The proposals for Forty Hall Park aim to restore and enhance the main elements within the historic landscape, revealing the site of Elsyng Palace, the Pleasure Grounds and a section of the Ferme Ornée.

Improvements to access, planting, site furniture and ongoing landscape management together with a new natural playground and bridge across Maidens Brook, will improve not only the visual appearance of the park, but also the experience for local residents and visitors alike.

An educational and activity programme will also be implemented and will be managed through a Conservation and Learning Officer post funded by the HLF for five years, with opportunities for volunteers, training/educational courses/workshops, and learning new skills.

The project will carry out essential conservation work, and provide a suitable setting to complement Forty Hall that is currently undergoing a £4.5m refurbishment again courtesy of the HLF, due to open in the Spring / Summer of 2012.

Wesley Kerr, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: "Forty Hall Park is one of the most distinctive  and historic landscapes in London – the former site of a Tudor royal palace, with a surviving 18th-century Pleasure Garden, majestic  trees, a lake and watercourses – all supporting a huge range of biodiversity. The Park will be restored, enhanced and made more accessible for everyone to enjoy, and the Borough will work closely with Capel Manor College to make it a model landscape and improve maintenance. This project complements HLF’s ongoing £2m investment in restoring Forty Hall itself and at the newly - restored Myddleton House Gardens next door. We are proud to be enabling the most extensive series of park recreations since Victorian times."

Chris Bond, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “We were delighted to hear the news that the HLF has agreed to fund these essential works for Forty Hall Park.

“This beautiful open green space is enjoyed by many visitors every year, and it is wonderful that we can improve it even further.”

Further information

For further information, please contact Suzanne Linsey on 020 8379 4470 or suzanne.linsey@enfield.gov.uk.