EPW061115 ENGLAND (1939). Housing estate on the south side of Hempermill Lane, Oxhey Lane, from the north, 1939

A view of the Oxhey Hall Conservation Area beyond Brookdene Avenue and looking south-west from Green Lane towards the early 1930s development of Oaklands Avenue. Quite apart from the Conservation Area, there is also a Tree Preservation Order in place, in which permission is required to lop, top or fell any substantial specimens having a trunk diameter of more than 75mm at 1.5 metres above ground level. Most of the trees in the photograph are oak trees over 80 years old.

I have just returned from another visit to the Watford area in which I strolled up Vivian Gardens towards a house I last saw in 1956! The current owner, Ken, was cleaning his car and he kindly chatted to me about the development for 20 minutes. The house, No.10, was constructed in 1933 and other units on the road followed in the years leading up to the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939. Ken, a sprightly 78 who is keen on lawn bowls, was evacuated from central London as a young lad and has stayed in the district ever since! I still find it surprising that the Three Rivers District Council have not included the slightly newer housing on the south-west side, in Vivian Close, in their Oxhey Hall Conservation Area (October 2007).

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Oxhey Hall Estate is a notable example of Metroland 1930s housing, most of which has been designated a Conservation Area in more recent times.

Oxhey Hall Estate was built in the 1930s, between the famous Oxhey Golf Course (1912-1952) to the south and Hampermill Lane on its northern side. Whereas Thorpe Crescent consisted of council houses, Oxhey Hall was developed as an example of "Metroland" architecture and is considered today to be worthy of Conservation Area status. This zone consists of Oaklands Avenue, Raglan Gardens, Hillcroft Crescent and Vivian Gardens, but those houses of similar age in Vivian Close, Brookdene Avenue and Hampermill Lane have been excluded thus far.



In the postwar period, South Oxhey Estate was built by London County Council between the railway line and Oxhey Woods, on land which had formerly been part of the extensive Blackwells' estate at Oxhey Place. Within five years of this image being taken, land had already been earmarked for housing development for displaced families from the war-damaged London Boroughs. By 1952, 17,000 inhabitants had been accommodated on this greenfield site.



Further details of this massive housing scheme can be found in David Reidy's book, "Poor but Proud", A History of South Oxhey, 2012, in which this contributor has written several chapters, and on the excellent Oxhey website, www.ouroxhey.org.uk