Description
This was once within Barnet Common, which had been partly enclosed in 1729 and the remainder in 1815. In the 1880s when housing and a new road were being built here, a small area of remaining open land with a pond was converted into this public park. Initially called Barnet Recreation Ground, it was later named after James Ravenscroft, a great benefactor of Barnet. It was laid out with serpentine walks, shrubs and bedding. There used to be two ornamental ponds that were drained in 1992, their location marked as sunken areas.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Barnet Common; Barnet Recreation Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | Wood Street/Ravenscroft Park, Chipping Barnet |
| Postcode | EN5 4ND |
| What3Words | ///mess.shady.planet |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Special Conditions | No horse riding |
| Public Transport | Tube: High Barnet (Northern) then bus. Bus: 107, 263, 307, 384 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Barnet Common at one time went from Barnet Hill to Barnet Gate and was used for pasture for horses when horse fairs were taking place in the area. Part of the common was enclosed in 1729 and the rest in 1815 and the small area of remaining open land with a pond later became Barnet Recreation Ground in the 1880s, later renamed Ravenscroft Park. James Ravenscroft after whom the park is named was a great benefactor of Barnet, 'a man of untarnished integrity, of a happy disposition, exceedingly well known for the greatness of his mind' according to the tomb in St John the Baptist churchyard (q.v.). In 1880s when a new road and housing was developed by Thomas Smith, he paid for the conversion of an area formerly Barnet Common into a public park.
The park is surrounded by C19th iron railings. An early C20th photograph shows a railed enclosure adjacent to brick terraces, laid out with serpentine walks, shrubs and bedding. There used to be two ornamental ponds, which were drained in 1992, their remains marked as sunken areas. Just outside the park is a boundary stone with the following inscription: 'This stone stands on the pre-historic landmark Grimsdyke which forms part of the boundary of Chipping Barnet. This stone was originally a boundary stone of the Whetstone and Highgate Turnpike Trust which built Barnet Hill about 1823'. The park has a fine collection of mature trees of good variety including horse chestnuts and evergreen trees such as fir and 2 monkey puzzles.
The park is surrounded by C19th iron railings. An early C20th photograph shows a railed enclosure adjacent to brick terraces, laid out with serpentine walks, shrubs and bedding. There used to be two ornamental ponds, which were drained in 1992, their remains marked as sunken areas. Just outside the park is a boundary stone with the following inscription: 'This stone stands on the pre-historic landmark Grimsdyke which forms part of the boundary of Chipping Barnet. This stone was originally a boundary stone of the Whetstone and Highgate Turnpike Trust which built Barnet Hill about 1823'. The park has a fine collection of mature trees of good variety including horse chestnuts and evergreen trees such as fir and 2 monkey puzzles.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ239964 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.26 |
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet |
| Site Management | Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division |
| Dates | 1883-5 |
| Designers | Thomas Smith? |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Boundary stone adjacent to park |
| 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 | Wood Street |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Archaeological Significance |
| Other LA Designation | Small Local Park. Article 4 Direction |
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
Leathersellers' Close contains the Leathersellers' Almshouses and related grounds. The two wings of almshouses and the central Chapel block were built between 1838 and 1866 in the Gothic style and then rebuilt and remodelled in 1964-1966. The small Victorian lodge dates from 1859.To the south of the central path are large ornamental iron gates and, just inside the gates, a pair of decorative Victorian lampposts. The extensive grounds are mostly laid to grass and contain many fine mature trees, including several beech and holly, a tulip tree and a Monterey cypress, together with mixed shrub borders and eight standard bay trees at the sides of the central path.
James Ravenscroft, an important benefactor of Barnet like his father Thomas, founded Jesus Hospital almshouses for 6 poor widowed women in 1679, so-called because Ravenscroft was a graduate of Jesus College Cambridge. The almshouses have a pleasant front garden with a central path from the gates, which are flanked by gate piers with inset stone plaques with initials surmounted by a lion and the foundation date, a replica commemorating the 300th anniversary with the date '1979'.
In the C19th the land was owned by the Rumball family and leased for pasture, a brewery and stables, and two houses. In 1912 the brewery site was purchased by Barnet UDC, who later purchased the freehold of the Old Court House Estate in 1923. The recreation ground on the south side of the gardens opened in 1924 and Barnet Bowls Club was founded here in 1926. The park was formally laid out with an ornamental pond, rockery, shrub and flower beds, and a fine variety of specimen trees.
