Oxhey Park is approximately 14
hectares of parkland in the south east corner of the Borough, and opens onto
Eastbury Road along its top boundary: one of Watford's most visible
parks. A wooded dell and rolling grassy slopes are separated from the
football and hurling pitches by the River Colne. The slopes are
particularly popular when it snows: they offer one of the best sledging areas
in Watford!
The river Colne runs through this large park of amenity grassland and scattered
trees.
The river supports good marginal vegetation with substantial beds of
reed sweet-grass, branched bur-reed, unbranched bur-reed, common club-rush and
bullrushes. Towards Bushey Arches is an area known as The Dell which supports
secondary broadleaved woodland of ash, sycamore, elm and horse chestnut. There
is a scrubby sub-canopy of elder, elm, hawthorn, ash and sycamore and a ground
flora that includes dogs mercury, wood avens and a variety of woodland grasses.
Birds of the park include: great
and blue tits, jays, greater-spotted woodpecker, grey wagtail and kingfisher.
Other wildlife: on summer
evenings pipistrelle bats can be seen feeding in the park.
The Friends of Oxhey Park have
regular events, including bat walks and river clean-ups, and have recently
planted some bulbs in the park. If you are interested in joining them, please
contact Jean Alexander on tel: 01923 227365.