Brookmans Park is an affluent commuter village which has long been considered a desirable place to live.

Despite being surrounding by countryside, the village has the amenities of Hatfield and Potters Bar close at hand. We found out more...

Only 100 years ago Brookmans Park was a quiet and rural area, but it expanded rapidly from the 1920s onwards.

New houses were built to accommodate families looking for a country lifestyle within a quick commuting distance from London. This was aided by the opening of the railway station in 1926.

Brookmans Park is still viewed as a suburban idyll to many people looking to move out of the capital, and continues to offer the best of both worlds with its links to London King's Cross.

The village also has excellent road links, due to its proximity to both the A1(M) and the M25.

St Albans & Harpenden Review: Bradmore Green, Brookmans Park

Property   

Properties in Brookmans Park had an overall average price of £922,900 over the last year.    

The majority of sales in Brookmans Park during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £1,213,221.     

Homes currently on the market include a four-bedroom property at Brookmans Avenue for £2.3m and a seven-bedroom property at Pine Grove for £3.5m. 

Sport and leisure   

Brookmans Park Golf Club is considered one of Hertfordshire's finest golf courses, and is set in mature parkland.

Along with its challenging 18-hole golf course, the club also has excellent clubhouse facilities and regularly hosts renowned county golf events.

The Brookmans Park Tennis Club was established in 1925, and caters to players of all ages and abilities. Features on offer include four all-weather courts, one hard court and a clubhouse. 

There is also a wide variety of outdoor spaces around the villages. Walkers can visit Gobions Wood nature reserve, which has beautiful paths for a peaceful stroll through woodland.

A notable landmark near Brookmans Park is the Folly Arch, which is estimated to have been built in the 18th century.
 
Also nearby is North Mymms Park, which has a stunning mansion house and beautiful grounds. The venue is often hired out for weddings, events and filming. 

St Albans & Harpenden Review: Brookmans pub, Brookmans Park

Schools   

There are many popular schools in and around the village.

Brookmans Park Primary School – which was rated 'good' by Ofsted at its latest inspection – opened in 1952 and currently admits 45 pupils per year.    

For secondary school options, there is Chancellor's School (also rated 'good'), and the extremely over-subscribed and partially selective Dame Alice Owen's in Potters Bar (rated 'outstanding').

Queenswood, a girls' independent and day boarding school, is located on the outskirts of the village.   

Food and drink  

At the heart of the village is contemporary gastropub Brookmans, which is a perfect spot for a coffee, drink or pub lunch.

Cock O' the North is also located nearby and offers a stylish British pub experience, with highlights including a Monday quiz and private dining room.   

Brookmans Park hosts a range of popular Indian restaurants including Raj Tandoori, as well as a Chinese and a fish and chip shop.   

Amenities   

Brookmans Park has many convenient amenities, among which are a butcher, baker, pharmacy and small Co-operative supermarket. 

There is also a library, dentist, barbers, hairdressers and and a pet groomer. 

For more retail options, Brent Cross shopping centre is only a 25-minute drive away.

St Albans & Harpenden Review: Brookmans Park's amenities include butchers and bakers

Claims to fame   

The village has several links to celebrities, many of whom have called Brookmans Park home. 

These include former England and Spurs stars Gary Mabbutt and Martin Chivers. The latter was landlord of the Brookmans Park Hotel (now Brookmans) for many years. 

Singer and former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos rented the palatial Edge House on Kentish Lane until 2014, when it sold for £4.2m.   

Tracey Thorn of Everything But The Girl grew up in the village.

She said: "It was a lovely place to be a child... but then I became a teenager and suddenly this slice of suburban heaven felt like hell." 

She wrote a book, Another Planet: A Teenager in Suburbia, about growing up there.    

Perhaps the most intriguing local legend is the story that Brookmans Park is the birthplace of the nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet.

The subject is rumoured to be the daughter of entomologist Dr Thomas Muffet, who lived in the area between 1553 and 1604. 

St Albans & Harpenden Review: This area guide is sponsored by Frost's, who have offices in St Albans, Marshalswick, Wheathampstead and Harpenden This area guide is sponsored by Frost's, who have offices in St Albans, Marshalswick, Wheathampstead and Harpenden (Image: Frost's)