The Smithson Recreation Ground
Plan your visit
🛝 Family🎠 Play🦅 Birds
Public access Dogs welcome
Places › England › Eastern › North Hertfordshire Getting here
51.94799, -0.28324
Open directionsv Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾ 🐦 54+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Rock Dove and Carrion Crow ☀️ Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay ☕ Caffè Nero — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food 🌤️ Visiting this summer
🐦 54+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Rock Dove and Carrion Crow ☀️ Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay ☕ Caffè Nero — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food 🚲 Bike parking☕ Café🅿️ Parking· Paid 🛝 Playground🚻 Toilets
🛝 Family friendly
Very strong match
playground, café, toilets; Playing field
Free
🎠 Playgrounds
Very strong match
playground, toilets, café, parking
Free
🦅 Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Rock Dove, Carrion Crow, Black-headed Gull +51 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Rock Dove, Carrion Crow, Black-headed Gull +51 more · last seen 2026
Free
🦉 Wildlife
Very strong match
Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals
Free
⚽ Playing fields
Very strong match
Playing field
Free
🧺 Picnic day out
Strong match
café, toilets, car park; Playing field — open space for a simple picnic
Free
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 12 signed routes nearby · 36 public paths nearby
Signed route nearby Public paths
The Chiltern Way Walking route 275 km ▾
A waymarked long-distance footpath in southern England
Named route Ref CW Length 275 km Regional walking route
Show on map Garden City 15 Walking route ▾
Letchworth Greenway Walking route ▾
13.6 mile (21.8km) walking route around Letchworth
Named route
Show on map HOOP - Hitchin Outer Orbital Path Walking route ▾
Circular route around Hitchin
Named route Ref HOOP Local walking route
Show on map Walk on the wild side Walking route ▾
Elmside Walk public footpath · 161 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 161 m Surface asphalt Path type: pedestrian
Show on map Chalkdell Path public footpath · 173 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 173 m Surface asphalt Path type: footway
Show on map Coopers Yard public footpath · 14 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 14 m Surface paved Path type: service
Show on map 51 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Route 12 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 12 National Cycle Network
Show on map Recreational Cycle Route 16 Cycling route ▾
Local circular? cycle route
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Chilterns Cycleway Cycling route ▾
Named route Round trip Regional cycle route
Show on map Chilterns Cycleway (road alternative) Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 2.5 km ▾
Named route Ref 12 Length 2.5 km National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface asphalt
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 305 m ▾
Named route Ref 12 Length 305 m National Cycle Network On-road Surface asphalt
Show on map 1 signed route nearby
Signed route nearby
Icknield Way Cycle Trail Mountain bike route 226 km ▾
This is the off-road or mountain cycling route of the Icknield Way Trail.
Named route Length 226 km Regional cycle route
Show on map 1 public path nearby
Public paths
Lucas Lane byway open to all traffic · 396 m ▾
Public path byway open to all traffic Length 396 m Surface gravel Path type: residential
Show on map Photos Recreation ground and playground, Hitchin
‹ ›
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
All Historic
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id: 9ddb09db-178c-4b30-bca6-3ec66ca5d980
UK green spaces mapped from open public data — so anyone can find the woodland, trail, or nature reserve closest to them.
© 2026 Glade · Made with care for UK green spaces
Wildlife to spot
90,092 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 90,092 records · National Biodiversity Network Woodpigeon · Carrion Crow · Rock Dove · Magpie · Starling +36
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 Magpie Pica pica Starling Sturnus vulgaris Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Robin Erithacus rubecula House Sparrow Passer domesticus Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2025 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Canada Goose Branta canadensis Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Goldcrest Regulus regulus Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Redwing Turdus iliacus2025 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2025 Little Egret Egretta garzetta2025 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2025 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2025 Stock Dove Columba oenas2025 Skylark Alauda arvensis2025 Great Tit Parus major2025 Rook Corvus frugilegus2025 Common Gull Larus canus2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2025 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2025 Siskin Spinus spinus2025 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris2025 Brown Rat · Red Fox · Hedgehog · Muntjac
Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi2025 🐝 Insects 15 species
winter spring
2026 ▾
7-spot Ladybird · Dark-edged Bee-fly · Juniper Shieldbug · Eristalis tenax · Syrphus +10
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major Juniper Shieldbug Cyphostethus tristriatus Eristalis tenax Eristalis tenax Syrphus Syrphus 10-spot Ladybird Adalia decempunctata Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 90,092 records · National Biodiversity Network Woodpigeon · Carrion Crow · Rock Dove · Magpie · Starling +36
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 Magpie Pica pica Starling Sturnus vulgaris Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Robin Erithacus rubecula House Sparrow Passer domesticus Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2025 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Canada Goose Branta canadensis Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Goldcrest Regulus regulus Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Redwing Turdus iliacus2025 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2025 Little Egret Egretta garzetta2025 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2025 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2025 Stock Dove Columba oenas2025 Skylark Alauda arvensis2025 Great Tit Parus major2025 Rook Corvus frugilegus2025 Common Gull Larus canus2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2025 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2025 Siskin Spinus spinus2025 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris2025 Brown Rat · Red Fox · Hedgehog · Muntjac
Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi2025 🐝 Insects 15 species
winter spring
2026 ▾
7-spot Ladybird · Dark-edged Bee-fly · Juniper Shieldbug · Eristalis tenax · Syrphus +10
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major Juniper Shieldbug Cyphostethus tristriatus Eristalis tenax Eristalis tenax Syrphus Syrphus 10-spot Ladybird Adalia decempunctata Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Epistrophe eligans
Epistrophe eligans
Epistrophe eligans
Epistrophe eligans
Eupeodes Eupeodes
Eupeodes Eupeodes
Rhyzobius chrysomeloides Rhyzobius chrysomeloides
Rhyzobius chrysomeloides Rhyzobius chrysomeloides
Pine Ladybird Exochomus quadripustulatus
Pine Ladybird Exochomus quadripustulatus
Viburnum Scale Lichtensia viburni
Viburnum Scale Lichtensia viburni
14-spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata
14-spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata
Gorse Shieldbug Piezodorus lituratus
Gorse Shieldbug Piezodorus lituratus
Corizus hyoscyami Corizus hyoscyami
Corizus hyoscyami Corizus hyoscyami
Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale Events & activities nearby Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.
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