Lucas Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb (Barnet)
Brief Description
Hampstead Garden Suburb was conceived by Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1903 when the area, hitherto rural, became ripe for development. Her aim was to provide a garden suburb for the working classes, with some larger houses as well as amenities. The overall layout was the work of Raymond Unwin. The street pattern followed the land contours, with curving and straight roads to create interesting viewpoints, closes and squares, street trees, a pedestrian network of footpaths and a variety of green spaces. The first phase was largely built between 1907 and 1912 which included Lucas Square, named after its architect Geoffrey Lucas. Hedged from the road, the houses on three sides look onto a rectangular slightly sunken tennis lawn, separated from a further strip of lawn at the east end by a low wall.
Practical Information
- Site location:
- 60-82 Hampstead Way
- Postcode:
- NW11
- What 3 Words:
- fall.humans.tone
- Type of site:
- Housing/Estate Landscaping
- Borough:
- Barnet
- Open to public?
- Yes
- Opening times:
- private with public access
- Special conditions:
- Facilities:
- Events:
- Public transport:
- Tube: Golders Green (Northern) then bus. Bus: 102, 82, 260, H2.
- Research updated:
- 01/10/2000
- Last minor changes:
- 19/07/2023
Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.hgstrust.org
Full Site Description
Hampstead Garden Suburb was conceived by Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1903 when the Underground tunnel from Hampstead to Golders Green was completed and the area, hitherto rural, became ripe for development. Her aim was to provide a garden suburb for the working classes, with some larger houses as well as amenities such as shops. Through energetic fund-raising she acquired the money to buy 243 acres of land at Hampstead from the owners, Eton College. After the initial suburb was created, further phases of development took place when additional parcels of land were purchased in 1908 and 1911 and later 300 acres were developed after 1919.
Hampstead Garden Suburb lies on the north-west side of Hampstead Heath with the Hampstead Heath Extension (q.v.) creating a Green Belt link to the heath on its southern side. The A1 bisects the Suburb along its northern edge. The overall layout was the work of Raymond Unwin, at that time in the process of completing Letchworth Garden Suburb and who had known Canon Barnett from the 1880s. In 1904 he was invited to plan the new suburb at Hampstead and his first design was dated February 22nd 1905; in the same month Henrietta Barnett published a prospectus for the suburb in 'The Contemporary Review'.
In 1906 Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust Ltd was formed which owned and administered the land although housing was erected by co-partnership companies, and a large number of different architects were involved. Unwin was associated with the Trust as consultant architect from 1906-1914. The Hampstead Garden Suburb Act of 1906 enabled him to by-pass local planning by-laws and create a street pattern that followed the contours of the land, using curving and straight roads to create interesting viewpoints, introducing closes and squares, with a pedestrian network of footpaths or 'twittens' and a variety of green spaces, public and private. Hedges rather than walls were used between front gardens and the streets, and street trees were either retained existing trees or newly-planted.
The first phase was largely built between 1907 and 1912 which included Lucas Square built in 1909, named after its architect Geoffrey Lucas. Hedged from the road, the houses on three sides look onto a rectangular slightly sunken tennis lawn, separated from a further strip of lawn at the east end by a low wall with central steps and a sundial behind. The original planting here included silver birch.
Sources consulted:
Bridget Cherry and Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England: London 4: North (1998)
Further Information (Planning and Conservation)
- Grid ref:
- TQ252884 (525195,188454)
- Size in hectares:
- Site ownership:
- Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust
- Site management:
- Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust
- Date(s):
- 1908-10
- Designer(s):
- Geoffrey Lucas
- Listed structures:
- LBII: 60-82 Hampstead Way (Lucas Square), Wall and Piers to Lucas Square
- 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:
- Hampstead Garden Suburb
- Tree Preservation Order:
- Not known
- Nature Conservation Area:
- No
- Green Belt:
- No
- Metropolitan Open Land:
- No
- Special Policy Area:
- No
- Other LA designation:
- Article 4 Direction
Photos
Lucas Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, October 2000. Photo: S Williams
Click a photo to enlarge.
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.