Kilburn Grange Park

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Living in North West London, I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by parks. From Golders Hill to the Heath to Regents Park, I am spoilt for choice when it comes to outdoor spaces to visit if I want some fresh air. Although these parks are all beautiful, I decided to discover a new park during my walk on Wednesday. My dad suggested Kilburn Grange Park, and while I initially thought it was a bit far – especially if I was unable to find it – I managed to get there quickly and without any problems.

is situated behind Kilburn High Road and was formerly part of the estate of The Grange, a large house built in 1831. Around 30 years later, a market garden was added to the estate, and following the demolition of the house, the estate was bought by the London County Council and turned into a public park, which opened to the public in 1913.

When I visited Kilburn Grange Park, it was very sunny and lots of people are still off work, uni and school, so the park was unsurprising busy. There were multiple families, runners, picnickers and even large groups of people (who clearly think that this is all some kind of extended holiday).



I started off my walk at the entrance closest to The Black Lion pub and made my way clockwise around the park. The first thing I spotted the big green in the middle, which was packed full of people, sunbathing, playing ball games or having picnics. On the left is the basketball court, which was, of course, empty – although I wonder how long that will last…

Walking on a bit further, I came to the children's playground, which was also not in use. It's a decent-sized playground that features a slide, climbing frame, seesaw and picnic benches.



Not that far from the playground is a couple of tennis courts and an adventure playground for older kids. The latter was originally intended as a space where the children of working parents could engage in natural and adventure play and interact with other children. Sadly, it seems that the playground is no longer in use (even without a pandemic), but cross fingers this won't be the case for too long.

After the adventure playground, you'll find an outdoor gym with lots of exercise bars and equipment that is suitable for people of all levels of fitness and ability. As with most of the amenities in Kilburn Grange Park, the gym is currently closed, but hopefully, it will open up again before the end of summer. Adjacent to this is the Old English Garden. Here you'll spot a beautiful array of flowers that are surrounded by a range of trees, such as silver birch, sessile oak and yew, and a few benches if you want to sit and admire the nature.





Unfortunately, there is no café in Kilburn Grange Park, so if you're feeling a bit peckish, you will either have to bring food and drinks from home or pop into one of the local shops or cafes. Nando's, Tesco Express and Sainsbury's Local are just a few minutes away.

If you live in either Kilburn or West Hampstead and need a change of scenery, is the place for you. At 3.2 hectares, is hardly on the scale of the Heath and some of the more notable parks in the area, but it's popular with locals and makes a great spot for exercising, picnicking, sunbathing, birdwatching and reading (if you don't mind all the noise).

is open from 7:30am to dusk daily and is within walking distance of several stations, including Kilburn, Kilburn High Road, Brondesbury and West Hampstead.

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#parks
#outdoor
#kilburn
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