Description
Witanhurst was built in 1913-20 for Sir Arthur Crosfield, designed by George Hubbard on the site of an earlier C18th house called Parkfield. The garden was designed for Sir Arthur by Harold Peto whose work included the tennis pavilion, garden steps leading onto a paved terrace with balustraded parapet and viewing platform. The Italianate garden had a sunken pond and pergola as its central feature and consisted of 3 linked compartments stepping downhill and bounded by stone-coped brick walls. In 2007 it was reported that the mansion had been sold to private developers, and the future of the gardens is uncertain.
Practical Information
| Site location | No 41, Highgate West Hill |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N6 |
| What3Words | ///drives.took.hotel |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Parkfield estate had been enlarged in 1881 and 1894 by Walter Scrimgeour, a barrister. Witanhurst was restored in 1946. The first garden compartment of Peto's Italianate garden had at its centre a circular pond lined with blue mosaic, with an ornamental fountain comprising a column with a shell basin, surrounded by four statues of two male and two female figures, thought to represent the four seasons. From this first compartment steps led into the central compartment, and the third, most sunken compartment was approached through tall stone, panelled and corniced gate piers with cast-iron gate and decorative wrought-iron overthrow. Flanking the piers were substantial stone balustrades crowning a brick wall. Stone balustraded steps led down into an apsed rectangular garden with stone-columned pergola, which continued around the apse formed by a segmental shaped reflecting pond. The property was used for filming and television on a number of occasions but its current status is uncertain.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ281871 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 2.3346 |
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | c.1913 |
| Designers | Harold Peto |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Witanhurst; LBII: Gatehouse; Italianate Garden: Walls, steps, gateway, pond & pergola; Fountain and pond and 4 surrounding statues; Tennis pavilion; Garden steps and retaining walls |
| 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 | Camden |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Highgate |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Character: Hampstead & Highgate Ridge |
| Other LA Designation | Private 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
Between The Grove and West Hill Highgate are a number of areas of open space, originally part of the old village green, which were preserved as public open space through the London Squares Preservation Act of 1931. In front of The Grove are two railed enclosures with grass and trees, to the north of which is the old Highgate Service Reservoir. Near the junction of South Grove and Highgate West Hill and opposite St Michael's Church is a small island divided by a central path into two railed garden areas with grass and trees, including one planted by the Highgate Society in memory of Doreen Mostyn.
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.
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.
