Description
Cherry Tree Wood, formerly known as Dirthouse Wood, contains a fragment of the ancient Finchley Wood, and is on the northern edge of what was once the Bishop of London's Hornsey Park. In 1914 the site was purchased for a public park by Finchley UDC from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. It comprises a roughly triangular area of open grassland and woodland on its northern perimeter with some ancient hornbeams and oaks, and a small lodge at its western tip. Facilities provided included tennis courts and a putting green, the latter no longer in existence.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Dirthouse Wood |
|---|---|
| Site location | Cherry Tree Road/Brompton Grove/Summerlee Avenue/Fordington Road, East Finchley |
| Postcode | N2 9QH |
| What3Words | ///master.empty.normal |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted. Café open daily in summer, November-April weekends only. |
| Facilities | Playground, tennis courts, football, Cherry Tree Café, toilets. |
| Events | Various events including annual East Finchley Community Festival |
| Public Transport | Tube: East Finchley (Northern). Bus 102, 143, 234, 263, H3 |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Cherry Tree Wood, formerly part of the once extensive Finchley Wood, is on the northern edge of what was the Bishop of London's great hunting park, Hornsey Park, and contains a fragment of ancient woodland. Before it became a public park, Cherry Tree Wood was previously known as Dirthouse Wood due to the carters who brought night soil from London to the nearby Dirthouse, now the White Lion pub. It was used for fertilizer for the hayfields, the carters taking hay back to the City. At one time there were water-cress beds in the lower area of land in the centre of the park and the Mutton Brook, now culverted, flowed through here. The woodland was reduced in size as land was taken for the railway in the 1860s and for house building as the area developed.
By the late C19th recreational facilities were needed for the new population of East Finchley. Dirthouse Wood was considered as a possible site for a recreation ground in 1912 and the site was finally bought by Finchley Urban District Council from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1914. It opened in 1915, a roughly triangular area with open rough grassland and woodland on its northern perimeter with some ancient hornbeams and oaks, and a small lodge at its western tip. The park was renamed Cherry Tree Wood after nearby Cherry Tree Hill. Facilities provided in the park include tennis courts, and a putting green, the latter no longer in existence. After a long period of neglect, long term restoration work commenced in Autumn 1985 with coppicing re-introduced over several decades together with replacements for established oaks, and clearing sections of undergrowth to nurture new saplings. Much of this work is undertaken through the active Friends of Cherry Tree Wood group.
By the late C19th recreational facilities were needed for the new population of East Finchley. Dirthouse Wood was considered as a possible site for a recreation ground in 1912 and the site was finally bought by Finchley Urban District Council from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1914. It opened in 1915, a roughly triangular area with open rough grassland and woodland on its northern perimeter with some ancient hornbeams and oaks, and a small lodge at its western tip. The park was renamed Cherry Tree Wood after nearby Cherry Tree Hill. Facilities provided in the park include tennis courts, and a putting green, the latter no longer in existence. After a long period of neglect, long term restoration work commenced in Autumn 1985 with coppicing re-introduced over several decades together with replacements for established oaks, and clearing sections of undergrowth to nurture new saplings. Much of this work is undertaken through the active Friends of Cherry Tree Wood group.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ275890 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 5.43 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet |
| Site Management | Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division/Friends of Cherry Tree Wood |
| Dates | 1915 |
| 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 - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Premier Park. Capital Ring through park |
Gallery
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