Description
Rowley Green Common was formerly within the Manor of Shenleybury and remained as such until 1934 when Barnet UDC purchased it for public open space. The ponds were created through gravel and sand extraction in earlier times and the common was used for grazing up until the 1940s. It was used for military manoeuvres in WWII. The common today has areas of grass and woodland, mainly birch and oak, and it is particularly unusual in having a sphagnum bog, rare in south-east England and the only bog in Barnet.
Practical Information
| Site location | off Rowley Lane, Arkley |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EN5 |
| What3Words | ///decide.owners.glaze |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Events | Guided walks |
| Public Transport | Tube: High Barnet (Northern). Rail: Elstree and Borehamwood. Bus: 84A, 107, 263. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Rowley Green Common was formerly within the Manor of Shenleybury and remained as such until 1934 when Barnet Urban District Council purchased it for public open space and 'dedicated the land to the use of the public . . . forever'. The ponds here were created due to gravel and sand extraction in earlier times and the common was used for grazing up until the 1940s, and military manoeuvres in World War II. Until these activities ceased, when it became rather overgrown with trees and scrub, the common had remained fairly open heathland with heather and gorse, with a number of mature oak trees and old hedgerows. The common today has areas of grassland and woodland, mainly consisting of birch and oak, and it is particularly unusual in having a sphagnum bog, rare in south-east England. In 1991 it was the first site in the borough to be declared a Local Nature Reserve.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ217961 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Barnet (part) Remainder registered under the Land Registration Acts 1925 and 1936 |
| Site Management | Rowley Green Management Committee (Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust & London Wildlife Trust) |
| Dates | 1934 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | Yes: Common (CL123) |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Barnet |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Metropolitan Importance |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Park, Heritage Land, Local Nature Reserve. SSSI: Rowley Green |
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 Peter's Church was built in 1840 at the expense of Enoch Durant of High Canons, Shenley as a private chapel. Durant died in 1848 and a wall tablet in the church commemorates him. After Durant's death the advowson was later transferred to the rector of Barnet. The chapel was consecrated, and an ecclesiastical parish was formed in 1905. The church grounds consist of a garden with shrubs, seats and lawn. Near the church is the War Memorial.
Remnants of the rural landscape of Barnet Gate are still found among the private houses in the area. The Windmill is an early C20th Arts and Crafts style house in landscaped grounds adjacent to a preserved disused windmill with a circular tower. The Arkley Windmill was built between 1822 -40 and was in use until 1916; it was repaired in 1930 and 1974. Nearby a timber-framed barn of 1788 is in the grounds of another private house. This 3-bay timber-framed building with weather-boarding and a tiled room was used to store grain before it was milled at Arkley Windmill.
Barnet Gate Wood is a fragment of the ancient Forest of Middlesex, marked as such on John Rocque's map of 1754. Apart from woodland trees such as oak and hornbeam, and a few wild service trees, rhododendron is also present, probably planted in the C19th to provide cover for game. Banks created to prevent cattle straying into the wood are visible to the east and north. Footpaths lead through the wood to Moat Mount Open Space.
