Deans Brook - Scratchwood

Deans Brook
A number of streams rise in this area and converge southwards towards Deans Brook. A tributary from the east flows south west.

Post to the east Moat Mount
Post to the north Scratchwood
Post to the south Stoney Wood


A1 Barnet Way
Scratchwood Open Space - Park. This area was once part of the ancient Middlesex Forest but in 1756 the lands were purchased and a mansion built. Scratchwood was used for rearing game and sport. Part of the estate was bought by Hendon UDC in 1923 but The A1 Barnet Bypass bisected the site in 1927.  This is an access point from the A1
Mill Hill Golf Course. The Mote Mount Golf Club opened in 1927 on the land of Coventry farm. This was a dairy farm and the 1880s dairy buildings became the Club House. The land had been bought by Hendon Council in 1930 and in 1939 Club name was changed to Mill Hill Golf Club. During the Second World War three holes were lost and, more when the M1 was built.
Thistle Wood
Clump of Trees wood

Hyver Hill
High Acre. Built in 1960 by Jane Drew. It is a two-storey flat-roofed house with windows which exploit the view.

M1
Scratchwood Service Area. Now called ‘London Gateway’ this was opened in 1970 as 'Scratchwood' and run by Forte. It is on an unfinished roundabout meant to link M1 junction 3 with a link road to the A1.
The embankment was covered by a conifer windbreak.

Scratchwood
This is marked as woodland on the Ordnance Survey map of 1822 and ‘Scratch’ is an old dialect word for 'the Devil'. In the 13th the owners were the Knight Hospitallers and the woods were coppiced. In the 19th it was part of big shooting estate and this had led to conifer plantings. The Moat Mount Estate was sold in 1923 for building and Hendon Council bought an area for recreation space. Trees include oak, wild service, and aspen along with coppiced hornbeam and hazel stools as well as large areas of bramble and sedge near the streams. There are two ponds with water starwort and marsh cudweed. This area supports muntjac and foxes as well as a wide range of birds.
Boyes Hill Wood. Thus wood has areas of scrub, with plants associated with ancient woodland.

Sources
London Encyclopedia
London Gardens on line web site
MiddlesexCountyCouncil web site
Mill Hill Golf Club web site
Motorway services on line

 

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