Clarence Park
Open from dawn till dusk all year
Located in the heart of the city of St Albans 10 ha, 2 routes and 38 points of interest
Artificial Sports Surface
Sports Pitch
Accomodates hockey in the winter and public tennis courts in the summer.
Bowling Club
Sports Pitch
A thriving bowls green with its own clubhouse. For further information, please see the Club’s website here.
Cricket Pavillion
Sports Pitch
The pavillion was built for the park opening in 1894 and overlooks the cricket ground and is used by both the Hockey and Cricket Club.
Facilities include a bar, changing room and toilets.
Verdis Restaurant
Food & Drink
One of the former park buildings which has been converted into an attractive Italian restaurant, with tables placed in the park for refreshments to be enjoyed outdoors in a beautiful peaceful setting.
Water Fountain
Food & Drink
Lady Maple wanted to make her own contribution to the project and donated a striking water fountain. The fountain was restored as part of a major refurbishment programme after the award of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 1997.
Park Information
Clarence Park is located in the heart of the city of St Albans and, like the original park layout, is still divided into two distinct compartments.
The formal park covers an area of approximately 3.6 hectares (9 acres) and includes a wide range of features that still exist from the original park. These include rose and flower beds, extensive tree and shrub planting, the Aberdeen granite drinking fountain and the park keeper’s lodge. Only the wood and heather thatched bandstand have been lost from the original park.
The recreation ground compartment, which covers an area of approximately 6.4 hectares (16 acres), is still in extensive use and provides a number of sports facilities such as Cricket, Football, Tennis, Bowls and Hockey.
In 2005 Clarence Park was successfully awarded a Green Flag on its first attempt, and has retained the award every subsequent year to date. The park also received a Green Heritage award in 2007.
The Park was opened on 23 July 1894 by the Duke of Cambridge, accompanied by great celebrations in the City.
Clarence Park has matured since its opening, with an abundance of trees and shrubs, but the layout remains virtually unchanged. The park keeper’s lodge, the cricket pavilion and the three timber built entrance kiosks all survive.
Added features include a very popular children’s playground, sensory garden with interpretation boards about the plants present and an artificial sports surface which accommodates hockey in the winter and public tennis courts in the summer.
On Site Facilities
- Car Park (Pay & Display)
- Disabled Access
- Disabled Toilets
- Dog Free Area
- Dogs Welcome
- Food & Drink
- Pushchair Friendly Paths
- Sheltered Seating
- Toilets
How to get here
Parking:Small car park located in the park and is accessed via the Parks main entrance off Clarence Road. The Council operates a pay and display system which is free for the first three hours. There are a number of alternative car parks located close to the park.
Further information can be found on the St Albans City and District Council website.https://www.intalink.org.uk/services
Public Transport Information:St Albans City Railway Station is a 5 minute walk from the park. In addition, there are a number of bus services (300-301 and 602) which run to and from the city centre via Hatfield Road.
Further information on public transport is available here: https://www.intalink.org.uk/ and www.nationalrail.co.uk
Cycling:A permissive cycle path runs through the park.
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