Inventory Site Record

Traces of a C17th/C18th walled kitchen garden remain in private gardens on Cat Hill, once part of the gardens of Little Grove estate. Owned from 1674-8 by the widow of the Stuart diplomat and gardener Sir Richard Fanshawe, the estate was acquired by John Cotton in 1719 who built a house to the south of Cat Hill. In 1767 the then owner Judge Edward Willes commissioned Capability Brown to lay out the park. In 1932 the house was demolished and a housing estate constructed along Cat Hill and across the park.

Site location:

Cat Hill, East Barnet

Postcode:

EN4

What 3 Words:

perky.spots.driven

Type of site:

Garden Feature Remnants

Borough:

Barnet

Open to public?

No

Opening times:

private

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Rail: New Barnet then bus. Bus: 307.

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Research updated:

01/05/2003

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news.

On 15 July 1674 Henry Parker the Younger, in conjunction with his mother and her 2nd husband, conveyed the Little Grove estate to Anne, widow of the Stuart diplomat and gardener Sir Richard Fanshawe. On her death in 1680, in accordance with her will, the house and gardens were sold. In 1719 the estate was acquired by John Cotton who built a house immediately to the south of Cat Hill. In the 1730s the estate changed hands twice and in 1767 it was bought by Judge Edward Willes, the Solicitor General, who commissioned Capability Brown to lay out the park from 1768-1770. In 1932 the house was demolished and a housing estate constructed along Cat Hill and across the park. The only trace of the C17th/C18th garden consists of two and a half sides of a walled kitchen garden and sections of a formal box hedge that subdivided this enclosed area.

Sources consulted:

E Cheney, 'Little Grove, Cat Hill, East Barnet: listing report for EH', 1991; G Worsley 'Architectural Drawings of the Regency Period', 1991. Capability Brown Account Book (RHS)

Grid ref:

TQ277956 (527870,195610)

Size in hectares:

Site ownership:

private

Site management:

Date(s):

C18th

Designer(s):

Capability Brown

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:

No

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

Check if in Area of Architectural Significance

Other LA designation:

None