By the 18th century the ownership of the land had changed hands and it became Tottenham Wood Farm, which by the mid-19th century covered 450 acres. Incidentally, the only part of Tottenham Wood that remains is now called Bluebell Wood and can be found to the north of the present parkland. The land was eventually acquired in 1863 by the Alexandra Park Company Ltd who embarked on a quest to build 'The Palace of the People' which later became known as 'The people's Palace'. The idea was that it would be North London's equivalent to the Crystal Palace.
Construction began in 1865 and by the time the building was opened to the public in 1873, the name had been changed to Alexandra Palace in honour of the then Princess of Wales, Alexandra of Denmark who had just married Prince Albert Edward, Queen Victoria's eldest son. In 1901, following Queen Victoria's death, he became King Edward VII and Alexandra became Queen Consort. The opening ceremony was a grand affair with concerts and fireworks, however, just 16 days later Alexandra Palace suffered a devastating fire, destroying most of the building. Thankfully it was rebuilt and re-opened in 1875, this time with the addition of a Henry Willis Organ, said to be one of the finest in Europe.
The building took 15 million bricks to construct, is a whopping 237 metres long and stands 38 metres high. It contains many different indoor spaces including the Panorama Room, Palm Court, a theatre, the West Hall, the East Hall (which as of 1990 contains an ice rink), and the Great Hall which can hold 10,250 people. Over the years it has hosted all kinds of events from conferences and exhibitions to sports events and musical performances. An early attraction was Dolly Shepherd who was a daredevil, performing death-defying acts in the name of entertainment. It is well known as the home of the World Darts Championship and the Masters Snooker competition. Whatever type of entertainment you can think of, it has probably featured here at some point in time. It even hosted the launch of the McLaren MP4-12 Formula 1 race car in 1997.
In the post war years it became a major venue for the popular musical artists to perform. Appearances have been made by The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Who, T.Rex, The Grateful Dead, Queen, The Jam, Barry Manilow, The Stone Roses, Prodigy, Blur and Pulp. The Brit Awards were held here and featured performances from Madonna, Elton John, Pet Shop Boys, Bjork and Take That. The MTV Music Awards were also held here which added Metallica, The Fugees, The Smashing Pumpkins and George Michael, On a personal note, I have seen two bands live at the palace, firstly The Strokes in 2003 and secondly Sigur Ros in 2008. The list is seemingly endless, making this a truly iconic venue for popular artists to perform at.
As if that wasn't enough, Alexandra Palace is also linked to a whole host of other things. In 1882 Britain's first aerial photo was taken by Cecil Shadbolt from a hot air balloon that was launched from Alexandra Park. Incidentally he died from injuries sustained at Crystal Palace 10 years later when his gas-filled balloon ripped and crashed to the ground. An experimental airship was once constructed within the grounds and took flight over London before returning and safely landing. The most famous of Alexandra Palace's connections is with the BBC - On 2 November 1936 the world's first high-definition public broadcast from the BBC studios in the palace. A few years later the television transmitter was used to jam the German Luftwaffe navigation systems. The BBC's first colour broadcasts were aired from here.
Alexandra Park was laid out by horticulturalist and landscape designer Alexander McKenzie. The central design principle was that the public parks should improve the conditions and lives of the urban population. He created areas for recreation as well as ornamental lakes and various styles of planting, gardens and a Japanese village. At the top of the hill he created two terraces from where visitors could take in the panoramic views to the north and the south. Only the south-facing terrace remains. A horse racing course was created at the bottom of the southern slope and it was given the nickname the 'Frying Pan' due its shape. It was described as being the 'quirkiest racecourse in Britain' and it remained in operation for 102 years before closing in 1970. There was once a herd of deer living at the park but they were relocated to Devon in 2016.
In its early years, the park and palace had been in private ownership, and by 1900 the owners had decided to sell the land for development. A local man called Henry Burt launched a campaign to save them, and after raising sufficient funds the palace and park were placed in a trust by an act of parliament which stated that the building and the grounds should be 'available for the free use and recreation of the public forever'.
Alexandra Palace is often referred to by its nickname 'Ally Pally' and it is thought that this was first coined by actress, singer and comedian Dame Gracie Fields who performed at the palace throughout the 1920's. It was used as a refugee centre for misplaced Belgians and later an internment camp for Germans during the First World War and, in the Second World War a German V-1 flying bomb exploded and blew out the the Great Hall's Rose Window. In 1980 the palace suffered its second major fire which resulted in the insurers paying out £18.5 million, which at the time was Britain's largest civil payout. The palace was once again rebuilt, but this time using 1980's design and technology including a never-before-used in the UK silicon-coated fibreglass material which lined the roof. The reopening was on 17 March 1988.
