Arnos Grove, a garden suburb

The Arnos Grave Estate is a suburban housing estate in Southgate, itself part of the London Borough of Enfield. Historically is was situated on the border between the parishes of Edmonton and Friern Barnet. The area takes its name from an estate called Arnoldes Grove (1551), later known as Arno's Grove*. The grove itself runs to the north of the nearby Arnos Park. Until the 1930s Arnos Grove was largely undeveloped and rural, and not considered to be an area in its own right.

Arnos Grove was, first known as Arnholt Wood in the 14th century and later as Arnolds Grove. The estate was owned by the Nuns of Clerkenwell. In Tudor times a manor was erected on the site, that was replaced in 1719 by a mansion called Arnolds in Cannon Hill. The estate was increased to over 300 acres (1.2 km²) by incorporating the adjoining Minchenden estate. The  house and estate were renamed Arnos Grove.  

The estate was purchased in 1918 by Lord Inverforth with the aim of developing the area. He sold 44 acres (180,000 m²) to the Southgate Urban District Council, which created Arnos Park in 1928. Other parts were subsequently sold off to property developers. The Arnos Grove mansion was also sold in 1928 to the North Metropolitan Electricity Supply Company. The mansion was subsequently enlarged and encased in red brick - it is now an upmarket residential care home called Southgate Beaumont.

On 19 September 1932, as part of the expansion of the London Underground Piccadilly Line to Cockfosters, Arnos Grove tube station was opened. In the years that followed Arnos Grove went from a rural area to being fully developed. Arnos Grove station was the terminus of the line until services were further extended to Oakwood on 13 March 1933. Its name was chosen after public deliberation: alternatives were Arnos Park, Bowes Road and Southgate.

Like the other stations Charles Holden designed for the extension, Arnos Grove was built in a European style using brick, glass and reinforced concrete and basic geometric shapes. This style is also known as brick modernism or aesthetic functionalism.  The ticket hall rises as a circular drum made of brick and glass panels from a low single-storey structure and is capped by a flat concrete roof.

With the arrival of the underground trains the time was ripe for developing this hitherto rural area. The main public facilities and suburban housing at Arnos Grove were built in the 1930s. The area north of Arnos Park was completely built up by 1939. The library and swimming pool, along with Arnos Park, as well as the wealth of facilities at Arnos Grove tube station and the proximity of Arnos Grove to the North Circular (built in 1929) made Arnos Grove a desirable area to live.

The Arnos Grave housing estate is located on both sides of the Arnos Park. The focus is clearly on the northern part however. The valley of the Pymme's Brook is the lowest point with the Green on the north side of the estate at the highest point. The layout of the neighbourhood is symmetrical with a strong main axis connecting both parts. This axis is enforced by an avenue in the Arnos Park. In front of the main gate of the park a circus (large roundabout) links the suburban pattern to the park and also distributes traffic. The semicircular outline is reminiscent of Tower Gardens in Tottenham. Arnos Grove could also be best described as a garden suburb.

One of the main features of Arnos Grove is Arnos Park. Arnos Park is a remnant of the Arnos Grove Estate, and was opened in 1928 after having been purchased by Southgate Council. The Pymme's Brook flows throughout the length of the park, partly along the southern perimeter. The park is mostly laid in grass, although it does contain small parcels of mixed woodland dominated by oak trees. Beyond Arnos Grove tube station a large arched brick viaduct carries the Piccadilly line towards Southgate through the western end of the park.

The old Arnos Grove estate is shown with the red outline. The present day area of Southgate identified as Arnos Grove follows the same boundaries. At the edge of it stands the tube station Arnos Grove (T). North of this the Southgate Borough Counsils reserve of Arnos Park (A). To the south of the station lies New Southgate (N), a Victorian housing development. To the east lies the Broomfield Park housing estate (B) that was developed between 1903 and 1939. Broomfield Park is a remnant of  a landed estate. Although the estates were once covered in woodland and coppice, several mansion were built. The earliest mansions were erected towards the Green (G). These include Mincheden House (1) next to the church (C), Arnholt Wood (2), Arnold House (3), Beaver Hall (4), Cannons (or Culland) House (5), The Coach House (6), Essex House (7), Arnoside Cottage (8), The Cherry Tree Inn (9), Broomfield Manor (10) and Betsile Lodge and Farm (11).

* from Old English grāf(a) meaning twig, this name can be explained as: grove or copse of the Arnold family; Arnold itself means: ruling mightily like an eagle.