Waterlow Park

Waterlow Park, set on a hillside in Highgate boasting one of the best panoramic views over London, was bequeathed to the public by Sir Sydney Waterlow as a ‘garden for the gardenless’.

Covering 29 acres, the park includes Lauderdale House with its formal terraced gardens, ponds on three levels, tree lined walkways, mature shrub beds, herbaceous borders, ornamental bedding, expanses of lawn, six tennis courts, a small playground for younger children and a natural play area for older children.

In front of the Waterlow park centre, is exemplar planting of a dry border which requires relatively little maintenance and shows the type of plants that should survive our changing climate.

Wildlife

The park is home to much wildlife, including hedgehogs, woodpeckers and bats. There's a dedicated wildlife area used for education and maintained with the help of volunteers

The park is staffed permanently by two gardeners and an attendant.

Waterlow park centre

If you're organising an event take a look at what Waterlow park centre has to offer.

Photos of the park

Trees

Waterlow Park is home to a diverse range of trees and we've produced guides to help you spot the different types and where you can find them in the park:

• download: Trees in Waterlow Park (PDF 1.7MB)
• download: Waterlow Park tree walk (PDF 952KB)
• help with PDFs

Green flag

Waterlow Park retained its green flag status in 2010. Akin to Blue Flags which are awarded to outstanding beaches, Green Flags are bestowed on parks that have  demonstrated the highest standards in maintaining open spaces and providing what people want from their parks. So you can be sure to find a welcoming environment when you visit.

It has also received a Gold award from London in Bloom for 2009 and now 2010.

Friends

There is a friends of Waterlow Park group. If you would be interested in joining to help keep this park beautiful, please contact them.

• Waterlow Park Centre