Description
Traces of a C17th/C18th walled kitchen garden remain in private gardens on Cat Hill, once part of the gardens of Little Grove estate. Owned from 1674-8 by the widow of the Stuart diplomat and gardener Sir Richard Fanshawe, the estate was acquired by John Cotton in 1719 who built a house to the south of Cat Hill. In 1767 the then owner Judge Edward Willes commissioned Capability Brown to lay out the park. In 1932 the house was demolished and a housing estate constructed along Cat Hill and across the park.
Practical Information
| Site location | Cat Hill, East Barnet |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EN4 |
| What3Words | ///perky.spots.driven |
| Type of Site | Garden Feature Remnants |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Rail: New Barnet then bus. Bus: 307. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2003 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
On 15 July 1674 Henry Parker the Younger, in conjunction with his mother and her 2nd husband, conveyed the Little Grove estate to Anne, widow of the Stuart diplomat and gardener Sir Richard Fanshawe. On her death in 1680, in accordance with her will, the house and gardens were sold. In 1719 the estate was acquired by John Cotton who built a house immediately to the south of Cat Hill. In the 1730s the estate changed hands twice and in 1767 it was bought by Judge Edward Willes, the Solicitor General, who commissioned Capability Brown to lay out the park from 1768-1770. In 1932 the house was demolished and a housing estate constructed along Cat Hill and across the park. The only trace of the C17th/C18th garden consists of two and a half sides of a walled kitchen garden and sections of a formal box hedge that subdivided this enclosed area.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ277956 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | C18th |
| Designers | Capability Brown |
| 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 | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Check if in Area of Architectural Significance |
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
Oak Hill Woods date back to at least the C11th when they were owned by the church, and may have been the source of timber for building St Albans Abbey. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries church lands were sold in 1536-8 and incorporated into the Oak Hill Estate; it remained in private ownership until 1928. In 1930 East Barnet Council acquired the land and Oak Hill Park was opened in 1933, including the woodland, which was established as a Nature Reserve in 1997.
Christ Church was built in 1837-39 when Cockfosters became a separate parish, and was paid for by Robert Bevan of nearby Trent Park. The hamlet of Cock Fosters effectively developed as an estate village for the large estates of Trent Park and Beech Hill Park. The Bevan Family monument is found in the small churchyard to the north of the church, which has gravestones and some fine monuments among grass, with yew and other trees, roses and shrubs.
Trent Park Cemetery was opened in 1960 by Islington Council. The land was formerly in agricultural use but had once been part of the hunting park of Enfield Chase at its far western edge. When the Chase was enclosed after 1777 a small part was retained as a miniature hunting park and became Trent Park, which by mid-C19th covered 1,215 ha. A farm called West Farm existed at Cockfosters from at least the C16th and was added to the Trent Park estate in the C19th. The cemetery has a small brick chapel near the entrance that contains a Book of Remembrance.
