Dartmouth Park

History

Dartmouth Park is named after the Earl of Dartmouth who bought the land in the middle of the 18th century. The 5th Earl of Dartmouth instigated some major house building in the late 19th century, and the area has continued to undergo development since that time.

By then the need to increase the supply of fresh water to serve London's expanding population meant that water companies were building new facilities. Two covered reservoirs were constructed on Dartmouth Park Hill in 1855 by the New River Company and connected to its new waterworks and pumping station by Stoke Newington reservoirs. Later owned by the Metropolitan Water Board, the reservoirs are now owned by Thames Water Utilities.

The street named York Rise, which runs through the centre of Dartmouth Park, is in a slight valley which follows the course of the River Fleet, now underground. At the foot of York Rise the river crosses the railway tracks in a large iron pipe.

Architecture

Most of the area consists of late-19th century terraced and semi-detached houses, with a few more recent buildings. The local church is St Mary Brookfield, designed by William Butterfield and opened in 1875. It is red brick with contrasting yellow and blue brick patterns.

Park

Although the name designates a district and not a park per se, there is a small but attractive park, now also named 'Dartmouth Park', to the immediate East in Islington, off Dartmouth Park Hill. It was laid out on the edge of the reservoirs and opened to the public in 1972. Even as much of it is taken up by the reservoir tank, there is also a children's playground. The land slopes steeply to the north and the east of the reservoirs, which are now covered with lush grassland. The top of the slope gives an enchanting view of south-east London. The park has an enclosed seating area surrounded by a hedge, which local children helped to plant in 1991. The park was the location for one of the beacons lit nationwide on 21 April 2016 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's ninetieth birthday.

At present

Dartmouth Park is a quiet residential area with a mixture of residents, from young professionals and families through to retired couples. To the north lies the Holly Lodge Estate and then Highgate. Dartmouth Park is separated from Kentish Town to the south by the Gospel Oak to Barking railway line. Housing in Dartmouth Park is a mixture of detached and semi-detached houses, late Victorian and Edwardian mansion flats (notable examples include Brookfield Mansions and the blocks in Lissenden Gardens), and some post war housing such as Haddo House. The former park on the area covered what is now Waterlow Park and Highgate Cemetery.

Notable residents

Past residents

Nearest places

Nearest stations