Description
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.
Practical Information
| Site location | Sudbury Court Road, Elms Lane |
|---|---|
| Postcode | HA1 |
| What3Words | ///glaze.whites.faces |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Brent |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | closed at dusk |
| Public Transport | Rail: Sudbury & Harrow Road. Bus: 182, 245. |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Ellmwood Court was built on the site of the original house, and another substantial house, Priory Hill, was on the site of the recreation ground.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ162861 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.618 |
| Site Ownership | LB Brent |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| 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 | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Distinctive Residential Character |
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
This small park is within Sudbury Court Estate, a mock-Tudor estate built in 1927-35 as the area was being developed. It was part of Sudbury Farm, which was farmed until 1900 by the Perrin family. In the 1920s the land was sold for development, part of the larger estate of Lord Northwick; many of the roads are named after villages near his Gloucestershire seat. The open space on a hill in the middle of the Sudbury Court Estate was later passed to Wembley Council as public open space, and became known locally as The Pimple. There remain some original hedges and mature oak trees.
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.
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.
