OK, so it might not be Primrose Hill or Regent’s Park, but Talacre Gardens, which adjoins Kentish Town West Overground station, has a charm of its own, with its walkways and fields, quiet area and towering trees.
Furthermore, the park’s history is quite interesting. Never a preserved green space, its inception was the result of the clearing of slum terraces in the 1970s. This was when West Kentish Town was still heavily bomb-damaged, almost a ‘no-go’ area.
Yet it wasn’t until 2003 that the ‘open space’ (so maligned under Tory rule) was reborn as Talacre Gardens, complete with swanky Sports Centre, floodlight area and perimeter fencing.
The battle wasn’t over, however, until March this year when the Gardens finally won a bid to become a Town Green, thereby safe forever from development.
And whilst you ponder the ongoing fight against impermanence, there’s a little deli opposite the southern entrance to grab a coffee or sandwich. And, before you leave, don’t miss a glimpse of both the Gaudi-esque Talacre Bench , and the impressive four-storey architect-designed ‘Solar House’ at the park’s northern end, either.
