Located between Potters Bar and Hatfield and surrounded by green belt countryside, the village of Brookmans Park has plenty to offer residents. We found out more about this upmarket part of Herts...
A century ago it was a rural area with little in the way of amenities, but Brookmans Park expanded rapidly from the 1920s onwards.
Houses were built to accommodate families seeking a country lifestyle within a speedy commute of the capital, aided by the railway station which opened in 1926.
With links to London King's Cross in around half an hour, it offered the best of both worlds, and was viewed as a suburban idyll for many moving out of the capital.
Close to both the A1(M) and the M25, it also has excellent road links.
Property
According to Rightmove, the average price of a property in Brookmans Park over the last year was £965,540, up 3 per cent on 12 months ago.
The majority of sales were of detached properties, with an average price of £1,197,812.
Homes currently on the market in the village include a six-bed, six-bath detached house on Georges Wood Road for £2,499,950 and a three-bed duplex apartment on Bradmore Green for £350,000.
Sport and leisure
Brookmans Park Golf Club has a fine course set in mature parkland which is considered to be one of the best in Hertfordshire. In addition to its challenging 18-hole course, the club has excellent clubhouse facilities and regularly hosts renowned county golf events.
The Brookmans Park Lawn Tennis Club has four floodlit all-weather courts, two hard courts, mini courts for younger players, and a clubhouse, while Raybrook Riding is highly rated for both beginner and experienced horse riders.
The nearby North Mymms Park has a stunning mansion house with beautiful grounds, and is often hired out for weddings and events.
Gobions Wood nature reserve provides beautiful paths through woodland for a peaceful local stroll. The Folly Arch is a notable local landmark estimated to have been built in the 18th century.
Schools
There are many popular schools in and around the village.
Brookmans Park Primary School - rated ‘good’ by Ofsted - opened in 1952, and currently admits 45 pupils per year.
For secondary, there is Chancellor's School (‘good’) in the village, and the highly over-subscribed and partially selective Dame Alice Owens in Potters Bar (‘outstanding’).
The independent day and boarding girls' school, Queenswood, is located on the outskirts of the village.
Food and drink
Brookmans is a contemporary pub in the heart of the village, and is perfect for a coffee, drink or pub lunch (lockdown aside).
Cock O' the North is located nearby and offers a stylish British pub experience, with a great selection of wines to accompany a classic roast dinner.
The Tealicious tea room is a local favourite, offering a wide range of teas, coffees and freshly baked goods.
Brookmans Park also hosts a range of popular Indian restaurants such as Raj Tandoori, as well as a Chinese and a fish and chip shop.
Amenities
Brookmans Park has many convenient amenities, including a butcher, bakery, pharmacy, dry cleaner and small Co-operative supermarket.
Additionally, there is a library, dentist, barbers, hairdressers and a vet and pet groomer. Plus, Brent Cross shopping centre is only a 20-minute journey away.
Within Brookmans Park there is a welcoming United Reformed Church.
Claims to fame
The village is a favourite with celebrities, many of whom have called Brookmans Park home over the years, including former England and Spurs stars Gary Mabbutt and Martin Chivers - in fact the latter was landlord of the Brookmans Park Hotel (now Brookmans) for many years.
Singer and former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos rented the palatial Edge House on Kentish Lane until 2014, when it sold for £4.2m.
Tracey Thorn of Everything But The Girl grew up in the village, and said: “It was a lovely place to be a child... but then I became a teenager and suddenly this slice of suburban heaven felt like hell.” She wrote a book, Another Planet: A Teenager in Suburbia, about growing up there.
According to local legend, Brookmans Park is where the nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet originates - with the subject being daughter to Dr Thomas Muffet, an entomologist, who lived in the area between 1553 and 1604.
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