Broomfield House

Unlocking Broomfield Park for the Community

Key dates and phases of project

The ‘Unlocking Broomfield’ project will follow Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) stages, which guide the design and construction process:

Stage 0: Strategic definition – complete
Stage 1: Preparation and brief – complete
(this included the project brief, feasibility studies, team selection, and site information)
Stage 2: Concept design – starts June 2025
Stage 3: Spatial coordination – starts late 2025
Stage 4: Technical design – starts early 2027
Stage 5: Manufacturing and construction – starts early 2028
Stage 6: Handover – early 2029
Stage 7: in use

View the Project brief and scope of services (PDF, 2294.82 KB).

Funding

We have been awarded £530,000 in development funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the design and planning phase of the project. This funding will help us prepare a full grant application, which we plan to submit in in mid-2026. If successful, the project will progress into the delivery phase (RIBA Stages 4 to 6).

The project managers

Enfield Council has appointed Artelia as the project managers. They have appointed Bowles Green Ltd as the business planner.

The Design Team

Enfield Council has appointed Sally Prothero Landscape Architecture (SPLA) to lead the design work for the ‘Unlocking Broomfield’ project. SPLA is working with Studio ONB and their multidisciplinary team that includes engineers, conservation architects and archaeologists.

Sally Prothero brings experience from over 20 successful National Lottery Heritage Fund projects. She has now started work on the next stage of the design process (RIBA Stage 2 – Concept Design). The team will be working closely with Enfield Council staff, Artelia Group, the Community Steering Group, and local residents.

View the 'Unlocking Broomfield’ project team (PDF, 69.39 KB).

Evaluation consultant

Enfield Council has appointed Beckie Smith from Flying Geese – Marketing and Development Consultancy, to evaluate the ‘Unlocking Broomfield for the Community’ project, which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

View the Evaluation Consultant brief (PDF, 206.33 KB).

Collections heritage consultant

Enfield Council has appointed Gort Scott to assess the salvaged remains of Broomfield House for the Unlocking Broomfield for the Community project, which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

View the Collections Heritage Consultant brief (PDF, 208 KB).

Activity planner

Enfield Council has appointed Flying Geese – Marketing and Development Consultancy, to be the activity planner for the ‘Unlocking Broomfield for the Community’ project, which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Fundraising consultant

Enfield Council has appointed Tricolor Associates.

Tricolor Associates are Change Consultants specialising in Heritage Fund and Arts Council to support fundraising for the ‘Unlocking Broomfield for the Community’ project, which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

View the Fundraising Consultant brief (PDF, 170.8 KB).

Community engagement

Community input

A Community Advisory Board was first formed to support our successful 2023 funding bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This group has now evolved into a Community Steering Committee for the current development phase and is chaired by our Community Engagement Officer. The committee meets at least 4 times a year.

The group helps guide community involvement and acts as a sounding board for the design process. It provides input on:

memorials and commemorative features
landscaping plans
interpretation and storytelling elements
community activities
oversight of how the project is progressing
monitoring of community pilot projects

Current members include:

Local ward councillors
Friends of Broomfield Park
Broomfield House Trust
The Enfield Society
Southgate District Civic Voice
Enfield Council officers and the wider project team

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Culture and Public Spaces is the elected councillor responsible for this project.

Have your say

Tell us what you would like to see as part of 'Unlocking Broomfield for the community'.

You can also share your story or memory about Broomfield House or Park, and what they mean to you and your family.

Concept design phase

From mid to late 2025, Sally Prothero Landscape Architecture and Studio ONB will run a range of workshops and community drop-in sessions.

The first event was held on Sunday 20 July, from 11am to 3pm, in the park near Broomfield House.

View feedback from the engagement sessions (PDF, 7952.93 KB).

View the Unlocking Broomfield project boards (PDF, 13649.31 KB).

A further event was held on Saturday 25 October, from 11am to 4pm.

