Description
The Roman Catholic church of St Joseph was established at Highgate in 1858, the current church replacing the first church of 1859-61, to which St Joseph's Retreat was added in 1874-5 for the Fathers of the church. Terraced gardens were laid out below the Retreat, overlooked by the tall statue of St Joseph. The garden contains notable horse chestnut, oak and plane trees and remnants of terraces and steps.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | St Joseph's Retreat |
|---|---|
| Site location | Dartmouth Park Hill/Highgate Hill |
| Postcode | N19 5NE |
| What3Words | ///valley.proper.fire |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Islington |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | Has opened for London Open House |
| Public Transport | Rail: Upper Holloway. Tube: Archway (Northern) then bus. Bus:143, 210, 271, W5 |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The parish of St Joseph was established in 1858 by the Roman Catholic Passionist Congregation, a monastic community. The original church of 1859-62 by E W Pugin was replaced by the current church of 1888/89, which was designed by architect Albert Vicars in a mixture of Romanesque and Byzantine styles. The Italianate interior has a fine baldachino over a high altar of Sicilian marble, with a vaulted ceiling of 250 hand-painted panels by Nathaniel Westlake. Its green-patinated copper dome is a landmark for miles around, 130 feet above the cross on the dome of St Paul's Cathedral (q.v.). South of the church is St Joseph's Retreat, built for the Fathers of the church in 1874-5, and resembling 'a rustic Italian villa' according to Nikolaus Pevsner. With panoramic views over London, below this are the remains of terraced gardens of the Retreat, raised above street level on the east and west sides. The OS Map of 1870-73 shows a formal layout of paths down the hill leading to St Joseph's RC Primary School, with a central avenue of trees. Although there are remnants of stone terraces and steps, the grounds were reduced by expansion of the school buildings in the latter C20th. The garden is overlooked from the top terrace by the large statue of St Joseph, which was erected in 1861, facing towards the south-east. There was an old burial ground on the site, and when this was built over the remains transferred to Islington Cemetery (q.v.).
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ288871 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Diocese of Westminster |
| Site Management | St Joseph's Retreat |
| Dates | 1861 |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church. LBII: St Joseph's Retreat |
| 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 | Islington |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Highgate Hill & Hornsey Lane |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes |
| Other LA Designation | Shopping Policy Area. Local Landmark |
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
Pond Square today is a triangular tree-shaded open space with pathways running across it, three raised areas largely grassed, and in one corner a small toilet block within shrubbery. The highest point in Camden, this was the old centre of Highgate Village and once had two large ponds that provided drinking water to the village. The freehold was conveyed to St Pancras Vestry in 1884 and in 1886 the ponds were drained in order to create a public space, which opened in the same year. The garden is overlooked by terraced houses, several dating from C18th and C19th, and by the Highbury Literary and Scientific Institute and Emanuel Church.
The land here was formerly part of Highgate Green, the old village green. In 1844 the New River Company purchased land then being used for nursery gardens, also the site of one of the three village ponds and built Highgate Service Reservoir here in 1846. This provided water to houses in Highgate for the first time. Today the reservoir is covered and the site is largely grassland, but still has the small circular conduit house built to service the reservoir. Two stretches of the original cast iron railings remain around the reservoir along Highgate West Hill and The Grove. Species of birch have been planted on the reservoir roof by Thames Water, who continue to be responsible for the site.
OmVed Gardens was founded by Karen Leason in 2017, but was the site of Highgate Garden Centre up until 2013. Prior to this there were a number of nurseries in this area from at least the late C19th, marked on the OS maps from 1893 onwards. By 2017 it was a vacant site, little more than a tarmacked hillside. Committed to connecting people to nature, community and sharing knowledge, the aim was to create an urban greenscape, restore the ecosystem and increase biodiversity using permaculture principles. Designed by Paul Gazerwitz the new landscape comprised a number of different spaces: a sinuous path through landscaped beds; a wildflower meadow; a willow circle; a vegetable garden surrounded by an orchard; and a pond at the bottom of the hill. Built structures include a geodesic dome, the kitchen and a pavilion. Since 2022 OmVed has provided outdoor and garden education in partnership with Camden Public Health, working particularly with Brookfield School as part of its commitment to engage schoolchildren with the natural world and where food comes from as well have an impact on mental wellbeing.
