Bush Hill Park - History

History

Bush Hill Park was farmland that was part of an estate centred around Bush Hill Park House, a country house. The estate changed hands several times in the 18th century before coming under the ownership of William Mellish, a merchant and MP for Middlesex. By this time the estate covered 438 acres (177 ha) – one of the largest in the parish. The estate was broken up in 1875 with the North London Estates Company NLEC, a speculative development company buying 373 acres (151 ha) acres. Bush Hill Park House was sold separately and demolished in 1929. Initially, the estate was slow to develop. However, with the building of Bush Hill Park station in 1880 the first phase of houses were built between 1880–1886. The houses were divided into a prestige development in Village Road and other substantial homes were completed in Wellington Road, Queen Anne's Place and Dryden Road. Most of these earlier houses were designed by architect, R Tayler Smith for the NLEC. By 1887, following a housing boom a ten year decline began with NLEC going bankrupt in 1887. Demand for housing picked up due to the expansion of the Royal Small Arms Factory during the Boer War and the present form of the estate was completed by 1914. Between 1914–1960 development was restricted to infilling existing plots. After 1960 larger properties were demolished and replaced by blocks of flats. In 1987, much of the estate was designated as a conservation area and halted such redevelopment.