View the Unlocking Broomfield masterplan (PDF, 14358.73 KB).

Preparation and briefing phase

During the preparation and briefing phase, Enfield Council began working with the local community to develop a shared vision for Broomfield House and its role in the park. Residents took part in a range of activities, including health and wellbeing events, a community archaeology dig, a mural project, and helping to make decisions about the park’s future.

More walks and talks, and wellbeing activities will continue during the next stage of the project – the Concept Design phase (RIBA Stage 2).

Community engagement – community mural

To mark the start of the project, Enfield Council and the Matchbox Collective worked together to improve the hoardings around the old Broomfield House with a new community mural. The mural celebrates the history of the park and house.

This project began with 2 workshops involving art students from Laurel Park School, who helped design parts of the mural. They were supported by presentations from Colin Younger of the Broomfield Park Trust and Victoria Black, the council's Head Gardener.

2 more community workshops were held in the park, followed by a public 'Paint Jam' on Saturday 12 April, where everyone was invited to join in. Painting continued throughout April.

The mural, displayed on the front of the old house, shows a timeline from prehistoric times through key moments in history and into the future.

5 artists each focused on a different historical era:

HATCH (@hatch_art): 1914 onwards
SHIO (@shiodrawing): Georgian to Edwardian
Ellie Fryer (@elliefryer): Norman to Stuart
Bec Dennison (@bulletonastring): Romans and Anglo-Saxons
Gavin McPhail (@gavinthebad): Prehistory to Celtic Britain

Special thanks to the Friends of Broomfield Park and the Broomfield House Trust for their support.

This video gives an overview of the Unlocking Broomfield project and explains the mural displayed on the hoarding around Broomfield House.

Information panels

We have added 5 new information panels to the hoardings around the house. These panels tell the story of Broomfield House and the park’s history:

Community archaeological excavation

The Enfield Archaeological Society carried out a weekend dig in Broomfield Park. The aim was to investigate a Baroque-style water feature located behind the house.

Although this feature does not appear on historical maps, aerial photos and geophysical surveys helped identify a possible location. 2 trenches were dug across 2 weekends, and local residents were invited to get involved. An open day was also held.

The excavation uncovered gravel banks and a shallow canal. Inside the canal, archaeologists found pebbles, brick fragments, and brickearth. Most of the items discovered date from the 1800s and 1900s, suggesting the canal was filled in during that time and may not have been in use for very long.

View the Enfield Archaeological Society's reports:

Other community events

Other well-being events were held as part of Unlocking Broomfield:

World Bee Day, dance and craft activities by Waggle Dance and Zinfinity
Palmers Green talk by Joe Studman
Palmers Green walk by Adrian Day
Broomfield Park walk by Adrian Day
Deep listening, creative workshop in the park by Harriette Meynell (2 events)
The trees of Broomfield park by Cathy Taylor and James Waterton
Leaf rubbing workshop and ceramics exhibition tour by Cathy Taylor
Creative workshop as part of the 25 October drop-in sessions

Latest news

May 2026

On Saturday 16 May, a drop-in session was held in Broomfield Park where the project team shared the final plans for the park and Broomfield House.

These have been developed over the past 2 years with the local community, stakeholders and heritage bodies. They form part of the planning application and the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) delivery phase submission planned for the end of May 2026.

View the Broomfield House information panels (PDF, 14438.93 KB).

November 2025

The project is currently finishing RIBA Stage 2.

From May to November, several well-being activities linked to the historic house and gardens have been held.

The design team has been mobilising and carrying out a wide range of activities to develop a concept design. This included structural and other surveys and engagement activities with the Community Steering Group and the wider community.

There has been a high-level cost check to confirm the project remains broadly within budget.

In October, the team prepared for the End of Stage 2 community drop-in event at the park, held on 25 October. This involved developing display boards, communications materials, and an online feedback form.

