For my 57th parkrun course, we visited Leavesden Country park. An interesting park to visit, with a sculpture trail with exhibits linking to the Film Industry, plus a massive playground with aircraft theming due to Leavesden previously having been host to an airbase in WW2. The parkrun itself is a three lap fairly flat mixed terrain route with a mix of shady and open sections.
[I first visited this parkrun on 10th June 2023]
Bit of History
The grounds which make up the country park were previously the site of both an Asylum and Orphanage both of which were constructed in 1867 and which continued in various forms until as late as 1995. Some of the buildings can still be found in the North End of the park. Leavesden was also the site of an RAF airbase in WW2 and this is why there is Aircraft theming in the playground. Leavesden also has a world famous Film Studio home to various Films including the Harry Potter and James Bond film series. The Warner Brothers Studio tour is well worth a visit if you are a Harry Potter fan and makes a great day out but you have to book well in advance due to the popularity. The Country park references the links to the Film Studio with a number of exhibits on a sculpture trail which runs through the park.
Briefings
No dedicated First Timer or Visitor briefing at this parkrun probably because it's quite a small parkrun with a small volunteer roster, but the main briefing included guidelines to first timers and a very good description of the course so there was no real loss of the separate briefing. No official milestones were called out on the morning but I overheard someone say it was their 200th different parkrun course, so that's a real achievement. The briefing also gave hydration reminders which was very important given it was such a hot day on the morning of our visit.
The Course
It's one of the more complicated courses when you look at it in map form, but easier to follow in practice on the ground. You start on the far side of a field next to some tennis courts. You head south heading back towards the playground which you pass on your right. You then take a sweeping left turn and you are now heading North East along the edge of the field line hugging the perimeter of the field, continuing to follow the hedge line you take another left turn and then at the end of the field you take another left turn joining a footpath to enter the tree line into a wooded section, this woodland section is hard surfaced, shaded and flat so you can get your speed up here if you wish. This bit is fairly easy to follow and the footpath takes you on a clockwise lap of the woods, eventually after a lap of the woods the path becomes a T-Junction and you turn left onto a two way section passing faster runners coming the other way. The two way section is quite short and at the end of it you turn left off the footpath onto an open field with a hedge line on your left, holding the perimeter you now complete a clockwise lap of the open field containing a football pitch, once you have completed the lap of the field you come back to the two way section of footpath, passing slower runners on your right, you continue on the path completing lap one and starting a second clockwise lap of the woods. After three laps of the woods and the open field after you have passed the two way section for the final time you will be directed left onto the field where you started and towards the finish. There are lap signs as well as marshals to keep you on track. It sounds complicated but was easy enough in reality.
Difficulty
This is a fairly easy 2 out of 5, due to the mixed terrain in the summer, in the winter when the ground is wet and muddy the difficulty would be higher and I know this course does get muddy in winter. There are some inclines but nothing particularly major or memorable, it's not pancake flat but I wouldn't describe it as hilly either, the grass sections slow you up a bit but not by much on a dry day. The heat was punishing on the open sections but we did visit it on one of the hottest days of the year so this wouldn't normally be an issue.
Elevation
My Garmin says there is 45m of elevation across the three laps which seems more than I remember, I think there are a lot of gentle climbs which add up to 45m across the whole 5k, as I can't really remember any hilly sections to speak of.
Parking, Facilities and Coffee
We parked at the car park for the Country Park which is free, and followed the guidance of the parkrun site which requests you use the car park closest to the main road first. The postcode for the Car Park is WD5 0NX. From the carpark there is a pleasant walk passing some of the heritage trail until you reach the children's playground and YMCA building which is close to the start. Toilets are in the YMCA building and although it says they are not open until after 9am on the parkrun website, I think we managed to use them before the start of the parkrun. Post parkrun Coffee is at the Woodlands Café in the park, where they do a nice selection of Coffee, Cake and Breakfast Options.
Other Points of Interest
So there is loads to do at this Country Park, including the Heritage Trail I have already mentioned, gardens and orchards, play areas, outdoor gym, sports activities, some historic buildings. You could probably spend a few hours here exploring the park if you wished and the café is great for recovery food and drink afterwards.
Summary
This is a lovely Country Park and a great parkrun, so well worth a visit. It was not busy on the morning of our visit, and has a nice small parkrun feel to it (I managed to place 9th with a time in the 23s just to give you some idea). The course has a nice mixture of shady wooded sections and open fields, and lots of opportunity to see the rest of your running buddies both in front of and behind you on course, due to the passing points and multiple laps. You could easily while away a few hours in the park after the run, and there is plenty for children to do. The Café is also very good and the breakfast food comes highly recommended. As with most parkruns the core team are friendly and welcoming. If you are looking for other things to do in the surrounding area then Warner Brother Studios (home of Harry Potter) is well worth a visit if you are a fan of the Wizarding world, but you need to book well in advance. I plan on coming back, because this was such a lovely morning.
Links
Link to official parkrun site for this course: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/leavesdencountry
Link to the Three Rivers webpage for Leavesden Country Park: https://www.threeriversleisure.co.uk/leavesden-country-park1
My YouTube Video Review of this parkrun: