Description
Mountfort Crescent was built from 1834-47 as part of the Bishop Estate and comprises pairs of bow-fronted villas set around a central garden, which forms the nucleus of this small cul-de-sac off the north side of Barnsbury Square. Named after Mountfort House, it occupies the ground of what used to be Reed Moatfield, in which was a moated site described in 1756. The architect John Carr McLellan lived at No.3 from 1883-88. In 1928 the garden was described as a 'small area enclosed by light railings owned by freeholders of surrounding houses, who maintained the garden'. No longer railed the garden has several notable trees.
Practical Information
| Site location | Barnsbury Square |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N1 |
| What3Words | ///guises.ladder.punt |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private, visible |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Caledonian Road & Barnsbury. Bus: 153 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2004 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ310842 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.06 |
| Site Ownership | Private |
| Dates | 1837-47 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Nos.2-6 Mountfort Crescent |
| 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 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Islington |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Barnsbury Square |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local/strategic view corridor. Local Shopping Area |
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
Mountfort Terrace was built in 1841, part of the Bishop Estate to the south of Barnsbury Square. The Terrace is fronted by an open area, owned by freeholders of the surrounding houses, which in 1928 was described as a ‘small oval shaped area planted with shrubs and a few trees'. It is now largely tarmaced with some roses and a number of trees including eucalyptus, false acacia, specimen conifers and walnut. C19th houses remain on the west side of the terrace. The portrait painter Frederick Ullman lived at No. 4 in 1886-88.
Barnsbury takes its name from Ralph de Berners, who owned land here in the C13th that remained in his family until the early C16th. The manorial estate was eventually broken up when the area was developed for housing from the 1820s. Barnsbury Square was once the site of a medieval moated farm belonging to Barnsbury Manor, and the central garden was built as 'ornamental pleasure grounds' for the private use of residents of the Bishop Estate developed from 1834. The MPGA purchased the lease on the gardens in 1889 and laid them out before transferring them to Islington Vestry in 1891 when they were opened to the public. However, there were disputes over the freehold interest and attempts to purchase the gardens for the public failed in 1911. They became neglected, although there was some use by tennis clubs, but were eventually conveyed to Islington Council in 1933, re-planted and opened to the public once more in 1934. Further re-landscaping was carried out in the 1960s including a new pavilion, new railings, paths and raised beds.
Barnsbury Wood is an area of woodland between Thornhill Crescent and Huntingdon Street left as open land when the Thornhill Estate was built in the 1850s. It was originally the garden of the Vicarage of St Andrew's Church. The garden was later abandoned and became woodland. It was purchased by Islington Council in 1974, originally to build on but due to the awkwardness of access it was decided to leave it as open space. It is now managed for ecology and is the smallest nature reserve in London