Description
Hendon War Memorial was unveiled on 23 April 1922 and was originally located near St Joseph's Convent. In 1923 Watford Way was built and Hendon Central station opened, as the area was increasingly developed. The War Memorial was moved to its current location in 1962 when the road was widened. It now stands within a landscaped area that is effectively a traffic island on Watford Way near the junction with The Burroughs. The Memorial is set within cruciform paving with lawn either side.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Hendon War Memorial |
|---|---|
| Site location | Watford Way/The Burroughs, Hendon |
| Postcode | NW4 |
| What3Words | ///fault.bring.beside |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Hendon Central (Northern). |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Hendon War Memorial was unveiled on 23 April, St George's Day, 1922 but now commemorates the dead of two world wars. It was originally located near St Joseph's Convent, which had been established in 1882 in Burroughs House. The Burroughs was originally spelt 'the Burrows', so-called after rabbit warrens here, and the present spelling dates from the late C19th. The War Memorial was moved to its current location in 1962 when the road was widened. It now stands on a landscaped area that is effectively a traffic island on Watford Way near the junction with The Burroughs. Watford Bypass was built through Hendon in the 1920s around the time that development in central Hendon was accelerating after the railway arrived in 1923, Hendon Central Station opening that year. The War Memorial is set within cruciform paving with lawn either side and planting includes a number of exotic evergreen trees together with shrubs.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ226889 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.75 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet |
| Site Management | Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division |
| Dates | mid C20th |
| 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 |
| Conservation Area Name | abuts The Burroughs Hendon CA |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Archaeological Significance |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Hendon Grove was formerly the gardens of Grove House, one of the largest houses in Hendon, built in 1753. In the C20th Hendon Town Hall (1900), the Fire Station (1911) and the Public Library (1929) were built on its grounds. Part of the gardens remain as a small public park, consisting of two lawns set in a shallow sunken area, into which are the remnants of steps. It is surrounded by mixed planting of mature trees, including exotic fir, holly, beech and horse chestnut, survivals from the earlier garden.
Malcolm Park is a small linear park largely laid to grass, now flanked by the M1, the noise of which is ever-present. Remaining open space alongside the railway and Hendon Sidings as the area became built up in the C20th, it was laid out as a park by 1956. A tarmac path runs from north to south and across to the eastern entrance from Woodward Avenue where 3 oval rose beds are situated each side of the path, the only area of formal planting. Trees on the perimeter of the path include willows and copper beech.
Church Farmhouse, situated next to Hendon parish church, is one of the oldest surviving houses in Barnet, built c1660 with C18th/early C19th additions. It was in use as a farm until 1944 when it was purchased by Hendon Borough Council. The house was restored and opened as a museum in 1955, and in its grounds are vestigial features of an earlier garden, including at the back a pond, mature yews, horse chestnut and fruit trees, and four beds adjacent to the central pathway. The garden abuts the graveyard of St Mary's Church on one side.
