An affluent commuter village surrounded by countryside, but with the amenities of Hatfield and Potters Bar close at hand, Brookmans Park has long been considered a desirable place to live. We found out more about it...
A century ago Brookmans Park was a quiet rural area, but it 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 its links to London King's Cross, it continues to offer the best of both worlds, and is viewed as a suburban idyll to many moving out of the capital.
Close to both the A1(M) and the M25, it also has excellent road links.
Property
One thing Brookmans Park isn't short on is premium property, and according to Rightmove, the average price of a home in the village over the last year was £1,039,992.
The majority of sales were of detached properties, with an average price of £1,274,643.
Homes currently on the market include an eight-bed detached house on Brookmans Avenue for £3.5m and a four-bed semi with heated outdoor pool on The Gardens for offers in excess of £975,000.
Sport and leisure
Brookmans Park Golf Club has a fine course set in mature parkland which is considered one of Hertfordshire's finest. In addition to its challenging 18-hole course, the club has excellent clubhouse facilities and regularly hosts renowned county golf events.
Established in 1925, the Brookmans Park Tennis Club is for all ages and abilities. Its features include four all weather courts, one hard court and a clubhouse.
The nearby North Mymms Park has a stunning mansion house with beautiful grounds, which 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 Owen's in Potters Bar (‘outstanding’).
Girls' independent day and boarding 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 an ideal spot for a coffee, drink or pub lunch.
Cock O' the North is located nearby and offers a stylish British pub experience, with highlights including the Monday quiz and private dining room.
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.
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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