Overview

Highfield Park is situated on the south eastern side of St Albans. The Park was created in 1996 following the closure and redevelopment of Cell Barnes and Hill End Mental Health Hospitals. The hospitals had extensive grounds, which now form Highfield Park.

The Park has many interesting features some saved as the hospitals were being demolished and cleared, others added more recently to enhance the park.

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Parkland

A large proportion of the park could be described as Parkland, a landscape of open grassland, specimen trees and wooded areas. Much of this can be traced back to the Edwardian gardeners who planted the hospital grounds. A tree trail has been created taking the visitor around the park and introducing them to 40 of the trees in the park. A separate leaflet is available showing the route and describing the trees.

Orchards and apple juice

There are two orchards one at the most northerly part of the park and one in the most southerly part. The latter has an unusual example of fruit tree training called ‘Arcure’ a cordon system which involves bending the main stem into an “S” to encourage more spurs off the main stem in a given space. The Trust produces Apple Juice which is available from the Park Office.

Gardens in the Park

There are a number of gardens within the park including the Hill End Hospital Community Garden which has been planted as a sensory garden, a woodland garden and a Mediterranean Garden with drought-resistant plants and two Petanque courts. There is also a small Rose Garden commemorating Cell Barnes Hospital and a maze constructed 2000 and planted with copper beech.

The former hospital cemetery is also part of the park now named the Hill End Garden of Rest. This area has a stone sculpture, commemorative arch and information boards to commemorate the poor souls who lie here. It has been designated a County Wildlife site and the majority of the site is managed for wildlife.