The modern-day park retains the same design and, in addition to the palace, features a boating lake, football and cricket pitches, a Go Ape treetop adventure, a pitch and putt golf course, a soft play centre, petanque court, a garden centre, a famous Sunday morning farmer's market, and a skate park. On Saturday mornings it is also home to a free, weekly, timed 5 kilometre event called Ally Pally parkrun. The event is open to all abilities including those who wish to walk. It is a well-established community event which offers plenty of opportunities to become involved, including as a regular or occasional volunteer. My first visit to Alexandra Palace to take part in the parkrun was on 16 November 2013 when I drove over to N22 with my friend. I revisited exactly 11 years later with my brother and the kids on 16 November 2024.
Although not far from central London, Alexandra Palace is easily reachable from the North Circular road. The venue has an abundance of on-site car parking spaces, which I understand number in excess of 1,200, and these are spread over 6 different car parks. For the purpose of visiting the parkrun it may be preferable to aim to park on the east side of the park, so the main East Court car park right next to Alexandra Palace itself may be the best option. The Paddocks car park, although further away in the park's south-west corner, does offer a pleasant straightforward walk along part of the parkrun course on the way to the parkrun meeting point.
When I visited in 2013 car parking was completely free-of-charge, however in August 2023 that changed when parking charges were introduced. At the time of my visit in November 2024 the fee was a simple £1.75 per hour. Every hour. Payment can be made in a number of ways such as by using the payment machine upon leaving. The Alexandra Palace official car parking webpage advises the machines accept cashless payments only (but not American Express). Payment can also be made via the ECP parkbuddy app or website using location ID 685981. If searching for the venue on the ECP parkbuddy website, it does not recognise Ally Pally, so you need to type in Alexandra Palace. I will also note that there are plenty of residential side roads around the perimeter of the park that are either restriction-free or within a controlled parking zone but allow visitor parking on Saturdays, so they should provide an alternative should you wish to save some money. Haringey Council has a webpage with a map showing the CPZ's.
By public transport the closest National Rail station is Alexandra Palace which is just to the northeast of the park and is served exclusively by Great Northern Railway services. It is on the East Coast Main Line with trains running between London King's Cross or Moorgate through to Stevenage, Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City. If travelling on the London Underground the closest station is Wood Green and this is served by the Piccadilly Line which has direct services (via central London) all the way across to Heathrow Airport and Uxbridge in West London. There are also many buses that pass through this busy part of London. The 184 stops near Alexandra Palace station, but the best option is the W3 which actually stops inside the park itself. Cyclists can secure bikes at the cycle racks against the building next to the East Court car park, however most parkrunners seemed to secure their bikes to the trees at the parkrun meeting point.
Sadly there are no toilet facilities that can be accessed within the venue prior to the start of parkrun. If you think you may require the facilities beforehand, you will need to plan a pitstop into the journey. For the record, I have checked and both Alexandra Palace station and Wood Green station are both listed as having no toilet facilities. Should you be on foot, I would make a suggestion of popping into the McDonalds opposite Wood Green tube station before entering the park. If driving I would schedule a stop on the way at either a drive-in McDonalds or a supermarket. As I was driving along the North Circular from the east, I popped into the Lea Valley Tesco Extra. There are on-site toilets located next to the boating lake and some more in Alexandra Palace East Court, but they are not open before the parkrun.
Owing to the hilly terrain and tree coverage in the park, the parkrun meeting point can feel a little hidden to those unfamiliar with the park. It is on the eastern side of the park on the main footpath to the south of Alexandra Palace Way. If entering the park on foot from the direction of the train stations, you can simply bear left at the Welcome to Alexandra Palace sign. If you have parked in the main East Court car park you could walk eastwards along Alexandra Palace Way and then drop onto the lower path from here, or take a scenic walk through the formal rose garden area, eventually dropping down to Alexandra Palace Way and across onto the main footpath. The meeting point itself is next to the petanque court. This parkrun has two course configurations, a two-lap anti-clockwise course and a three-lap clockwise course.
The two-lap course is also known as the summer route and features an out section, followed by two laps, and finishing with a back section. However, in recent times the summer course has not generally been used as it uses the lowest part of the park which is quite often in bad condition or waterlogged. The first timers' briefing takes place at the meeting point on the petanque court and the main briefing is held once the participants are lined up at the start line. The main part of this write-up focuses on the three-lap course as this appears to have taken precedence as the main course.
On the three-lap course, the surfaces underfoot are split between 2.9 kilometres on tarmac and 2.1 kilometres on dirt paths which can become muddy in the winter and/or after periods of rain. With that in mind the best shoes for the course vary depending on the conditions, but go for trails if in doubt. As you may have guessed by now, this is not a flat course and the overall elevation gain throughout the 5 kilometres, as recorded on my Garmin, is 59 metres. Those who wish to take part with a buggy are free to do so, but please note the potential for muddy paths. I would say that this course isn't a natural fit for wheelchair participants, partly due to the dirt/mud path and to there being a particularly steep uphill section.
