Dartmouth Park

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Dartmouth Park
Dartmouth Park Road lower part 2005.jpg
Dartmouth Park Road
Dartmouth Park is located in Greater London
Dartmouth Park
Dartmouth Park
 Dartmouth Park shown within Greater London
OS grid reference TQ287861
London borough Camden
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region London
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LONDON
Postcode district NW5
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
EU Parliament London
UK Parliament Hampstead and Highgate
London Assembly Barnet and Camden
List of places
UK
England
London

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Dartmouth Park is a district of north London in the London Borough of Camden, on the slope of the hill that rises up to Highgate from Kentish Town. On its west side, it borders Parliament Hill Fields.

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.

Chetwynd Road and St Mary Brookfield

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 off Dartmouth Park Hill, now named 'Dartmouth Park'. 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.

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

Theatre and opera director Sophie Hunter and actor Benedict Cumberbatch are residents of Dartmouth since 2015[1]

Transport

East London skyline from Dartmouth Park Hill

Nearest places

Nearest stations

References

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