Description
Arrandene Open Space was purchased by Hendon Council in 1929 in order to preserve it for public recreation at a time when the area was rapidly developing. It remains a rural landscape surrounded by suburban Mill Hill, with views from Featherstone Hill in the west and Mill Hill Ridge to the north-east. The hilly site consists of 12 fields divided by hedgerows, areas of woodland, a network of footpaths and a horse ride. In the early 1990s planting of exotic tree species began in various areas to form a new arboretum.
Practical Information
| Site location | Wise Lane/Wills Grove/Milespit Hill, Mill Hill |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW7 2RS |
| What3Words | ///stroke.wipes.offer |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Mill Hill East (Northern) then bus. Rail: Mill Hill Broadway then bus. Bus: 240, 114, 221. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
As Mill Hill was being developed for housing, Hendon Council purchased over 50 acres of the Arrandene estate in 1929 in order to preserve this area for public open space. Arrandene Open Space remains a rural landscape surrounded by suburban Mill Hill. It consists of 12 fields divided by hedgerows and has areas of woodland. A network of footpaths has been provided as well as a horse ride. The site is on hilly ground with Featherstone Hill in the west and Mill Hill Ridge to the north east both of which have fine views. In the past the fields were predominantly used to provide hay for London's horses and occasionally as grazing land. Usage of the land has varied over the years with Featherstone Hill at one time a cornfield and Brook Field became allotments in the 1940s, while Little Lowdham's Field was a school playing field. Between the 1960s and 1980s the grass was mown but since then the botanic importance of the site has led to an ecologically-sensitive management regime. In the early 1990s it was proposed to create an arboretum here and exotic species have been planted in some areas including the entrance on Wise Lane near Milespit Hill to the east.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ227920 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 23.59 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet |
| Site Management | Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division |
| Dates | 1929 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Barnet |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Metropolitan Importance |
| Green Belt | Yes (part) |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | District Park |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Information about the site dates back to 1321 when it was owned by the Nicoll family. Ridgeway House was built in c.1525 and from 1702 was occupied by a series of Quakers, the most famous of whom was the foremost botanist, Peter Collinson, who lived here from 1749 to his death in 1768. The garden contained an extraordinary range of trees and plants collected from North America and elsewhere in the world. People came from all over Europe to visit his gardens here. In 1807 the property was bought by Mill Hill School who in 1826/7 built the present main school building and demolished Ridgeway House. Over the years additional lands were purchased and the site expanded to over 100 acres, with many school buildings and extensive sports fields. The grounds contain some of Collinson's original trees as well as fine trees planted over the years since. In front of the school is the Gate of Honour, a war memorial for ex-pupils who died in the two world wars.
When the windmill further to the west along the Ridgeway ceased operating in the late C14th, the houses at the top of Milespit Hill became the centre of the hamlet of Mill Hill, due to the location on this important route to Hendon. However it was not referred to as a village until the mid C19th. The village green is an informal area of grass with two ponds. The Nicholl's Almshouses of 1696 face onto it as do a number of C18th and C19th properties including the former Methodist Chapel. The High Street was once part of The Ridgeway but in 1793 the main road was routed slightly further north in order to bypass the village.
The Paddington Metropolitan Borough cemetery in Willesden Lane was almost full by 1923 but it was not until 1933 that 26 acres of land in Mill Hill were purchased for the new Paddington Cemetery. The chapel was completed in May 1937 when the apse and part of the burial land were consecrated. After WWII a small plot of land was given to the Netherlands War Graves Commission for the Dutch National War Memorial in Great Britain. The cemetery has a good collection of trees, and is laid out on a neat grid of paths and roadways.
