Description
Millfield House, originally a smaller house, was enlarged in the latter part of the C18th to provide a fine suburban villa, which had a number of illustrious tenants. In 1849 it became a school for London workhouse children, which was extended over the years and by 1897 housed c.400 paupers. It was partially self-supporting with two meadows, a few acres of cultivated land, a herd of cows and some pigs. It closed in 1913 and from 1918-71 it was used as a hospital. It was re-opened by Enfield Council as Millfield House Arts Centre in 1979, encompassing a theatre and library (now relocated). The gardens immediately surrounding the house were landscaped with flower beds, shrubberies and trees; one of Enfield's communal air-raid shelters is found in the garden. Millfield House was re-opened in April 2011 following refurbishment.
Practical Information
| Site location | Silver Street, Edmonton |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N18 1PJ |
| What3Words | ///layers.exile.belong |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Enfield |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | gardens have unrestricted access from Pymmes Brook |
| Facilities | House has room hire, Gallery, parking, disabled access, café, toilets. St David's Park: children's playground |
| Events | Numerous events in Theatre. House has courses, talks and other regular and one-off events; air raid shelter occasionally opened to public |
| Public Transport | Rail: Silver Street then bus; Edmonton Green then bus. Bus: 34, 102, 144, W6, 217, 231 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Millfield House was built in the C18th, originally a smaller house that was enlarged as a suburban villa. The central block predates 1778 and was extended by flanking pavilions and a service wing between 1792-96. First mention of Millfield House appears in the Minutes of Edmonton Vestry in December 1796 when it belonged to John Wigston of Trent Park (q.v.), at which time it was let to the Imperial Ambassador, probably Graf Ludwig von Starhemberg, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the German Empire. In 1828 Robert Mushet of the Royal Mint died at Millfield House, at which time it was valued at £6,300. It was sold in 1845 to the Strand Union Guardians who opened a school for London workhouse children in 1849. Over the next 40 years various buildings were added, such as two infirmary blocks and further extensions in 1889 and by 1897 it housed c.400 paupers. The school was partially self-supporting with two meadows, a few acres of cultivated land and a herd of cows and some pigs. The children were also taught trades: the boys, tailoring, shoemaking and carpentry; the girls, housework, needlework and laundering. The school was closed in 1913 and the house was purchased by the Metropolitan Asylum Board for a mental hospital, but at the outbreak of World War I it was used to house Belgian refugees.
In 1918 Millfield House was converted by the Board into the Edmonton Colony for sane male epileptics. When it was taken over by London County Council in 1935 it was renamed the St David Hospital for Epileptics, which it remained until 1971 when it was acquired by London Borough of Enfield. Extensive renovations and the demolition of some of the old workhouse buildings ensued, although a lodge and outbuilding from the workhouse period remain as well as an early C20th lodge.
It was re-opened as Millfield House Arts Centre in 1979, the whole complex encompassing Millfield Theatre and Weir Hall Library in addition to the Arts Centre. In December 2008 the library was relocated to Fore Street, Edmonton and the Arts Centre was closed in 2009 for a £2.5m refurbishment project, which included new facilities such as a cafe bar and performance space, marking the Arts Centre's 30th anniversary. A second part of the scheme includes renovation of the listed Millfield House, which Pevsner described as "a surprisingly grandiose but loosely conceived Neo-classical plan, no doubt suitable for showy receptions". The gardens immediately surrounding the house have been landscaped with flower beds, shrubberies and trees. Beneath an area of laurel shrubbery is one of the few remaining communal air raid shelters in Enfield.
Beyond the gardens is St David's Play Area, which leads to an area of landscaping to the busy roads, and adjacent to Millfield Theatre complex, with which Millfield House shares the entrance from Silver Street.
In 1918 Millfield House was converted by the Board into the Edmonton Colony for sane male epileptics. When it was taken over by London County Council in 1935 it was renamed the St David Hospital for Epileptics, which it remained until 1971 when it was acquired by London Borough of Enfield. Extensive renovations and the demolition of some of the old workhouse buildings ensued, although a lodge and outbuilding from the workhouse period remain as well as an early C20th lodge.
It was re-opened as Millfield House Arts Centre in 1979, the whole complex encompassing Millfield Theatre and Weir Hall Library in addition to the Arts Centre. In December 2008 the library was relocated to Fore Street, Edmonton and the Arts Centre was closed in 2009 for a £2.5m refurbishment project, which included new facilities such as a cafe bar and performance space, marking the Arts Centre's 30th anniversary. A second part of the scheme includes renovation of the listed Millfield House, which Pevsner described as "a surprisingly grandiose but loosely conceived Neo-classical plan, no doubt suitable for showy receptions". The gardens immediately surrounding the house have been landscaped with flower beds, shrubberies and trees. Beneath an area of laurel shrubbery is one of the few remaining communal air raid shelters in Enfield.
Beyond the gardens is St David's Play Area, which leads to an area of landscaping to the busy roads, and adjacent to Millfield Theatre complex, with which Millfield House shares the entrance from Silver Street.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ329925 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Enfield |
| Site Management | Millfield House leased to Trust from April 2000; St David's Park: Place Shaping and Enterprise, Parks Business Unit |
| Dates | C18th |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Millfield House. LBII: Entrance Lodge to Millfield House; wall running west from west of Entrance Lodge |
| 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 | Enfield |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
Tatem Park opened in 1937, laid out on a former gravel pit owned by two sisters, nieces of James Tatem, who donated the site to Edmonton Borough Council for use as a public park. In 1945 an area of wasteland was purchased and laid out as an ornamental garden, named after Cllr George Hollywood of Edmonton Parks Committee. The two sites were united in 1983 when further landscaping was carried out in the central area with the accent on wildlife conservation and numerous trees, wild flowers and native grasses were planted. They provide two distinct landscapes: the ornamental Hollywood Gardens in the south, and the less formal Tatem Park in the north. This lower area had clay deposits and 2 kilns are marked on the OS of 1894; bricks produced here were used to build surrounding housing. Excavations in 1913 unearthed remarkable discoveries of the last Ice Age in the form of skeletons and bones of Mastodon, Megatherium and Mammoth.
The Hyde Estate was the first major example of 'Homes for Heroes' housing development undertaken post WWI by Edmonton UDC. Commissioned in 1920 from architects Niven and Wigglesworth, the housing estate was designed in 'garden suburb' spirit, some of the houses having tile-hung twin gables. The original aim was to provide 2,000 houses but the scheme was financially unviable and had to be abandoned after only 232 houses had been built. There are a series of small greens among the housing, the principal of which is Hazelbury Green, which has four very plain areas of grass within railings, with no planting. In Park Lane there is a central railed strip of green, with some shrubs and trees.
Pymmes Park is on the site of an earlier landscape park and is named after the estate's owners in the C14th. Pymmes Brook runs through the south. There were a number of illustrious owners, including the Cecil family who held it from 1582-1801. By 1801 little indication of earlier gardens had remained apart from a formal canal north of the house and the walled garden to the west. The estate was purchased by Edmonton UDC in 1897/8 and Northside opened initially, the remaining land then laid out and opened in 1906. Earlier landscaping such as a small lake, trees and shrubs were incorporated into the municipal layout, which centred on the elaborate lake. A bandstand, tennis and bowling facilities, formal gardens and walks were laid out. The old mansion was demolished in the 1940s, but the walled garden survives, restored to its 1930s design.
