Description
Barnet Gate Wood is a fragment of the ancient Forest of Middlesex, marked as such on John Rocque's map of 1754. Apart from woodland trees such as oak and hornbeam, and a few wild service trees, rhododendron is also present, probably planted in the C19th to provide cover for game. Banks created to prevent cattle straying into the wood are visible to the east and north. Footpaths lead through the wood to Moat Mount Open Space.
Practical Information
| Site location | Hendon Wood Lane, Barnet Gate |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW7 |
| What3Words | ///parts.those.singer |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Elstree & Boreham Wood then bus. Tube: High Barnet (Northern) then bus. Bus: 107, 292, 306, 797 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2003 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ215948 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 4.35 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet |
| Site Management | Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division |
| 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 - Borough Importance II |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Park; Heritage Land (part) |
Gallery
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Remnants of the rural landscape of Barnet Gate are still found among the private houses in the area. The Windmill is an early C20th Arts and Crafts style house in landscaped grounds adjacent to a preserved disused windmill with a circular tower. The Arkley Windmill was built between 1822 -40 and was in use until 1916; it was repaired in 1930 and 1974. Nearby a timber-framed barn of 1788 is in the grounds of another private house. This 3-bay timber-framed building with weather-boarding and a tiled room was used to store grain before it was milled at Arkley Windmill.
This area was once part of the ancient Middlesex Forest. In 1756 the manorial lands were purchased and a mansion built on the high ground, although a moat predates this. In 1866 the 400 hectare estate was purchased by Edward William Cox, who added considerably to the estate, and rebuilt the house. What is now Moat Mount was laid out as parkland with ornamental lake, exotic plantings and grassy slopes; Scratchwood was used for rearing game and sport. Part of the estate was sold in 1906, the remainder purchased largely by Hendon UDC in 1923 after the death of Cox's son. The A1 Barnet Bypass bisected the site in 1927. Part became Mill Hill Golf Club, and the rest is now known as Moat Mount Open Space, which contains Leg of Mutton Pond. and on the other side of the A1, Scratchwood Open Space.
Rowley Green Common was formerly within the Manor of Shenleybury and remained as such until 1934 when Barnet UDC purchased it for public open space. The ponds were created through gravel and sand extraction in earlier times and the common was used for grazing up until the 1940s. It was used for military manoeuvres in WWII. The common today has areas of grass and woodland, mainly birch and oak, and it is particularly unusual in having a sphagnum bog, rare in south-east England and the only bog in Barnet.