Description
The Croft was built c.1898 by the successful Victorian architect T E Collcutt for his own residence, with formal gardens that contained a sculpture of a Triton by Henry Pegram. From the C17th and C18th onwards the area, with its fine views and relative proximity to London, gradually attracted wealthy people who built houses around Totteridge Green and along the east/west route of Totteridge Lane.
Practical Information
| Site location | Totteridge Green, Totteridge |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N20 |
| What3Words | ///chin.hero.goal |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Totteridge & Whetstone (Northern) then bus. Bus 251. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Croft was described as 'an excellent essay in the Olde English style' with the 'remains of formal gardens behind, with sculpture of a Triton by Henry Pegram' (Pevsner). Collcutt was a successful Victorian architect who built a number of houses in the area including Fairspeir also on Totteridge Green (q.v.) and The Lynch House on Totteridge Common (q.v.). In the C13th Totteridge was a hamlet, at which time it was known as Tatarige, which may refer to a family of the name of Tata who lived here. From the C17th and C18th the area, with its fine views and relative proximity to London, gradually attracted wealthy people who built houses around the Green and along the east/west route of Totteridge Lane, Totteridge Village and Totteridge Common. Development accelerated after the Great Northern Railway arrived at Barnet but Totteridge retained its rural aspect due to the Green Belt legislation and to local pressure. Totteridge Preservation Society was set up before World War II, and later Totteridge Manor Association took over management of the surrounding common and woodland.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ249936 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | 1898 |
| Designers | House: T E Collcutt |
| Listed Structures | LBII: The Croft |
| 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 | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Totteridge |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Archaeological Significance |
| Other LA Designation | Article 4 Direction |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
In the C13th Totteridge was a hamlet. From the C17th and C18th the area gradually attracted wealthy people who built houses here. Totteridge Green today consists of grassland, areas of woodland with a variety of trees. In the centre is a mature oak possibly planted in the C18th by Sir Peter Meyer, a Dutch merchant who lived in the area, who obtained permission from the Lord of the Manor to plant trees and to make ponds; Laurel Farm Pond remains in the south.
Darlands Lake Nature Reserve consists of an ornamental lake, surrounding woodland belt and a fenced path from Totteridge Lane. The site was once part of the landscaped park of Copped Hall, an estate dating from the C16th. From 1780 it was occupied by William Manning whose wife Mary was involved in the redesign of the grounds probably with advice from Humphry Repton. The lake and circular ride connecting it with the house are typical of Repton. Copped Hall was eventually demolished in 1929 and Darlands House erected on its site by 1935, with large gardens that still open onto the former parkland to the south. Other housing was developed over much of the pleasure grounds, and the open park between house and lake became farmland. In 1982 Darlands Lake Nature Reserve was established, its main approach quite close to the C19th entrance drive and route from the pleasure grounds to the lake. This passes close to a copse planted in 1810 to mark the Jubilee of George III.
St Andrew's Church has existed here since at least the C16th on the site of a much earlier church. It lies on the boundary of the medieval manor. The church was rebuilt in 1790, a plain brick building with a weather-boarded bell turret of 1706 from the older church. The churchyard was extended a number of times from the mid-C19th onwards and has numerous gravestones, chest tombs and monuments among grass, a lych-gate and war memorial. There are mature evergreens, including an ancient yew with 27 ft girth still standing. A second burial area is now located behind the old churchyard near the parish hall.
