Place Name
Agricultural heritage. Quite literally named after a barn on a hill, it was first recorded as Barnhills in 1800 and featured as Barn Hill on the Ordnance Survey map of 1822. It was once part of North Forty Farm, and for a time before the First World War the land was used as a golf course but this was developed for housing between the wars. The Barn Hill Residents’ Association website explains: “In 1923 Haymills acquired the Barn Hill Golf Course for development. Haymills may have been speculating on the likely impact of the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 – 25 and taking advantage of the improved road network along Forty Lane which had preceded it. Corringham Road and the lower parts of Barn Rise and Barn Hill and the side roads crossing them were the first roads to be built in 1926 – 29. The shopping parade, Grand Parade, was built by Haymills in 1928 – 29 in keeping with the Estate’s design.” The hill is 86 metres (282 feet) at its highest point, with the crest forming part of the 103 hectare (260 acre) Fryent Country Park.
