Description
The land on which Mill Hill Park is sited was once part of Daws Farm, thought to refer to a Thomas Daws who lived in the area in the C14th. Over 37 acres of farmland were bought by Hendon UDC in 1923 and opened to the public the following year. The park is bisected by Watford Way, north-east of which is the main, more formally laid-out area of the park and where sports facilities are located. It is planted with numerous trees and has some ornamental rose beds; a Nature Reserve was created in 1993/4.
Practical Information
| Site location | Wise Lane/Daws Lane/Flower Lane/Watford Way |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW7 2BD |
| What3Words | ///spot.farm.tapes |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Bowling greens, café, basketball court, cricket pitches and pavilion, miniature golf, playground, football pitches, tennis courts, toilets, car park |
| Events | Community Music Festival (biennial), Summer Sports Festival |
| Public Transport | Rail: Mill Hill Broadway then bus. Bus:113, 221, 186, 251 |
| Research Updated | 9 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The land on which Mill Hill Park is sited was once part of Daws Farm, thought to refer to a Thomas Daws who lived in the area in the C14th. Over 37 acres of former farmland was bought by Hendon Urban District Council in 1923 and the park was opened to the public the following year. The main area of the park is to the north-east of Watford Way (Barnet By-pass), which straddles the park. Watford Way was built through Hendon in the 1920s around the time that development in central Hendon was accelerating after the railway arrived in 1923, Hendon Central Station opening that year. This area of the park has sports facilities and a more formal layout, including planted areas, flower beds and numerous trees. In the inter-war OS map various facilities are shown, including a playground, swimming pool, tennis court, bowling green, pavilions, toilets as well as the path layout. A garden centre is now on the former site of the swimming pool. Near the Wise Lane entrance are shrubberies and neat beds with some roses, and a perimeter path runs around this part of the park. A Nature Reserve was created in 1993/94. The area to the west of Watford Way is an open undulating green space with a number of large oak trees in a line diagonally across it; a more recent fairly dense planting of trees is found along the north boundary and includes oak and conifers.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ219919 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 14.3 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet |
| Site Management | Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division/Friends of Mill Hill Park |
| Dates | 1923/4 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Premier 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
St Michaels and All Angels was built when the Mill Hill Broadway area was being developed around the new station. The east part was completed by 1922 and extended in 1932 and 1938 with the west end and Lady Chapel by Alban Caroe not completed until 1956. The church hall to the north, Hartley Hall, was built in 1910. It has pleasant gardens in front of the church, also an area of lawn to the side.
Information about the site dates back to 1321 when it was owned by the Nicoll family. Ridgeway House was built in c.1525 and from 1702 was occupied by a series of Quakers, the most famous of whom was the foremost botanist, Peter Collinson, who lived here from 1749 to his death in 1768. The garden contained an extraordinary range of trees and plants collected from North America and elsewhere in the world. People came from all over Europe to visit his gardens here. In 1807 the property was bought by Mill Hill School who in 1826/7 built the present main school building and demolished Ridgeway House. Over the years additional lands were purchased and the site expanded to over 100 acres, with many school buildings and extensive sports fields. The grounds contain some of Collinson's original trees as well as fine trees planted over the years since. In front of the school is the Gate of Honour, a war memorial for ex-pupils who died in the two world wars.
Arrandene Open Space was purchased by Hendon Council in 1929 in order to preserve it for public recreation at a time when the area was rapidly developing. It remains a rural landscape surrounded by suburban Mill Hill, with views from Featherstone Hill in the west and Mill Hill Ridge to the north-east. The hilly site consists of 12 fields divided by hedgerows, areas of woodland, a network of footpaths and a horse ride. In the early 1990s planting of exotic tree species began in various areas to form a new arboretum.
