managed by an independent charity.

Some open spaces of note:

  • Bloomsbury Square
  • Brunswick Square
  • Camley Street Natural Park (small—0.8 hectares /2 acres) —but interesting nature reserve by the canal at King's Cross)
  • Coram's Fields
  • Gordon Square
  • Hampstead Heath (681 acres (2.8 km²) in Camden, 110 acres (0.4 km²) in next-door Barnet)
  • Highgate Cemetery
  • Kilburn Grange Park
  • Lincoln's Inn Fields (the largest public square in London)
  • Phoenix Garden (the only community garden in Soho and Covent Garden)
  • Primrose Hill
  • Regent's Park (part of)
  • Russell Square
  • Talacre Gardens ( Home to the biggest gymnastics club in Britain)
  • Tavistock Square
  • St James' Gardens
  • St Martin's Gardens
  • St Pancras Old Church Gardens
  • Waterlow Park

Famous quotes containing the words parks, open and/or spaces:

    Towns are full of people, houses full of tenants, hotels full of guests, trains full of travelers, cafés full of customers, parks full of promenaders, consulting-rooms of famous doctors full of patients, theatres full of spectators, and beaches full of bathers. What previously was, in general, no problem, now begins to be an everyday one, namely, to find room.
    José Ortega Y Gasset (1883–1955)

    The confusion is not my invention. We cannot listen to a conversation for five minutes without being aware of the confusion. It is all around us and our only chance now is to let it in. The only chance of renovation is to open our eyes and see the mess. It is not a mess you can make sense of.
    Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)

    Surely, we are provided with senses as well fitted to penetrate the spaces of the real, the substantial, the eternal, as these outward are to penetrate the material universe. Veias, Menu, Zoroaster, Socrates, Christ, Shakespeare, Swedenborg,—these are some of our astronomers.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)