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| Canons Park | |
|---|---|
 George V Memorial Garden in the Canons Park | |
  Canons Park Location withinGreater London | |
| OS grid reference | TQ1891 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | EDGWARE |
| Postcode district | HA8 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°36′33″N0°17′18″W / 51.6093°N 0.2884°W /51.6093; -0.2884 | |
Canons Park is a public park and the name of its surrounding residential area, in theEdgware district of theLondon Borough of Harrow, north-westLondon. Canons Park was a country estate which partially survives today as a public park.St. Lawrence's Church, the parish church ofLittle Stanmore, and the accompanyingChandos Mausoleum are located here.
"Canons" refers to thecanons or monks of theAugustinian priory ofSt Bartholomew inSmithfield, London. The site was a part of theendowment of thePriory ofSt Bartholomew's which operatedSt Bartholomew's Hospital in London.
Canons Park is largely located on the site of the magnificent early 18th-century country houseCannons built between 1713 and 1725 by Brydges, after his wife Mary died, along with his second wife, Cassandra Willoughby.[1]
A few years after the Duke's death in 1744 this house was also demolished. The current building on the site housing theNorth London Collegiate School was built around 1760 by the gentleman cabinet-maker William Hallett. The original house-site, transformed into ambitious Edwardian gardens was bought in 1929 by the school for £17,500 (equivalent to £1,344,000 in 2023)[2]. A large portion of the original gardens of James Brydges' house now form the public pleasure gardens of Canons Park. The modern park includes the Memorial Gardens, a folly known as 'the Temple' (not to be confused with a different folly of the same name within the North London Collegiate School grounds) and an orchard.
Canons Drive follows the original path of the entrance to James Brydges' house, retaining the two large pillars which acted as gateposts where it met the Edgware Road. The remains of a second, raised, carriageway running from Cannons can be traced through Canons Park in the direction of Whitchurch Lane. A 7-acre (28,000 m2) lake and a separate duck pond also formed part of the original Cannons Estate and survive within the boundaries of the Canons Drive residential area.[3]
Canons Park, 18 hectares (44 acres) in size, is listed as Grade II on theRegister of Parks and Gardens.[4] The designation recognises features surviving from the ducal park (including two lakes, the Basin Lake and the Seven Acre Lake.
The KingGeorge V Memorial Garden is a walled garden in the park. This area was originally part of the duke'skitchen gardens and was re-designed in the 1930s, after the park became public. The garden reflects the 1930s period, with a structure of evergreens highlighted by seasonal displays. It features a central square pool surrounded by a raised terrace with steps, formal flower beds and a pavilion. In 2006-7 the garden and the park were restored with the support of theHeritage Lottery Fund.[5]
Situated adjacent to the public park is the church of St Lawrence Whitchurch, the parish church ofLittle Stanmore. The church has a stone tower dating fromc. 1360 and the main body of the church was rebuilt in aContinental Baroque style in 1714-16 for Brydges byJohn James (Colvin). The interior walls and ceiling are covered with paintings.
On the north side of the church is theChandos Mausoleum, again built to the order of the first Duke of Chandos. The centrepiece documented byGrinling Gibbons, 1717, is aBaroque monument to the Duke and his first two wives, for which the Duke felt he had overpaid.[6] In addition toJames Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos and his first two wives,James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos has also been buried here.
Barnet F.C.'s training ground complex,The Hive, opened in the locality in 2009. The club constructed their new 5,176 capacity home ground at the site, which opened in summer 2013, and is shared withTottenham Hotspur F.C. Women andLondon Bees.
The area is served byCanons Park tube station of theLondon Underground. The 79, 186 and 340 buses go past the station.
Arthur Du Cros purchased Canons in the 1890s.[7]
Canons Park is part of theHarrow East constituency for elections to theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom.
Canons Park is part of theCanons ward for elections toHarrow London Borough Council.[8]
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