Talacre Gardens

Talacre Gardens – London's only Town Green

Just north of Camden Town and to the west of Kentish Town, Talacre Gardens is an oasis of greenery on Prince of Wales Road. What's more this delightful patch of greenery became London's first Town Green in 2010, under a 2006 central government law brought to protect open space – which means it will forever be safeguarded as a public space.

Interestingly, Talacre Gardens wasn't actually created as a park originally. A bomb site full of semi-demolished slum terraces, it had been an unofficial playground for local Talacre children for years following World War Two. It in fact only really became what we'd envisage a public space to be due to the clearing of slum terraces on the site during the 1970s.

Local residents fought to keep the open space and it thrived. In 2003, the space was redeveloped and renamed Talacre Gardens, at the same time the Talacre Community Sports Centre, which can be found behind the new Prince's Park residential development, off Dalby Street was opened.

Today, Talacre Gardens and the Talacre Sports Centre offer a great way for children and adults alike from the Kentish Town community to stay fit and healthy. The Dalby Street Sports Centre offers a whole host of sporting activities, while the park has an array of playground equipment for all ages. Talacre Park is at the heart of the community and will continue to be so for hundreds more years.

New equipment for Talacre Sports centre

New Treetops Equipment for Talacre Sports Centre donated by Prince's Park Developer, Union Developments

With childhood obesity on the rise and the London 2012 Olympics providing an inspirational backdrop, the new Treetops equipment at Talacre Sports Centre in Kentish Town couldn't be better timed. A great way to keep kids healthy, while keeping them entertained, the new additions to this magical soft play area were donated by the property developer Union Developments.

Union Developments are behind the Prince's Park development which sits in front of the sports centre, in between Dalby Street and Talacre Gardens. The equipment was donated as part of Union Developments' ongoing commitment to support the communities they work in – the local children who live in the vicinity of Talacre Gardens and Talacre Sports Centre being their lucky recipients of their generosity in this case.

The Sports Centre can be accessed by both Dalby Street and the walkway that runs alongside Prince's Park and Talacre Gardens.Treetops sessions are split into two sessions, one for under fives and one for children aged 6 months to 11 years. There are several 90 minutes sessions everyday of the week  and they cost as little as £1 (for concession wellness card holders). If the kids still have some energy afterwards, a quick run around Talacre Gardens itself should solve that.

For more information about Treetops sessions and Talacre Garden's Sports Centre visitwww.camden.gov.uk/talacre



Talacre Treetops timetable and prices

Monday – Friday
9.00am – 10.30am               Under 5's only
10.45am – 12.15pm             Six months to 11 years
12.30pm – 2.00pm               Six months to 11 years
2.15pm – 3.45pm                 Six months to 11 years
4.00pm – 5.30pm                 Six months to 11 years
5.45pm – 7.15pm                 Six months to 11 years

Saturday and Sunday
8.45am – 10.15am               Six months to 11 years
10.15am – 11.45am             Six months to 11 years
12.00pm – 1.30pm               Six months to 11 years
1.45pm – 3.15pm                 Six months to 11 years

Master Brewers

Talacre Park's Own Master Brewers

With London becoming more and more awash with chain pubs all stocking the same offering, it's nice to know there are some people out there challenging the status quo. The Camden Town Brewery is one such band of brewers.

Located on Wilkin Street Mews in Kentish Town, just behind Dalby Street and a stone's throw from Talacre Gardens, this Friday (27th July) sees the artisan brewers launch their latest creation. In tribute to the Olympics, it's a Pale Ale of the kind that would have been drunk in 1908 – the last time London hosted the games.

Brewed with Golding hops from Kent for a floral, spicy flavour and Cluster hops from America, which boasts a big berry and floral quality, this creation is strictly limited edition. Once the Talacre Gardens brewers vats run dry, there'll be no more.

However fear not, to mark its launch there'll be a special party at the Camden Town Brewery Bar which is just off Dalby Street on Friday the 27th July. You can find the bar just behind the large property development, Prince's Park, that's currently under construction in between Dalby Street and Talacre Gardens. Although the best way to reach it is to walk through Talacre Park to the other side and head for the railway arches.

To find out more about the Brewery and their craft, visit www.camdentownbrewery.com


Camden Town Brewery

55-59 Wilkin Street Mews

(Inbetween Kentish Town West Station and Talacre Park)

NW5 3NN

Kentish Town Sports Centre

The second anniversary of the Kentish Town Sports Centre's refurbishment

On the 26th July, it'll be two years to the day since the Kentish Town sports centre was reopened after a £25.3 million transformation. The former Victorian baths truly was restored to its former glory, with the new state of the art facilities seamlessly blending into the Grade II listed pool's design.

There are 14 listed Victorian and Edwardian pools in the UK which face closure. Moseley Road Baths in Birmingham, and Manchester's Victoria Baths are probably the two most high profile cases. In the current economic climate their future looks bleak at best.

As such, the timing of the Kentish Town project couldn't have been better. Especially as the Sports Centre isn't the only one in the area. Talacre Community Sports Centre is just up the road off of Dalby Street, next to Talacre Gardens. Fortunately even in these times of austerity, this proximity didn't result in the two centres being brought together as a cost cutting measure.

In fact, the Talacre Gardens Sports Centre has also benefited from recent investment in the form of the Mayor's office pledging to fund the development of a new dance/exercise studio at the Talacre Community Sports Centre. The Dalby Street centre runs extensive after-school, weekend and holiday programmes for young people and the new studio will allow them to meet more of the huge demand there is for these services.

New treetops soft play equipment has also been donated by the developers behind the Prince's Park Residential Scheme, which can be found in front of the Sports Centre in between Dalby Street and Talacre Gardens, as part of their commitment to supporting the local community.

With the London Olympics about to be officially opened it's now more important than ever to look at the legacy we leave future generations. Not just in terms of the facilities that remain in Hackney, but in terms of the whole of London. The children found playing in Talacre Gardens deserve to have facilities every bit as good as those in Stratford and if in these tough economic times, that means the public sector working with the private sector such as the developer's of Prince's Park then who are we to argue.

Helpful Information

During the temporary closure of Dalby street, Sheldon will have two Marshals on site at all times, from an hour before the Talacre Community Sports Centre opens until an hour after it closes. During the hours of darkness, we will also have a marshal ensuring your safe passage through the park. Our marshals are professionally trained, CRB checked and instructed to assist the local community. They can help, advise and ensure your safety when in close proximity to the building site. Please feel free to ask them any question.

Progress Update

The works are progressing well. The service routes and and below ground drainage have now been installed. In the next few months, the new road giving access to and from the Talacre Sports Centre will be constructed and completed. The piled foundations of the building itself are due to be installed at the start of June. Then, during August, you will begin to see the structure of the building take shape.

Talacre Sports Centre

As part of our commitment to maintaining good relation with the Talacre Community Sports Centre and local residents, we, together with the developer are pleased to donate new and improved treetops equipment to the centre by use for local children. Additionally, we will do everything we can to ensure that access to the sports centre remains intact for the duration of the works.