Inventory Site Record

Silkstream Park is within the Watling Estate, a large LCC housing estate built in the 1920s, its design influenced by Arts and Crafts and the Garden City movement. The park was one of a number of tracts of open space created through the estate, following the meandering course of Silk Stream and its tributary. Silkstream Park has natural landscaping either side of the Silk Stream, the banks of which have some mature trees, otherwise the park has grass and small areas of ornamental shrubs, with a few old oak and hawthorn from the time when there were fields and hedgerows here.

Site location:

Silkstream Road/Montrose Avenue, Burnt Oak

Postcode:

HA8 0DF

What 3 Words:

oddly.blocks.caked

Type of site:

Public Park

Borough:

Barnet

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Playground, cycle paths

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Burnt Oak (Northern). Bus: 32, 114, 226, 251.

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Research updated:

01/09/2000

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

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

Silkstream Park is within the Watling Estate, a large LCC housing estate built in the 1920s for inner city slum clearance, designed by LCC architect George Topham Forrest; by 1930 4000 homes were built over an area of c.64 hectares. Eventually schools, churches, shops and other community facilities were put in. The design of the estate was influenced by Arts and Crafts and the Garden City movement, with buildings simple in plan and design, and good quality materials used. The layout consisted of well-spaced buildings often arranged symmetrically around green spaces and street trees, so that the building layout was softened with greenery. Roads tended to follow old field boundaries allowing existing trees to line new roads, as well as planting of new trees on corners. Grass verges were a characteristic of the estate and there was wide use of hedges. Tracts of open space were created through the estate, following the meandering course of Silk Stream and its tributary. These included Watling Park (q.v.), The Meads, an unlandscaped, natural area and Lyndhurst Park, which was reserved on the original estate plan and was subsequently made into a public park.

Silkstream Park has natural landscaping either side of the Silk Stream, the banks of which have some mature horse chestnut and other trees, otherwise the park has lawns and small areas of ornamental shrubs, with a few old oak and hawthorn from the time when there were fields and hedgerows here. There is seating with some newly planted trees such as an avenue either side of a cycle path, and recent gates are located at the east end.

Sources consulted:

LB Barnet Watling Estate Conservation Area Character Appraisal Statement, 1998; Jan Hewlett, Ian Yarham, David Curson, 'Nature Conservation in Barnet', London Ecology Unit, 1997.

Grid ref:

TQ204905 (520500,190490)

Size in hectares:

4.27

Site ownership:

LB Barnet

Site management:

Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division

Date(s):

1924-27

Designer(s):

LCC architect George Topham Forrest?

Listed structures:

None

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:

Watling Estate

Tree Preservation Order:

Not known

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes - Borough Importance II (part/Silk Stream)

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Local Park

Silkstream Park, September 2000. Photo: S Williams

Click a photo to enlarge.