Description
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.
Practical Information
| Site location | Parson Street |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW4 |
| What3Words | ///builds.humble.saints |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Hendon Central (Northern). Bus: 143, 326. |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ2389 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | not known; Private or local church diocese? |
| Dates | C19th |
| Designers | Theodore Williams |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Hendon Rectory |
| 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 | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
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.
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.
