Description
Hendon Hall was built in the mid C18th, reputedly as the manor house of Hendon Manor, and once had extensive grounds. In 1765 actor-manager David Garrick purchased it and made alterations to house and grounds, including building a memorial to Shakespeare and a temple, neither of which survive. Subsequent owners made further alterations and it was twice used as a school, but in 1911 it became a hotel. By the 1930s much of estate had been built over, the Great North Way cutting off the house from the lake in 1926. The remains of the grounds at the back of the hotel were laid out with lawns, gravel paths and ornamental beds, with perimeter trees and shrubs. Hendon Hall is now a residential care home.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Hendon Manor |
|---|---|
| Site location | Ashley Lane, off Parson Street |
| Postcode | NW4 1HF |
| What3Words | ///defeat.squad.hogs |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | No |
| Public Transport | Tube: Hendon Central (Northern) then bus. Bus 143, 326. |
| Research Updated | 5 February 2024 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Hendon Manor is recorded in the Domesday book in 1086; it belonged to Westminster Abbey in the C10th and later to the Crown who in 1557 gave it to the Earl of Pembroke, William Herbert. The Herbert family held the manor until 1688, despite losing it briefly during the Civil War, when the Lord of the Manor fled with James II to France and it reverted to the Crown before being occupied by the Powis family. In 1765, the last Marquis having died without an heir, the manor was purchased for £13,000 by David Garrick, the famous actor-manager of the Drury Lane Theatre, who retained the lordship until his death in 1779. Garrick apparently did not live at Hendon Hall although he made alterations to the house and grounds, including the construction of a memorial to Shakespeare and a temple adorned with statues of the muses, neither of which are extant although the former (or latter?) survived until the late 1950s in Manor Hall Avenue. By 1828 the owner was architect Samuel Ware, who may have been responsible for adding the vast four-column portico allegedly from the house of the Duke of Chandos at Canons (q.v.), the parapet with balustrade and urns, and niched statues, reputedly from Wanstead House, which was demolished in the 1820s. During his occupancy mention is made of the presence of the two obelisks that remain in the hotel forecourt commemorating Shakespeare and Garrick.
For a time in the 1850s Hendon Hall was a girl's school with plays performed on the lawns on summer evenings. In 1869 it was purchased by C F Hancock, a London jeweller who was involved in the development of the area, where he built a number of large houses. He added north wings to Hendon Hall. In 1898 Hendon Hall was again used as a school. By the 1920s and '30s much of manorial lands had been built over, the construction of the Great North Way in 1926 cutting off the house from the lake that was once in the grounds.
In 1911 Hendon Hall was converted as a hotel, although during WWII it was closed briefly for use as an RAF convalescent home. OS Maps reveal that in the late C19th until at least 1914 there was a walled garden with greenhouses to the north of the hall, and by 1956 a swimming pool and tennis court were provided, located on the site of the earlier walled garden, paths and woodland. By 1969, although the swimming pool remained, a gated residential development called Hendon Hall Court had been built over part of the tennis court and garden, and a car park added. In 1966 the hotel gained fame as it was where the England football team stayed during the victorious World Cup campaign, due to its location near Wembley Stadium.
The remains of the grounds at the back of the hotel were laid out with lawns, gravel paths and ornamental beds, with trees and shrubs around the perimeter, backed by a red brick wall. In front of the entrance within the stable archway the carriage drive surrounds a raised circular lawn with ornamental planting and central sundial, with the two obelisks commemorating Shakespeare and Garrett either side of the roadway.
It is now a luxurious residential care home run by Signature, having been renovated "with both sensitivity to the original features and a core focus on the provision of a warm, welcoming and safe environment for residents, Signature’s work on Hendon Hall earned us the Renovation Award at the 2023 Annual Care Home Awards."
For a time in the 1850s Hendon Hall was a girl's school with plays performed on the lawns on summer evenings. In 1869 it was purchased by C F Hancock, a London jeweller who was involved in the development of the area, where he built a number of large houses. He added north wings to Hendon Hall. In 1898 Hendon Hall was again used as a school. By the 1920s and '30s much of manorial lands had been built over, the construction of the Great North Way in 1926 cutting off the house from the lake that was once in the grounds.
In 1911 Hendon Hall was converted as a hotel, although during WWII it was closed briefly for use as an RAF convalescent home. OS Maps reveal that in the late C19th until at least 1914 there was a walled garden with greenhouses to the north of the hall, and by 1956 a swimming pool and tennis court were provided, located on the site of the earlier walled garden, paths and woodland. By 1969, although the swimming pool remained, a gated residential development called Hendon Hall Court had been built over part of the tennis court and garden, and a car park added. In 1966 the hotel gained fame as it was where the England football team stayed during the victorious World Cup campaign, due to its location near Wembley Stadium.
The remains of the grounds at the back of the hotel were laid out with lawns, gravel paths and ornamental beds, with trees and shrubs around the perimeter, backed by a red brick wall. In front of the entrance within the stable archway the carriage drive surrounds a raised circular lawn with ornamental planting and central sundial, with the two obelisks commemorating Shakespeare and Garrett either side of the roadway.
It is now a luxurious residential care home run by Signature, having been renovated "with both sensitivity to the original features and a core focus on the provision of a warm, welcoming and safe environment for residents, Signature’s work on Hendon Hall earned us the Renovation Award at the 2023 Annual Care Home Awards."
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ234899 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Signature Care Homes |
| Site Management | Signature Care Homes |
| Dates | 1756-59 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Hendon Hall. Local list: 2 obelisks |
| 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 | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Hendon Rectory of the late C18th/ early C19th was on the east side of Parson Street. In the 1830s Revd. Theodore Williams created a model garden here on the 1.5 acre site, which was much cited in contemporary literature such as John Claudius Loudon's 'The Suburban Garden and Villa Companion' of 1838. The OS map of 1896 shows extensive gardens to the south and east of the house and a pond to the south. The present gardens are reduced to the east side only, with a small area of lawn with beds, shrubs, a magnolia tree and other mature species.
There may have been a Saxon church here as early as the C9th, and a carved C11th Norman font is still in use. The current building retains some C13th, C15th and C16th elements but the church was extended substantially in 1914/15. The large churchyard has a number of fine monuments and trees including yew and cedar. In his history of Hendon in 1890 E Evans notes the earliest surviving grave as that of Thomas Marsh, 1624; he describes the churchyard's pretty location and trees shading the graves, a scene little changed today.
Church Farmhouse, situated next to Hendon parish church, is one of the oldest surviving houses in Barnet, built c1660 with C18th/early C19th additions. It was in use as a farm until 1944 when it was purchased by Hendon Borough Council. The house was restored and opened as a museum in 1955, and in its grounds are vestigial features of an earlier garden, including at the back a pond, mature yews, horse chestnut and fruit trees, and four beds adjacent to the central pathway. The garden abuts the graveyard of St Mary's Church on one side.
