Description
The Mill Field may be the site of the windmill that gave the area its name, documented in 1321 within a survey of the Manor of Hendon. In 1353 Stephen Nicholls is recorded as the Miller and owner of a farm on 'Le Ridgeway' and on the edge of the park is an C18th listed building, The Old Mill House. However, by the mid C18th the windmill was disused and it had disappeared by 1754. The mill field is now a public park on sloping ground with fine views to the west from the top, where seats are provided. Some fine mature trees and hedgerows remain of the older landscape including oak.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | The Mill Field |
|---|---|
| Site location | The Ridgeway, Mill Hill |
| Postcode | NW7 4EB |
| What3Words | ///dips.gravy.loves |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Sports pitches |
| Public Transport | Tube: Mill Hill East (Northern) then bus. Rail: Mill Hill Broadway then bus. Bus: 240, 251. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Joseph's College (q.v.) abuts the site at the bottom of the hill. The park has mown grass and sports pitches in the upper area, with a more natural landscape and longer grass below, where there is also a pond. The park has more recently planted trees on the perimeter and groups of silver birch.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ221929 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 8 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet |
| Site Management | Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division |
| 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 | Mill Hill |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance II |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Park. Heritage Land |
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
Belmont Mill Hill Preparatory School is on the site of Belmont House, built in 1772. When the estate was sold in 1911 it comprised over 14 ha. of land, including c.4.05 ha. of pleasure grounds. Belmont School opened here in 1912 and its grounds contain remnants of the earlier planting and an early C19th gothic folly, although changes have been made over the years to accommodate new buildings including the chapel of 1925, sports and other educational facilities. Today the school grounds comprise the original house, school buildings, quadrangle, sunken garden, Master's Lawn, open areas and extensive playing fields, as well as wooded areas, a pond used by a local angling club, a smaller pond and wild life area. There are numerous fine mature trees and also a number of younger trees with plaques commemorating particular pupils or events. The grounds around the main buildings are particularly well planted.
St Joseph's Foreign Missionary Society was founded in 1866 by Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, who built St Joseph's College here in 1869-71. It was officially opened on the feast of St Joseph in 1873, a statue of the saint erected to mark completion of the building. In the grounds was a circular burial ground on an elevated terrace, approached by a long walk and surrounded by tall pines. The College moved to Maidenhead in 2006 and the buildings and surrounding gardens were sold to the Matterhorn group with the expressed intention of converting it into a care home for the elderly.
St Paul's Church was consecrated in 1833, paid for by William Wilberforce, an important figure in the Anti-Slavery Movement. Wilberforce had moved to Highwood Hill in 1825 and gained permission to build the church on a gravel pit site on Belmont Estate. St Paul's became a parish church in 1926. The churchyard has yew in front, iron railings and flower beds to the road. Behind the church is a large churchyard with numerous trees including yews and other species.
