Harefield Place

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The 17th century and later remains of the gardens of a country mansion (demolished), set within the earthwork remains of a wider ornamental landscape which included ponds and avenues. Within the main walled ornamental enclosure are the remains of 17th century terraces and other features, dominated by a rare and extensive early 17th century brick garden arcade.

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Harefield Place lies on the north-west edge of London, 1km south of the village of Harefield. The c 2.5ha site is bounded to the north by the parish church, enclosed by the churchyard which was extended during the C20 to include parts of the former grounds of the mansion. To the east and south the site is bounded by agricultural land, formerly part of the deer park associated with the mansion. To the west the site is bounded by a curved track which links the parish church and the remains of the Place with the main Harefield to Ickenham road to the west. This track may follow the former course of the main road, which appears to have been diverted to the west (estate map, 1681-5; estate map, late C17/early C18; Map of Harefield, late C18/early C19). In the late C17 an avenue aligned on the south-west, entrance front of the mansion linked the lane to the west with the main road beyond (estate map, late C17/early C18).

Along the north-west boundary of the site the land occupies a plateau which dips to the south-east into a valley running south-west from a ridge in the field to the north-east. Views extend to the south-east and south across the surrounding countryside.

The setting is largely rural, the site being separated from the village of Harefield by fields to the north, and with the C20 development of South Harefield to the west and south, separated by Church Road and Harvill Road.

ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES

The principal approach is from Harefield to the north-west, via Church Hill. A lane leaves Church Hill 300m north-west of the site, running south-east, passing to the west of the church and walled churchyard (outside the area here registered). It then passes c 40m west of the site of the former mansion. At the end of the lane, 100m south of the church, a track turns north-east, entering the registered area, continuing for 50m to arrive at the north-west side of the coach house. The line of the lane continues south-west as a footpath (outside the area here registered). This marks the former continuation of the lane back to the main road.

PRINCIPAL BUILDING

The coach house (C17 and later, listed grade II), now (2001) known as Nursery Cottage, stands towards the centre of the site, c 20m south of the site of the former mansion. The coach house is built of red brick and is of two storeys, with the south-west wall ornamented by four blank arcades (late C18 or C19). It has been converted for domestic use, and extended with a single-storey extension to the north-east. It overlooks to the north-east a small, rectangular walled compartment which is laid to lawn.

The site of the former Harefield Place (demolished early C19) lies c 20m north of the coach house, towards the west corner of the site, set back from the lane to the west. Before its demolition the Place appears to have been a substantial brick mansion with some Dutch influence in its architectural style (Lysons 1800). By the late C18/early C19 (estate map) the mansion was approached immediately from the south via the track which now leads to the coach house, this having led to a curved forecourt on the south-west, entrance front. The garden front faced north-east. A depression in the ground now (2001) marks the site of the mansion.

GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS

The gardens of the former mansion lie to the north-east and south-east of its site. The garden compartment to the north-east of the mansion site is now largely overgrown with scrub and is bisected from north to south by the remains of a curving ha-ha (C18 or early C19), its course shown on the late C18/early C19 plan of Harefield. The boundary of this compartment with the field to the north-east, as shown on the late C17/early C18 plan, is still clearly visible. North of this area lie several ponds, probably medieval in origin (RCHME 1998).

South of this compartment, c 20m east of the site of the mansion lies the c 1ha east walled garden. Rectangular in shape, it is enclosed on all sides but the north-west by c 3m high brick walls, largely of C17 origin, which in places have suffered some collapse. The area is bisected by a stream in a pronounced valley which runs from north-east to south-west. The stream emerges from a culvert several metres inside the north-east wall, the wall at this point being marked by a Tudor-headed niche which has largely been bricked up. The stream follows a fairly straight course through the area before disappearing into a brick culvert some metres inside the south-east wall. The stream is fed by the ponds to the north.

The north-west valley side rises up from the stream to a broad earth terrace which runs along the north-west boundary of the area, this being backed by a c 50m long brick arcade (early C17, listed grade II). The arcade, which is let into the terraced ground of the north-east compartment above, consists of the remains of thirty-three round-backed niches with domed heads, c 1.8m high, opening onto the terrace. The arcade and terrace overlook the garden below, with long views north-east up the valley across the former deer park, and south and south-east towards Park Lodge Farm. Approximately twenty-eight of these niches remain in varying states of repair; they may once have been plastered. Their use is unknown, but they may have been used for specimen trees in pots, or sculpture (less likely), or even as a backdrop for Milton's 1630s masque Arcades. At the north-east end of the arcade, in the north corner of the garden, the garden walls project around a levelled area which may formerly have been the site of a designed prospect area or building.

South-east of the stream the valley rises up to the south-east wall, beyond which lies a further terrace reached by a break in the wall at the north-east end. The terrace descends to ground level towards the south-west end of the wall, overlooking the agricultural land to the south and south-east. This outer terrace follows the line of the feature marked on the late C17/early C18 map which may have been a deer course and is aligned to the north-east on the site of the building which stood in the former octagonal enclosure.

The east walled garden is planted with mature fruit trees and coppiced hazel stools, but is largely overgrown in between these.

PARK

The area formerly occupied by the deer park lies outside the area here registered; it is now (2001) largely agricultural land, lying to the north-east and south of the garden. Several ponds lie to the north-east of the garden, partly set in woodland. The triangle of land between the lane and Church Road contained in the late C17 or early C18 (estate map) a double avenue aligned on the south-west front of the mansion; a further avenue extended south-east.

KITCHEN GARDEN

The rectangular kitchen garden, or west walled garden, lies south-east of the coach house, adjacent to the south-west of the east walled garden. It is walled on three sides, the fourth, to the south-east, being marked by a bank. The north-east boundary is marked by the south-west wall of the east walled garden. The area is now (2001) largely occupied by derelict glasshouses.

REFERENCES

D Lysons, An historical account of those parishes in the County of Middlesex which are not described in the environs of London (1800), p 109

E Walford, Greater London: a narrative of its history, its people, and its places I, (c 1883), pp 244-248

Victoria History of the County of Middlesex III, (1962), pp 237-258

Royal Commission on Historic Monuments England, Harefield Place, Greater London (unpublished report 1998) [contains copies of most of the maps referred to below]

Maps

Survey, Harefield Place, 1593 (Acc 1085, EM1), (London Metropolitan Archives)

Estate map, Harefield Place, 1681-1685 (Acc 1085, EM14), (London Metropolitan Archives)

Estate map, Harefield Place, late C17/early C18, (Acc 1085, EM15), (London Metropolitan Archives)

A map of Harefield, late C18/early C19 (Acc 1085, EM17), (London Metropolitan Archives)

Enclosure map for Harefield parish, (1273/2A), (London Metropolitan Archives)

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1916 edition

OS 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1864-76

Description written: April 2001

Edited: May 2002