Further ground investigations are being commissioned. These will give more certainty about the structural strategy and how much of the existing building fabric can be retained. This work will be completed before the proposals are reviewed by National Lottery Heritage Fund.

April 2025

Community engagement begins

Enfield Council and the Matchbox Collective have started improving the hoardings around the old Broomfield House, getting ready for a new community mural that will celebrate the history of the park and house.

This project began with 2 creative workshops involving art students from Laurel Park School, who helped design parts of the mural. They were joined by Colin Younger from the Broomfield Park Trust and Victoria Black, the council's Head Gardener, who gave inspiring presentations to the students.

2 more workshops were held in the park for the wider community, and a public 'Paint Jam' event where everyone was welcome to join in.

The mural on the front of the house will show a timeline – starting from the beginning of time, through key moments in human history, and looking ahead into the future.

We have also added 5 new information panels to the hoardings, sharing the story of Broomfield House and the park.

January 2024

We received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the development phase of the project ‘Unlocking Broomfield Park for the Community'. This is a 2-year project running from February 2024 to November 2025.

During this period, we will:

work with the local community to produce a shared vision for the memorialization of Broomfield House, and its integration back into the historic park
establish a permanent home for material salvaged from past fires
run a range of activities with stakeholders, residents and project partners
secure planning and statutory consent for future works

Project progress will be added to this page.

A further application (Round 2) to the National Lottery Heritage Fund will be required in 2025 to deliver the vision onsite.

June 2023

We are currently preparing a grant funding application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for improvements to the heritage parts of Broomfield Park which includes proposals on the House ruins.

If successful in obtaining funding, this project will kick-start the rejuvenation of Broomfield Park by dismantling the unsafe parts of the derelict shell of Broomfield House, and reconnecting the park and house through memoralisation, interpretation and landscaping.

This application is due to be submitted in August 2023 and we will be notified by the National Lottery Heritage Fund of whether our bid has been successful in the first quarter of 2024.

If successful, we will receive an initial award to resolve on a shared vision for the house and landscape around it in consultation with the local community and determine the project costs, required resources, and timeline for its delivery.

To secure funding to implement the works to the house and park necessary to deliver this vision, another funding application will be made to the National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2025. If that final stage is successful, works to the house would commence in 2026.

In the lead-up to submitting a bid, we are testing some initial ideas and a programme of activities with residents and park users. We would welcome your ideas and feedback by completing a short survey by Sunday 6 August 2023.

Complete the 'Unlocking Broomfield Park for the Community' survey.

May 2019

We are carrying out feasibility work to see if reconstruction of the external shell of Broomfield House can be funded by the disposal of the fire damaged stable block/yard (formerly used for staff accommodation).

For more information view the council statement (PDF, 42.82 KB).

September 2018

We have been working with the Broomfield House Trust to explore a resolution for the longstanding case of fire ravaged Broomfield House and its associated Stable Block/Yard. As part of this process we are required to put the site on the market.

We have been working with Historic England to ensure the marketing exercise is as robust as possible and gives the best possibility to find interested parties. It will be launched on Saturday 15 September and remain on the market until at least December 2018. View our marketing brochure (PDF, 522.33 KB).

August 2018

An exhibition exploring the history of Broomfield House will run from 28 July 2018 to 6 January 2019 at the Museum of Enfield. The exhibition called 'Hidden Treasures - Revealing Broomfield House and Park', includes a restored piece of the C18th Lanscroon mural.

January 2018

We will soon begin marketing the House and Stables to see if there are any privately funded options for the site. This work is required by Historic England, in accordance with government guidance.

Broomfield House Partnership Board – 2014 to 2018

A Partnership Board was set up in October 2014 to explore options for the House and Stables to be restored with lottery funding, to provide public access and a viable future use. The Board has representatives from the council, Historic England, Broomfield House Trust and Friends of Broomfield Park. If the board were unsuccessful, an application to the Secretary of State for the demolition of the remaining structure would have to be considered.