From the start the course heads southwest along the tarmac path which is initially lined with trees and looks particularly stunning in the autumn. Shortly after the start there is a gate and some posts across the path which with the initial congestion could be hazardous, thankfully there are a number of marshals positioned here on the opening lap to warn of the danger. The course continues along the tree-lined path until the left side opens up to reveal the park's lower field. Anybody that is particularly eagle-eyed may notice the grass helipad to the side of the path.
This stretch of the course has a gentle incline which leads all the way to the junction next to The Paddocks car park where the route turns to the right and heads uphill. This features a short climb of about 50 metres or so but it is particularly brutal with the incline reaching over 14% at its steepest point. It is here where participants get the best view of Alexandra Palace. The next turn is another right-hander and it is at this point that the surface switches to a compacted dirt path. Now heading in a northeasterly direction the course meanders nicely through the various sections of woodland. The dirt path itself is narrower than the tarmac section, but there's still just enough space to overtake or filter through. In unfavourable conditions it is likely to be muddy and uneven, plus there are some parts with protruding stones and bricks.
At the end of the dirt path the course joins the pavement on the southern side of Alexandra Park Way where it heads down towards the large 'Mind How You Go!' sign. Immediately after the sign the route takes a very sharp turn to the right where the course passes through a barrier and onto the eastern end of the main tarmac path used at the beginning. This small section of the path is used as an access road for vehicles entering the Alexandra Palace Cricket and Football Club. To mitigate any risk it is heavily marshalled to manage interactions with vehicles. The path then leads directly towards the meeting area. At the end of laps one and two, the participants simply repeat the full lap, while at the end of lap three the course turns off of the main path into the finish line next to the petanque court.
Should the two-lap course be in use, this starts in the same place but turns off the main path and heads down to the bottom of the park, heading around the outside of the sports fields and then up through a wooded section, before heading along the same dirt path used on the three-lap course, but in the opposite direction. It then heads down the steep hill. When I ran this course in 2013, I found going down the steep hill to be quite the experience. The course then heads along the main tarmac path and swings off of it to start the second lap. At the end of the second lap, the course continues back along the avenue of trees and to the finish which is back at the meeting point.
Barcode scanning takes place immediately after the finish funnel and tokens go into the small numbered buckets. Once all of the day's participants have completed the course, the team heads off to one of the cafes just outside the park for some refreshments, probably The Sweet Tree Bakery which is listed as the venue on the course page. However if you are visiting and planning to stay within the park, there are refreshment options here. Firstly there is the East Court Cafe which is inside Alexander Palace itself - this is where we went in November 2024 and there's a nice big space to hang out in. A hot chocolate and a peppermint tea cost me £7, so it was fairly pricey. There is also another cafe besides the boating lake, which I visited in 2013. This was not open during my 2024 visit as I understand the lease had expired. It looks like there may be a few others dotted around the park, such as The Grove Cafe and 10th Hole Cafe. If you hang around long enough and require a more substantial meal, there is also The Phoenix Bar and Pizzeria located inside Palm Court.
I recorded the three-lap course using my Garmin and the resulting GPS data can be viewed on Strava. That data was also used to create a Relive fly-by video and that can be viewed on YouTube. When I first visited in 2013 the two-lap course was in use, so I also have the GPS data for that one, which can also be viewed on Strava. Plus there is also a Relive fly-by video for it, again viewable on YouTube. Looking at the event's results history page shows that as of November 2024 the event attracts a fairly stable number of participants that is usually in the mid-300's. There were 370 present at event 568 which was held on 16 November 2024, while 26 people were credited with a volunteer role. For the record there were 68 participants when I attended event 96 on 16 November 2013.
This parkrun encounters more than its fair share of cancellations. The main planned cancellations to look out for are when the park is being used for other events such as summer outdoor gigs and festivals, The Red Bull Soap Box Race and the legendary Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival, said to be the finest bonfire night display in London. Please note that the cancellations in the summer can cover quite a few consecutive weeks, most likely in July. There are also occasional weather or course condition related cancellations, so keep an eye out for those especially around periods of significant rainfall or when the temperatures drop below freezing.
We continued our day out at the park by having an extended walk, taking in the southern slopes, checking out the helipad, the rose garden, the playground, the boating lake and a spent a fair amount of time admiring the panoramic view from the terrace. It was gone 3pm by the time we left, but we'd had a lovely day out at one of London's iconic places. A hearty thanks goes to all of the volunteers that made us feel welcome during our visit.
Related Links:
- My GPS data of the three-lap course (16 November 2024)
- The Relive video of the three-lap course (16 November 2024)
- My GPS data of the two-lap course (16 November 2013)
- The Relive video of the two-lap course (16 November 2013)
