Description
Highlands Gardens was formerly the garden of Highlands House, built in 1897 for Bevan Braithwaite, who probably laid out the gardens. When he sold the property in 1930 the house was converted into 8 flats, although it later reverted to a family home after 1951. It gradually deteriorated and was eventually demolished in 1972 when the current flats were built. During WWII the garden was dug up for vegetable plots. Now open to the public, the gardens retain features from the old layout, including terraced lawns and water-gardens up the western side, with C19th rock-works, cascade, rustic bridges and an octagonal wooden summer house.
Practical Information
| Site location | Leicester Road & Abbotts Road/Prospect Road, Barnet Vale |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EN5 5EB |
| What3Words | ///motion.event.hoot |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Special Conditions | no cycling |
| Public Transport | Tube: High Barnet (Northern) then bus. Bus 34, 84A, 234, 263, 307. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Highlands Gardens was formerly the garden of Highlands House, built in 1897 for banker and government stockholder Bevan Braithwaite who probably laid out the gardens. Braithwaite was also an amateur astronomer whose telescope was housed in the copper dome that surmounted the building. When Braithwaite sold the property in 1930 the house was converted into 8 flats, although it later reverted to a family home after 1951. It gradually deteriorated and was eventually demolished in 1972 when the current flats were built. During WWII the garden was dug up for vegetable plots and the dome was painted black, as it was thought to represent an aid to aerial navigation.
The garden is a small site on sloping ground, enclosed by railings with a wooden lych-gate entrance at the junction of Leicester Road and Abbotts Road. There is a raised lawn terrace in front of which is a pergola walk, and up the western side are water-gardens with C19th rock-works, cascade, rustic bridges and an octagonal wooden summer house. The rockworks may have been carried out by the firm of James Pulham & Sons in c.1871. Although the lawn terrace is overlooked by the flats built on the site of the original house, the paths meandering through the water garden are secluded and lead to formal bedding towards the top. Highlands Gardens are quite densely planted with specimen trees and exotics including yucca, monkey puzzle and yew.
At the highest point of the park there used to be an aviary until the late 1990s, now derelict but once signposted as the 'Bird World Display Centre' but by 1996 only contained budgerigars, cockatiels, finches, rabbits, hens, partridges and guinea pigs.
The garden is a small site on sloping ground, enclosed by railings with a wooden lych-gate entrance at the junction of Leicester Road and Abbotts Road. There is a raised lawn terrace in front of which is a pergola walk, and up the western side are water-gardens with C19th rock-works, cascade, rustic bridges and an octagonal wooden summer house. The rockworks may have been carried out by the firm of James Pulham & Sons in c.1871. Although the lawn terrace is overlooked by the flats built on the site of the original house, the paths meandering through the water garden are secluded and lead to formal bedding towards the top. Highlands Gardens are quite densely planted with specimen trees and exotics including yucca, monkey puzzle and yew.
At the highest point of the park there used to be an aviary until the late 1990s, now derelict but once signposted as the 'Bird World Display Centre' but by 1996 only contained budgerigars, cockatiels, finches, rabbits, hens, partridges and guinea pigs.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ255959 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.13 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet |
| Site Management | Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division; Friends of Highlands Gardens |
| Dates | C19th; 1931 |
| 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 | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Small Local Park |
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
New Barnet was developed gradually from the 1850s, after the arrival of the railway but it was not until the end of the century that it was fully built. The War Memorial is on an island surrounded by busy roads and has a bronze winged figure on a tall obelisk surrounded by a small landscaped area of evergreen trees, raised flower beds.
Greenhill Gardens is on land originally part of a large country estate known as Pricklers. The ornamental lake that dominates the park dates from the parkland landscaping. By the C16th the estate was called Greenhill but was split up in the C19th when Thomas Wyatt built Willenhall in the southern part. Most of the Greenhill land was developed for housing from 1926, and the public park represents the small portion that survived, with its lake, mature trees and perimeter walk.
In the C19th the land was owned by the Rumball family and leased for pasture, a brewery and stables, and two houses. In 1912 the brewery site was purchased by Barnet UDC, who later purchased the freehold of the Old Court House Estate in 1923. The recreation ground on the south side of the gardens opened in 1924 and Barnet Bowls Club was founded here in 1926. The park was formally laid out with an ornamental pond, rockery, shrub and flower beds, and a fine variety of specimen trees.
