Northaw Park

Downs, Moorland in Hertfordshire Welwyn Hatfield

England

Northaw Park

Church of St Thomas A Becket, Northaw It&#039;s there if you look closely — Church of St Thomas A Becket, Northaw Credit: David Howard

Northaw Park is a picturesque nature reserve located in Hertfordshire, England. Covering an area of approximately 74 hectares, it is renowned for its diverse landscape, encompassing downs and moorland. The park is situated within the Northaw Great Wood, which is part of the Green Belt surrounding London.

The park's downs are characterized by gently rolling hills covered in short, fine grasses, providing a perfect habitat for a variety of wildlife. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding countryside from the higher points of the downs. The moorland, on the other hand, consists of wet and marshy areas with heather and gorse vegetation. This unique combination of habitats attracts a wide range of flora and fauna, including rare species such as the grayling butterfly and the Dartford warbler.

Northaw Park offers numerous walking trails and footpaths, allowing visitors to explore its natural beauty. The park is also home to a diverse range of bird species, making it a popular destination for birdwatchers. In addition, there are picnic areas and benches scattered throughout the park, providing visitors with a chance to relax and enjoy the serene surroundings.

Managed by the local council, Northaw Park is open to the public year-round and admission is free. The park has basic facilities, including parking areas and public toilets. It also hosts educational events and guided walks, providing visitors with an opportunity to learn more about the park's unique ecosystem. Overall, Northaw Park offers a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty of nature.

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Northaw Park Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.696778/-0.14987188 or Grid Reference TL2701. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Church of St Thomas A Becket, Northaw

It's there if you look closely

David Howard

Northaw Green and memorial

David Howard

Judge's pub, Northaw

Finally fully open after the lockdowns

David Howard

About to join the M25 from the A111

Rob Purvis

Potters Bar bus garage

David Howard

Shops on Hatfield Road, Potters Bar

David Howard

Allure hairdressers on Hatfield Road, Potters Bar

David Howard

Potters Bar - Eunice & Franklin topple scaffolding

On Friday (18/2/22) as Storm Eunice swept across the UK, this upper section of Potters Bar High Street was closed as a large construction of scaffolding was teetering, and some had already fallen along (I believe) with part of the building's roof. I don't know if the road was later re-opened, but in the small hours of Monday (21/2/22) Storm Franklin went one better - bringing down a whole section of the scaffolding and spraying it across the High Street into Oakmere Park on the opposite side of the road. Needless to say, the road is definitely closed again and I would think it will remain that way for quite some time.

Rob Farrow

Northaw Road West

David Howard

M25 at Junction 24 (Potters Bar)

Officially named the London Orbital and frequently derided as nothing more than a very big car park, the M25 is a 117-mile orbital motorway that encircles London; one of the world's biggest ring roads (Europe's second longest orbital road after the Berliner Ring, which is 122 miles). It is not, however, a continuous loop of motorway as the Dartford Crossing section (comprising the Dartford Tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge) over the Thames and its approach roads are designated as the A282. Constructed between 1975 and 1986, the M25 is reputedly the most expensive motorway Britain ever built, costing a total of £909m or roughly £7.5m per mile, but at the time of its planning, the demand for the road was considerably underestimated so that when it was finally completed in 1986, it was already out of date. Demand outstripped capacity within a few years and ever since then it's been very heavily congested. The M25 is one of the UK’s busiest motorways, carrying up to 200,000 vehicles and 10,000 HGVs per day (AADT - Annual Average Daily Traffic flow) on the section near to Heathrow Airport. Since its opening in the 1980s, the southern, western and eastern sections have been widened to largely dual four lane (D4M) standard, but much of the motorway retains its dual three lane road (D3M) cross-section as originally built. The M25 was home to England's first Variable Speed Limits on motorways between the A3 and M4 in the early 1990s. Link