Play Area – Friends of Bernards Heath

April 26, 2024

25th Anniversary Community Picnic. Sunday 12 May

You are invited to our picnic celebrating 25 years of protecting our green spaces on Bernards Heath, Beech Bottom Dyke, and Sandridge Road. Bring your own picnic, or order a picnic selection in advance from the Little Star Cafe*. Event runs from 12 – 2pm.

FOBH-25TH-ANNIVERSARY-COMMUNITY-PICNIC-POSTER Download

Come along with family and friends to enjoy an alcohol-free picnic in front of the new playground. There will be face painting and craft activities for the kids, and visits from our local Wilderhood Watch.

Please note that this event is alcohol-free, and there are no toilet facilities on site.

*Order a picnic selection in store at the Little Star Cafe by Sunday the 5th of May, and collect from 11:30am on the day.

February 16, 2024March 1, 2024

Childrens’ Play Area on the Heath re-opened

Over £100,000 donated to renovate what was a tired looking play area

On the 3rd February 2024 the renovated play area was opened by local MP, Daisy Cooper. On the right is David Pearce, who along with an enthusiastic group of parents faced a formidable task of collecting over £100,000 to fund the installation of new play equipment, some which is shown in the background.

The event was attended by a large group of adults and children shown above. Enthusiastic children seemed desperate to get in to the area after the opening. Read more about the event on the Lets Play on Bernards Heath website. Very well done everyone involved.

The new swings in the play area are now finished and mark the completion of the project.
Photo: DP

December 2, 2023December 5, 2023

Work starts to refurbish the playground on the Heath

“It is happening at last! The playground is closed for work to begin on its refurbishment.

Click on an image and use > or < keys to navigate. Click X (top right) to exit.

The target of £100,000 is now just a whisker away, a fantastic effort by the whole community!

With the refurbishment underway, the new playground will be ready in January, well before the Spring deadline.

Let’s Play at Bernards Heath would like to thank all those who have donated to help make this dream a reality.”

Photos and text: DP

January 31, 2020February 13, 2023

Let’s play on Bernards Heath

Let’s Play on Bernards Heath is a charity founded to update the existing play area on the Heath.

This is your opportunity to influence the look of the playground , get involved and chat to our Trustees and St Albans District Council.

Kids welcome too! We have wooden games, sweets and refreshments available.

Saturday, 1st February 2020
St Saviours Church Hall
2 – 4 pm

Click on image for a larger version and here for a link to the website

July 3, 2019February 13, 2023

Lets Play at Bernards Heath Website launch

Let’s Play at Bernards Heath is a new fund-raising charity, formed to make a lasting change to the existing tired playground on Bernards Heath. For more information see the website. You can support the charity by going to the website and in other ways too.

This really nice logo for the charity was designed by a child at Bernards Heath Infant and Nursery School. Read more ›

October 3, 2016October 5, 2021

One Year has elapsed since Fontmell Close Sinkhole Event

The news of a sinkhole in Fontmell Close, which appeared dramatically in the early hours of the 1st October 2015, rapidly hit the national media.

Not only were residents stranded in Fontmell Close and Bridle Close, but the event prompted a long sequence of investigations on the adjacent Bernards Heath and the construction of a relief road across the Lower Field.

The 12m hole has been partially filled with concrete and most services restored. You can read a press release by the Herts County Council, who hope to have the road through Fontmell Close open again by Christmas.

There is no news yet about the removal of the temporary road across the Lower Field.

There are more links to the sinkhole in our document archive.

August 18, 2016October 26, 2021

Exploratory drilling at the play area

The Heath has been subjected to drilling work in several areas as a follow up to ‘anomalies’ found in the ground that might be related to the subsidence in the Fontmell/Bridle close area. Work now continues by the children’s play area which is temporarily closed.

Update: work completed, Photo: DP

September 30, 2015February 13, 2023

Friends of Bernards Heath – Community Playground Project

The Friends of Bernards Heath would like to work together with the local community to seek improvements to the current playground facilities located on Bernards Heath. The need for this is typified by the current state of the roundabout (left) which is broken.

It is our intention to reach out to everyone who uses this attractive communal area, to have their say in what improvements could be made for the benefit of all, with the least impact upon local residents.

Bernards Heath is an attractive and much used corner of St Albans; appealing greatly to children, parents, dog-walkers, sports enthusiasts, nature lovers and historians a-like.

Playgrounds for children aged 1-16 are very limited in this region of the city. Excellent examples of park equipment exist in other areas of St Albans, which include a wide variety of apparatus suitable for children of all ages and also include adult fitness facilities…. so why not here?