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Oxhey Park

Open all year

Large parkland on the edge of Watford. 6 points of interest

Site of historical interest

One Saturday afternoon in January 1919 the Council’s Estates Committee met at 3pm on Wiggenhall bridge to view the estate.

By May 1919 the price of �14000 had been provisionally agreed with the owners.

Long drawn out negotiations followed because to buy it the council had to have a loan sanctioned by the Ministry of Health. The actual conveyance document, with its map, is dated 26 April 1920.

Gradually over the next four years the necessary decisions were made on land allocation, the finance was sorted, and the groundwork put in hand.

Once the areas set aside for housing and allotment had been agreed, the use of what remained for pleasure grounds and recreation could be planned.

In January 1924 the Estates Committee of what was by now Watford Borough Council could recommend that the ‘newly allocated public park be named and known as Oxhey Park’.

In September 1924 major improvements to Wiggenhall Road and the bridge were approved and the construction of a new road incorporating Deacon’s Hill.

The Deacon’s Hill road would take a portion of the park and destroy some trees. Replacements were to be planted ‘along the new border with the road’.

These probably include the three lime trees still edging the park on that side.

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Nature

Wildlife

Oxhey Park is designated as a County Wildlife Site. This is given to the most important wildlife sites across Hertfordshire

The River Colne runs through this large park of amenity grassland and scattered trees.

The river supports good marginal vegetation with substantial beds of reed sweet-grass, branched bur-reed, unbranched bur-reed, common club-rush and bullrushes.

Towards Bushey Arches is an area known as The Dell which supports secondary broadleaved woodland of ash, sycamore, elm and horse chestnut.

There is a scrubby sub-canopy of elder, elm, hawthorn, ash and sycamore and a ground flora that includes dogs mercury, wood avens and a variety of woodland grasses.

Birds of the park include: great and blue tits, jays, greater-spotted woodpecker, grey wagtail and kingfisher.

Other wildlife: on summer evenings pipistrelle bats can be seen feeding in the park

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Outdoor Gym

Fitness Equipment

A group of outdoor fitness equipment including;-

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Oxhey Conker

Artwork

A wooden sculpture – a great focal point to the park

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Play Area

Playground

Play area for children up to the age of 12.

Equipment includes:-

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Park Information

Oxhey Park is approximately 14 hectares of parkland with a wooded dell and rolling grassy slopes.

There are good tarmac footpaths through the park, at river level and at the top of the park: the two footpaths are linked by a long flight of gentle steps in the middle of the park.