Description
Hampstead Garden Suburb was conceived by Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1903 when the area, hitherto rural, became ripe for development. Her aim was to provide a garden suburb for the working classes, with some larger houses as well as amenities. The overall layout was the work of Raymond Unwin. The street pattern followed the land contours, with curving and straight roads to create interesting viewpoints, closes and squares, street trees, a pedestrian network of footpaths and a variety of green spaces. The first phase was largely built between 1907 - 1912 and included Litchfield Square. Hedge and trees separate the square from the road, the houses on three sides fronting onto a neat slightly raised lawn.
Practical Information
| Site location | 84-108 Hampstead Way |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW11 |
| What3Words | ///bonus.mock.assist |
| Type of Site | Housing/Estate Landscaping |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | private with public access |
| Public Transport | Tube: Golders Green (Northern) then bus. Bus: 102, 82, 260, H2. |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2000 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Hampstead Garden Suburb was conceived by Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1903 when the Underground tunnel from Hampstead to Golders Green was completed and the area, hitherto rural, became ripe for development. Her aim was to provide a garden suburb for the working classes, with some larger houses as well as amenities such as shops. Through energetic fund-raising she acquired the money to buy 243 acres of land at Hampstead from the owners, Eton College. After the initial suburb was created, further phases of development took place when additional parcels of land were purchased in 1908 and 1911 and later 300 acres were developed after 1919.
Hampstead Garden Suburb lies on the north-west side of Hampstead Heath with the Hampstead Heath Extension (q.v.) creating a Green Belt link to the heath on its southern side. The A1 bisects the Suburb along its northern edge. The overall layout was the work of Raymond Unwin, at that time in the process of completing Letchworth Garden Suburb and who had known Canon Barnett from the 1880s. In 1904 he was invited to plan the new suburb at Hampstead and his first design was dated February 22nd 1905; in the same month Henrietta Barnett published a prospectus for the suburb in 'The Contemporary Review'.
In 1906 Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust Ltd was formed which owned and administered the land although housing was erected by co-partnership companies, and a large number of different architects were involved. Unwin was associated with the Trust as consultant architect from 1906-1914. The Hampstead Garden Suburb Act of 1906 enabled him to by-pass local planning by-laws and create a street pattern that followed the contours of the land, using curving and straight roads to create interesting viewpoints, introducing closes and squares, with a pedestrian network of footpaths or 'twittens' and a variety of green spaces, public and private. Hedges rather than walls were used between front gardens and the streets, and street trees were either retained existing trees or newly-planted.
The first phase was largely built between 1907 and 1912 which included Litchfield Square, built in 1908 and designed by Parker and Unwin. Hedge and trees separate the square from the road, the houses on three sides fronting onto a neat slightly raised lawn with well-trimmed bushes and a gingko tree.
Hampstead Garden Suburb lies on the north-west side of Hampstead Heath with the Hampstead Heath Extension (q.v.) creating a Green Belt link to the heath on its southern side. The A1 bisects the Suburb along its northern edge. The overall layout was the work of Raymond Unwin, at that time in the process of completing Letchworth Garden Suburb and who had known Canon Barnett from the 1880s. In 1904 he was invited to plan the new suburb at Hampstead and his first design was dated February 22nd 1905; in the same month Henrietta Barnett published a prospectus for the suburb in 'The Contemporary Review'.
In 1906 Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust Ltd was formed which owned and administered the land although housing was erected by co-partnership companies, and a large number of different architects were involved. Unwin was associated with the Trust as consultant architect from 1906-1914. The Hampstead Garden Suburb Act of 1906 enabled him to by-pass local planning by-laws and create a street pattern that followed the contours of the land, using curving and straight roads to create interesting viewpoints, introducing closes and squares, with a pedestrian network of footpaths or 'twittens' and a variety of green spaces, public and private. Hedges rather than walls were used between front gardens and the streets, and street trees were either retained existing trees or newly-planted.
The first phase was largely built between 1907 and 1912 which included Litchfield Square, built in 1908 and designed by Parker and Unwin. Hedge and trees separate the square from the road, the houses on three sides fronting onto a neat slightly raised lawn with well-trimmed bushes and a gingko tree.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ251885 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust |
| Site Management | Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust |
| Dates | 1908 |
| Designers | Parker & Unwin |
| Listed Structures | LBII: 84-108 Hampstead Way (Litchfield Square) |
| 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 | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Hampstead Garden Suburb |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Article 4 Direction |
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
Princes Park was laid out as a public park in 1923, with tennis courts shown on inter-war OS maps. And includes mature oak trees that predate the surrounding housing development. To the south-east of the park is a small area of woodland that has a fragment of ancient woodland containing a mature wild service tree and old crab apple tree; the area is shown as wooded on a 1796 map.
Hampstead Garden Suburb was conceived by Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1903 when the area, hitherto rural, became ripe for development. Her aim was to provide a garden suburb for the working classes, with some larger houses as well as amenities. The overall layout was the work of Raymond Unwin. The street pattern followed the land contours, with curving and straight roads to create interesting viewpoints, closes and squares, street trees, a pedestrian network of footpaths and a variety of green spaces. The first phase was largely built between 1907 and 1912 which included Lucas Square, named after its architect Geoffrey Lucas. Hedged from the road, the houses on three sides look onto a rectangular slightly sunken tennis lawn, separated from a further strip of lawn at the east end by a low wall.
When it was built in 1895, Golders Green Cemetery was the only major development in the area, which at that time was predominantly country villas set in the rural landscape. The cemetery is divided into two distinct areas, the north-eastern section for Sephardic Jews, which has distinctive prostrate slabs, their simplicity in contrast to the upright, more ostentatious monuments and tombs in the south-western section for members of the West London Synagogue. The cemetery buildings consist of two brick Prayer Halls connected by an archway, and a half-timbered lodge.
