Description
Butler's Green represents the last remnant of Sudbury Common, which until the early C18th covered around 234 acres in this area. The land had been owned by Sir William Perkin (1838-1907), a Methodist and scientist. The site was purchased in 1920 from Perkin's Trustees and was opened as Sudbury Recreation Ground. It was renamed after Edwin Butler who had a grocer's shop at 791 Harrow Road, and who was much involved in local affairs, an advocate of acquiring open land for public recreational use. There used to be a tennis ground in the park, on the site of the playground.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Sudbury Common; Sudbury Recreation Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | Harrow Road/Watford Road, Sudbury |
| Postcode | HA0 2LS |
| What3Words | ///short.spike.pilots |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Brent |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Playground |
| Public Transport | Tube: Sudbury Town (Piccadilly). London Overground/Rail/Tube (Bakerloo): Wembley Central then bus. Rail: Sudbury and Harrow Road. Bus: 18, 92, 182, 204. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Butler's Green represents the last area remaining of Sudbury Common, which until the early C18th covered around 234 acres in this area. It was named after Edwin Butler who had a grocer's shop at 791 Harrow Road, and who was much involved in local affairs, an advocate of acquiring open land for public recreational use. He became the first Mayor of Wembley Borough Council in 1937.
Butler's Green land had been owned by Sir William Perkin (1838-1907), a Methodist and scientist who in 1856 had succeeded in making quinine synthetically, which led to producing coloured aniline dyes, also used in stamps in Victorian times. The site of Butler's Green was purchased in 1920 from Perkin's Trustees and was opened as Sudbury Recreation Ground. It consists of an open triangular green space with a more formal planted area at the apex of the triangle with benches, beds with yuccas, conifers, roses and other flowers and shrubs. There are trees along the perimeter and some dotted on the site, of various species including horse chestnut and London plane.
Butler's Green land had been owned by Sir William Perkin (1838-1907), a Methodist and scientist who in 1856 had succeeded in making quinine synthetically, which led to producing coloured aniline dyes, also used in stamps in Victorian times. The site of Butler's Green was purchased in 1920 from Perkin's Trustees and was opened as Sudbury Recreation Ground. It consists of an open triangular green space with a more formal planted area at the apex of the triangle with benches, beds with yuccas, conifers, roses and other flowers and shrubs. There are trees along the perimeter and some dotted on the site, of various species including horse chestnut and London plane.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ166855 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.46 |
| Site Ownership | LB Brent |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | 1920 |
| 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 | Brent |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Vale Farm was owned by the Lake family in the C18th, later purchased by the Page family and Samuel Palmer of Huntley & Palmer biscuits lived here from 1874. Wembley UDC purchased the land for public open space and sports in October 1928 from the then owners, builders E & F Toley. The park opened in April 1930. Wembley's first open air swimming pool was in the park but later closed. A new complex was built in 1979. The park was the home of Wembley Football Club and it was here that the England World Cup squad trained prior to winning the World Cup in 1966.
Barham Park was once grounds of the C18th Crab's House, which was acquired in 1801 by John Copland who built Sudbury Lodge (later called Barham Mansion) in c1850. By 1895 the estate was owned by Sir George Barham; it was inherited in 1913 by his son Titus, who spent much on its improvement. When he died in 1937 he left house and grounds to the citizens of Wembley, together with his private museum. The park today has formal gardens and more open parkland. There are remnants of earlier features such as garden balustrades of Barham Mansion, walls and ornamental gates, and part of Crab's House is now the library. Wembley and Brent Parks Nursery was here from 1950-1960s, its site now the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Garden, with the old nursery glasshouse as its focal point.
Elmwood Park has 'possibly the finest views in the whole of Brent'. The site was once the grounds of a house called Elmwood, which was bombed and part was given to the local Council for open space. Elms Lane is an old track of at least medieval date or even earlier, and C18th and C19th cottages remain near the junction of Elms Lane and Sudbury Court Road. The park has a number of old oak trees including one at the summit that may date from a former hedgerow. A woodland strip on the southern side of the park is dominated by ash and elm.
