Inventory Site Record

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.

Previous / Other name:

Barnet Common; Barnet Recreation Ground

Site location:

Wood Street/Ravenscroft Park, Chipping Barnet

Postcode:

EN5 4ND

What 3 Words:

mess.shady.planet

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Barnet

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

No horse riding

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: High Barnet (Northern) then bus. Bus: 107, 263, 307, 384

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/04/2002

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.barnet.gov.uk

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.

Sources consulted:

P Taylor and J Cordern, 'Barnet, Edgware, Hadley and Totteridge', 1994; Arthur Mee 'The King's England: London North of the Thames except the City and Westminster' (Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, 1972); Andrew Duncan, 'Walking Village London', (New Holland, 1997); Jan Hewlett, Ian Yarham, David Curson, 'Nature Conservation in Barnet', (London Ecology Unit, 1997); Barnet Online Pocket History

Grid ref:

TQ239964 (523989,196454)

Size in hectares:

1.26

Site ownership:

LB Barnet

Site management:

Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division

Date(s):

1883-5

Designer(s):

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 Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

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

Ravenscroft Gardens, August 2000. Photo: S Williams

Click a photo to enlarge.