Description
Bells Hill Burial Ground was consecrated in 1895 by the Bishop of St Albans, and was established to provide for the parish of Chipping Barnet. Entered through a small lych-gate, older monuments are found to the north east of the cemetery where there are mature cedar, yew and other species of trees; more recent graves are to the west. The main path from the entrance gate has been narrowed in some places where new graves have been provided.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Chipping Barnet Cemetery |
|---|---|
| Site location | Bells Hill, Chipping Barnet |
| Postcode | EN5 2SJ |
| What3Words | ///glory.cowboy.runs |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | main gate: 9am-5pm; lower gate on Bells Hill: 9am-8.30pm or dusk if earlier |
| Special Conditions | No dogs |
| Public Transport | Tube: High Barnet (Northern) then bus. Bus 384. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Bells Hill Burial Ground was consecrated on 30 April 1895 by The Rt. Rev. John Wogan, Bishop of St Albans, and according to a plaque at the entrance 'was provided for the Ancient Parish of Chipping Barnet from the Funds of the Chancel Estate Trust founded by James Ravenscroft'. James Ravenscroft was, like his father Thomas, a major benefactor of the area who founded the Jesus Hospital almshouses for six 'poor women' on Wood Street in 1679, and whose elaborate family chapel is in St John's Church, High Barnet (q.v.). The entrance to the burial ground on Bells Hill is through a small Gothic-style brick lych-gate with tiled roof and painted wooden gates; there is no chapel and the cemetery is served by St Stephen's church further down Bells Hill. The north-eastern side has older monuments with mature cedar and yew trees amongst deciduous species. The western section has more recent graves with utilitarian modern headstones. The main path from the entrance gate has been narrowed in some places where it is being used to accommodate new graves, which are generally bedecked with flowers.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ236959 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.4 |
| Site Ownership | Diocese of St Albans LB Barnet |
| Site Management | LB Barnet Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division |
| Dates | 1895 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Barnet |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
This was once within Barnet Common, which had been partly enclosed in 1729 and the remainder in 1815. In the 1880s when housing and a new road were being built here, a small area of remaining open land with a pond was converted into this public park. Initially called Barnet Recreation Ground, it was later named after James Ravenscroft, a great benefactor of Barnet. It was laid out with serpentine walks, shrubs and bedding. There used to be two ornamental ponds that were drained in 1992, their location marked as sunken areas.
Leathersellers' Close contains the Leathersellers' Almshouses and related grounds. The two wings of almshouses and the central Chapel block were built between 1838 and 1866 in the Gothic style and then rebuilt and remodelled in 1964-1966. The small Victorian lodge dates from 1859.To the south of the central path are large ornamental iron gates and, just inside the gates, a pair of decorative Victorian lampposts. The extensive grounds are mostly laid to grass and contain many fine mature trees, including several beech and holly, a tulip tree and a Monterey cypress, together with mixed shrub borders and eight standard bay trees at the sides of the central path.
James Ravenscroft, an important benefactor of Barnet like his father Thomas, founded Jesus Hospital almshouses for 6 poor widowed women in 1679, so-called because Ravenscroft was a graduate of Jesus College Cambridge. The almshouses have a pleasant front garden with a central path from the gates, which are flanked by gate piers with inset stone plaques with initials surmounted by a lion and the foundation date, a replica commemorating the 300th anniversary with the date '1979'.