Documents have been prepared to provide information on the importance of Broomfield House, Stables and Park and explore options for its development.

These show that restoring Broomfield House will cost approximately £5 million, with the restoration of the Stable and Bothy buildings at approximately £2 million. Even with beneficial new uses, such as a café/restaurant in the House and offices and residential or arts studio in the Stables, a cross-subsidy, grant or other funding is needed.

The Conservation Management Plan (PDF, 6030.96 KB) and Gazetteer (PDF, 11028.08 KB) provide a detailed assessment of the House, Stables and Park.

Options appraisal reports

The options appraisal includes the following documents:

Previous restoration attempts

Heritage Lottery Fund application

In 2012 the council, working with the Broomfield House Trust and Friends of Broomfield Park submitted a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to transform the House into a heritage and learning centre.

Under these proposals, the restored house would include a café on the ground floor with a patio overlooking the gardens. The house would also become a community hub with a rolling programme of events and learning opportunities including volunteering, training and apprenticeships in activities such as heritage restoration.

The total cost of the restoration of the house and the Lanscroon murals was estimated to be £6.7 million. This included £4 million from the HLF and the remainder coming from the council, a Greater London Authority grant, and fundraising. Further details of the bid can be found in 3 documents:

The council's bid to the HLF (for £4,175,000) was not approved by the HLF Board of Trustees, as they were concerned with the amount requested.

Since this time, the council have been continuing to support the Trust and Friends in evolving their proposals, in an attempt to address the HLF's concerns and pave the way for a more successful proposal.

Sheltered housing

In 2009 a study by heritage specialists showed that much of the fabric could still be saved and a further report recommended the development of the house, stables and yard as sheltered housing in partnership with a Registered Social Landlord.

While preparing these reports with Historic England, we made a successful bid to the London Development Agency, supported by the Mayor of London, for £5.9m of core funding for the restoration and conversion to homes for older people.

Conservation architects prepared a Feasibility Study that confirmed that we could restore the house, put back the much-missed hall, cafe and meeting room, all while providing up to 20 homes for older residents within the House, converted the stable block and the kitchen garden.

An initial £500,000 was received in April 2010 to start design work and consultants were appointed to take this forward. Unfortunately, because of government cuts, the Greater London Authority confirmed in September 2011 that it was unable to grant the £5.5 million necessary to restore the building. Without substantial public funding the project isn't possible, and there are few alternative options.

Broomfield House Taskforce scheme – 2003 to 2005

A Broomfield House Taskforce was established as a voluntary partnership of council and community organisations to seek a self-sustaining solution for the full restoration of the house and stables area. Solutions required amendment to the covenant but failed to win public support. At this time Broomfield House was also featured as a nominee on the BBC Restoration series, but was unsuccessful in the public vote.

Radiomarathon proposal – 2003

A proposal for the restoration and reuse of the stable block as a day centre by the charity Radiomarathon did not proceed. Radiomarathon found alternative premises.

Bass proposal – 1999

Bass made an offer for Broomfield House to be used as a family restaurant. This option would have provided separate free community access to first floor rooms from the original grand staircase hallway. The proposal would also have facilitated the mural reinstatement. Bass decided not to proceed with this.

Broomfield House Community Group 'Prometheus' scheme – 1998

Enfield Council allocated a grant of £10,000 to Broomfield House Community Group (later to become Broomfield House Trust) to engage consultancy and support Prometheus to come forward with a solution.

Whitbread – Chef and Brewer family restaurant proposal – 1998

This scheme proposed the full house restoration, public use of the upstairs rooms on a fee paying basis and customer parking in the stable yard. The council considered this as match funding for an HLF bid for landscape works and restoring the Lanscroon mural. Planning and listed building consent was achieved but Whitbread withdrew for commercial reasons. (1998)

Chicken Shed Theatre

The theatre negotiated for the site but the scale of new build requirements to the rear lawns of Broomfield House for a large theatre were prohibitive and they dropped the proposal.