Carpenders Mansion

some bits and pieces

By Neil Hamilton

Neil Hamilton
Neil Hamilton
Neil Hamilton

The bell is one of the old servants bells from the Carpenders Mansion later known as Highfield in Oxhey Lane. The mansion was derelict for a number of years prior to its demolition. The bell came from a chap I knew in Carpenders Ave whose house backed onto the mansion grounds. He took it from the derelict house by snapping it from the spring steel hanger.

The two pieces of masonry came from the basements of the old house when they were exposed during the building of the current housing on the site. The mansion was demolished by stripping the roof and all timber fixtures and fittings and then bulldozing the rubble into the basement.  They are both pieces of balustrade from the exterior of the house and are made from cast concrete or similar with slate reinforcement I have a few bits of floor tile somewhere.

This page was added on 22/08/2012.

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  • The main entrance to ‘Highfields’ used by the army, was opposite S.A. Brazier’s dairy. ‘Highfields’ was occupied by the army for the entire period of the war. There was no provision for a parade ground in ‘Highfields’ so the soldiers & A.T.S. Girls would hold parades in Carpenders Ave, on the road between, what was then Cottage No.1 & House No.21, no disturbance to residents then, as there were fields either side of the road, and I am sure that Mr & Mrs Saunders who lived in No.1 would enjoy seeing them march from ‘Highfields’ turning left into Carpenders Ave for their parade. When not at school, we would watch the parades which were alternated ATS one day Soldiers the following day. I lived at 49 Carpenders Ave. and I believe ‘Carpenders’ was dropped & ‘Highfields’ was adopted before we moved to Carpenders Park.

    By Arthur Hall (19/09/2012)
  • You’re right Arthur -the house was renamed when the girls school came out from Hendon to take up residence around he beginning of WW1.

    By Neil Hamilton (19/09/2012)
  • David, that was Oxhey Place – the old Blackwells mansion. Carpenders, or Highfield as was it was later named was the other side of the tracks in Carpenders Park, just off Oxhey Lane

    By Neil Hamilton (09/09/2012)
  • I always thought that the Mansion stood at the top of Fairfield Avenue behind where the social Centre is now. This was the home of the Blackwell Family who originally owned the land that South Oxhey is built on. It was derelict for many years and caught fire in the late 1950’s and was later pulled down.

    By David Nixon (03/09/2012)
  • Is this what we in the 1940’s called “Absaloms” As you say in Oxhey Lane at top of the hill towards Watford Heath? We used to play in the woods on the fear of being chased by Bull Mastiff dogs as they were considered private. This was before South Oxhey existed after the war. I hope to hear from you

    By Douglas Chowns (27/08/2012)
  • ‘Carpenders Mansion’ was between Little Oxhey Lane and Carpenders Avenue. ‘Absaloms’ was ‘Oxhey Grange’ in Oxhey Lane but nearer to Watford Heath. There is a map showing the area on this site under the heading ‘Watford Heath’.

    By Susan Waller (27/08/2012)
  • Carpenders would have been an army camp in 1940. It was situated opposite Braziers dairies and was set back from the road. It was later demolished and the U.S.A.F houses built which were later demolished and the current Laings and Barratts houses built on the site-one house is directly over where the old mansion stood

    By Neil Hamilton (27/08/2012)