Description
Christ Church was built in 1837-39 when Cockfosters became a separate parish, and was paid for by Robert Bevan of nearby Trent Park. The hamlet of Cock Fosters effectively developed as an estate village for the large estates of Trent Park and Beech Hill Park. The Bevan Family monument is found in the small churchyard to the north of the church, which has gravestones and some fine monuments among grass, with yew and other trees, roses and shrubs.
Practical Information
| Site location | Chalk Lane, Cockfosters |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EN4 9JQ |
| What3Words | ///table.prime.theme |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Enfield |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Cockfosters, Oakwood (Piccadilly). Bus: 121, 298, 299, 307, 384 |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Christ Church Cockfosters was built in 1837-39 when it became a separate parish, and was paid for by Robert Bevan of nearby Trent Park (q.v.), a partner in Barclays Bank; the Bevan family monument can still be found in the churchyard. In 1898 the orientation of the church was reversed and the chancel, north aisle, transepts and chapels were added by Sir Arthur Blomfield. The church is of stock brick, in Early English Style with a thin tower capped with a spire.
The hamlet of Cock Fosters effectively developed as an estate village for Trent Park and Beech Hill Park, the latter now Hadley Wood Golf Course (q.v.) and in the 1860s consisted of little more than a collection of cottages north of the main gate to Trent Park on Cockfosters Road, with some larger houses and a pub in Chalk Lane. In the wider area there were a few substantial houses in their own grounds, such as Ludgrove and Heddon Court, formerly known as Belmont and now demolished. The 1930s saw the arrival of the Piccadilly Line and substantial housing development at Cockfosters, which by 1939 was firmly part of London's suburbia as far as the station at least. However, north of the church from the junction of Chalk Lane and Cockfosters Road, only a thin ribbon of wealthy properties has been built along the west side of Cockfosters Road, and much of the land to the east is still farmed and rural, largely as a result of the introduction of the Green Belt.
The small churchyard to the north of the church has gravestones and some fine monuments among grass, with yew and other trees, roses and shrubs planted; a hedge with holly and hawthorn separates the churchyard from Chalk Lane, which has a rusticated gateway at the north-east corner. An area of the churchyard has been hedged off, with no graves and two seats bordered by new railings to the south and a dense cypress hedge to the west. There a number of interesting C19th monuments near the church, including the large Bevan family tomb.
Church House, built in the 1930s to serve church activities, is being redeveloped in 2011 to provide more facilities, with a new frontage, welcome area and café as well as more rooms for activities. An extension to the church is also being planned in 2011, with an extension on the north-west corner, new entrance and reordering of the interior that will return the building to the original east-facing orientation.
The hamlet of Cock Fosters effectively developed as an estate village for Trent Park and Beech Hill Park, the latter now Hadley Wood Golf Course (q.v.) and in the 1860s consisted of little more than a collection of cottages north of the main gate to Trent Park on Cockfosters Road, with some larger houses and a pub in Chalk Lane. In the wider area there were a few substantial houses in their own grounds, such as Ludgrove and Heddon Court, formerly known as Belmont and now demolished. The 1930s saw the arrival of the Piccadilly Line and substantial housing development at Cockfosters, which by 1939 was firmly part of London's suburbia as far as the station at least. However, north of the church from the junction of Chalk Lane and Cockfosters Road, only a thin ribbon of wealthy properties has been built along the west side of Cockfosters Road, and much of the land to the east is still farmed and rural, largely as a result of the introduction of the Green Belt.
The small churchyard to the north of the church has gravestones and some fine monuments among grass, with yew and other trees, roses and shrubs planted; a hedge with holly and hawthorn separates the churchyard from Chalk Lane, which has a rusticated gateway at the north-east corner. An area of the churchyard has been hedged off, with no graves and two seats bordered by new railings to the south and a dense cypress hedge to the west. There a number of interesting C19th monuments near the church, including the large Bevan family tomb.
Church House, built in the 1930s to serve church activities, is being redeveloped in 2011 to provide more facilities, with a new frontage, welcome area and café as well as more rooms for activities. An extension to the church is also being planned in 2011, with an extension on the north-west corner, new entrance and reordering of the interior that will return the building to the original east-facing orientation.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ279963 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.31 |
| Site Ownership | Diocese of London |
| Site Management | LB Enfield Place Shaping and Enterprise, Parks Business Unit |
| Dates | 1839 |
| Designers | Church: H E Kendall |
| 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 | Enfield |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Trent Park |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Urban Green Space |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Trent Park Cemetery was opened in 1960 by Islington Council. The land was formerly in agricultural use but had once been part of the hunting park of Enfield Chase at its far western edge. When the Chase was enclosed after 1777 a small part was retained as a miniature hunting park and became Trent Park, which by mid-C19th covered 1,215 ha. A farm called West Farm existed at Cockfosters from at least the C16th and was added to the Trent Park estate in the C19th. The cemetery has a small brick chapel near the entrance that contains a Book of Remembrance.
Traces of a C17th/C18th walled kitchen garden remain in private gardens on Cat Hill, once part of the gardens of Little Grove estate. Owned from 1674-8 by the widow of the Stuart diplomat and gardener Sir Richard Fanshawe, the estate was acquired by John Cotton in 1719 who built a house to the south of Cat Hill. In 1767 the then owner Judge Edward Willes commissioned Capability Brown to lay out the park. In 1932 the house was demolished and a housing estate constructed along Cat Hill and across the park.
This is a Victorian recreation ground laid out in the late C19th on land previously known as 'Mrs Cook's Farm'. Barnet Football Club played here in the 1889/90 season, before moving to a new ground in 1890. Victoria Recreation Ground has the remains of a formal garden comprising a circular mound with a perimeter walk laid out as a rose garden. Adjacent to this is a drinking fountain with the inscription 'Honest Water which never left man in the Mire', the gift of Morgan Harvey in 1882.
