Description
Tookes Green is a small triangular green on sloping land at the junction of three roads, with a few trees and seats and bordered with setts, a boulder at each corner. In the centre is a granite drinking fountain on an octagonal stepped base, erected here by the inhabitants of Pinner in 1886 to commemorate William Arthur Tooke, JP who had lived at Pinner Hill House.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Nower Green; Nower Hill Green |
|---|---|
| Site location | Moss Lane/Nower Hill/Church Lane |
| Postcode | HA5 3BE |
| What3Words | ///patio.tones.games |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Harrow |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Pinner (Metropolitan). Bus: 183 |
| Research Updated | 1 January 2001 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The inscription on the fountain reads: 'I was thirsty and ye gave me drink'. William Arthur Tooke was the grandson of William Tooke of Pinner Hill Estate who inherited the estate on the death of his father in 1871. He took a leading role in the life of the parish and paid for the restoration of the parish church of St John (q.v.) in 1880. When he died in 1884 he was buried in the churchyard. Pinner Hill estate was later was leased by Pinner Hill Golf Club from Middlesex County Council.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ127895 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.12 |
| Site Ownership | LB Harrow |
| Site Management | Environmental Services, Parks Services |
| Dates | 1886 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Drinking Fountain |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | Yes: Green (TVG38) |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Harrow |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Tookes Green |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeological Priority Area |
| Other LA Designation | Open Space |
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 John's was a Chapel of St Mary's Harrow until 1766, when it became a parish in its own right. However it was an important place of worship by the C14th when a market and fair were first held in Pinner. The churchyard is entered through a lych-gate, and among the monuments is that of William and Agnes Loudon, parents of the celebrated garden writer John Claudius Loudon.
This small green in front of Church Farm and opposite St John the Baptist's church was donated by John Edward Clarke for the benefit of the people of Pinner in July 1924 as a public open space in perpetuity.
Pinner New Cemetery was dedicated on 13 May 1933, and was laid out to designs by Borough Architect, S W Richardson. Its entrance is elegantly set back from the road and has stone gate piers, wrought iron gates with lanterns, and a gothic lodge. The axial drive to the chapel is lined with horse chestnut trees and, unusually, deciduous planting strongly predominates in the cemetery. There are a small number of oak trees that pre-date the cemetery and much planting of birch, cypress, sycamore, cherry and hawthorn. Among the monuments there is a notable red granite armchair grave of Susan Dunford, who 'left her chair vacant' in 1954.