The London Borough of Enfield is the northernmost of the Outer London boroughs. The borough lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt, and several of its 123 or more parks and open spaces are part of it. The ancient Enfield Chase, remnants of which still exist, occupied much of the area. In addition to many playgrounds and sports facilities (including a number of golf courses), the main areas of public open space are:
- Albany Park: Enfield Wash, 45 acres (0.18 km2) formally opened 1902, since extended; west of Enfield Lock railway station
- Arnos Park, Arnos Grove: 44 acres (0.18 km2) opened in 1928; north of Arnos Grove tube station; Pymmes Brook Trail passes through it
- Beech Hill Park, Hadley Wood: includes Hadley Wood Golf Course
- Broomfield Park, Palmers Green: 54 acres (0.22 km2), purchased 1903
- Bullsmoor Playing Fields, Freezywater
- Bury Lodge Gardens Edmonton
- Bush Hill Park Recreation Ground Bush Hill Park was officially opened on 18 April 1911
- Churchfields Recreation Ground Edmonton
- Craig Park, Edmonton
- Cunningham Park, Freezywater
- Ryans Park, Enfield Highway
- Durants Park, Enfield Highway created in 1903.
- Forty Hall Park: an estate of 273 acres (1.10 km2) managed by Enfield Borough, includes woodlands and grounds around Forty Hall
- Grovelands Park, Southgate
- Hilly Fields, near Gordon Hill railway station: 62 acres (0.25 km2) purchased 1911
- Hollywood Gardens, Edmonton
- Jubilee Park, Lower Edmonton
- King George's Field, Enfield Highway, opened in 1939, to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary in 1935.
- Montagu Road Recreation Ground, Edmonton
- Oakwood Park: 64 acres (0.26 km2) purchased 1927
- Ponders End Recreation Ground ( Ryans Park), Ponders End
- Plevna Road Open Space, Edmonton
- Pymmes Park, Edmonton: 53 acres (0.21 km2) purchased 1899
- Tatem Park, Edmonton
- Town Park, Enfield Town, which incorporates the last public remnant of Enfield Old Park.
- Trent Park: country park
- Whitewebbs Park
Apart from those open spaces, there are the two large reservoirs. The King George V and the William Girling collectively known as the Chingford Reservoirs situated alongside the River Lea in the east of the Borough.
Famous quotes containing the words parks, open and/or spaces:
“Perhaps our own woods and fields,—in the best wooded towns, where we need not quarrel about the huckleberries,—with the primitive swamps scattered here and there in their midst, but not prevailing over them, are the perfection of parks and groves, gardens, arbors, paths, vistas, and landscapes. They are the natural consequence of what art and refinement we as a people have.... Or, I would rather say, such were our groves twenty years ago.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Wild Bill was indulging in his favorite pastime of a friendly game of cards in the old No. 10 saloon. For the second time in his career, he was sitting with his back to an open door. Jack McCall walked in, shot him through the back of the head, and rushed from the place, only to be captured shortly afterward. Wild Bill’s dead hand held aces and eights, and from that time on this has been known in the West as “the dead man’s hand.””
—State of South Dakota, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Le silence éternel de ces espaces infinis m’effraie. The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)