Description
Holy Trinity Church was designed in 1845/6 by Anthony Salvin who lived in East Finchley and was the Vicar's Warden. At that time the area was still little more than a village, but it developed rapidly after the railway was extended to Edgware and High Barnet between 1867 and 1872. In the 1860s the church was enlarged. The churchyard contains a number of mature trees and some interesting tombs.
Practical Information
| Site location | Church Lane, East Finchley |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N2 0TH |
| What3Words | ///plants.themes.today |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: East Finchley then bus. Bus 143. |
| Research Updated | 1 August 2000 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Holy Trinity Church is constructed of ragstone with freestone dressings and has a bell-cote and spirelet at the west end. In the 1860s the church was enlarged, with north and south aisles added, each having a separate pitched roof. The churchyard contains some interesting monuments, with tombstones set in the grass. A tarmac path runs through the churchyard and there are a number of mature trees including a variety of evergreen trees, conifers and a holly hedge onto Church Lane.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ265896 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Diocese of London |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | 1845-46 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Holy Trinity Church |
| 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 |
Gallery
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
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Until the mid-C19th the undulating site was farmland. The Burial Board of the Parish of St Marylebone purchased the land for the cemetery and held a competition for its design in 1854. Winning architects Barnett and Birch Ltd built its two chapels, lodge and entrance building and St Marylebone Cemetery was consecrated in March 1855. The cemetery, catering largely for the affluent middle-classes, has numerous important monuments. The C19th layout is largely intact, with three main avenues describing an oval arrangement. Two cedars were planted near the entrance in 1856, with trees and shrubs throughout the cemetery and flanking the avenues. In 1893 the cemetery was extended to the west, laid out on a square grid plan. In 1937 St Marylebone Crematorium was built, to the south of which are lawn graves and an informal memorial garden. Owned since 1965 by Westminster City Council, this was one of 3 cemeteries that WCC controversially sold in 1987 for 15p in order to pass on the maintenance costs, but which resulted in their neglect. In 1988, following public outcry, the Ombudsman ruled that WCC had to buy back the cemeteries, which it did in 1992.
Until the mid-C19th the undulating site was farmland. The Burial Board of the Parish of St Marylebone purchased the land for the cemetery and held a competition for its design in 1854. Winning architects Barnett and Birch Ltd built its two chapels, lodge and entrance building and St Marylebone Cemetery was consecrated in March 1855. The cemetery, catering largely for the affluent middle-classes, has numerous important monuments. The C19th layout is largely intact, with three main avenues describing an oval arrangement. Two cedars were planted near the entrance in 1856, with trees and shrubs throughout the cemetery and flanking the avenues. In 1893 the cemetery was extended to the west, laid out on a square grid plan. In 1937 St Marylebone Crematorium was built, to the south of which are lawn graves and an informal memorial garden. Owned since 1965 by Westminster City Council, this was one of 3 cemeteries that WCC controversially sold in 1987 for 15p in order to pass on the maintenance costs, but which resulted in their neglect. In 1988, following public outcry, the Ombudsman ruled that WCC had to buy back the cemeteries, which it did in 1992.
Lyttelton Playing Fields forms part of the Hampstead Garden Suburb, dating from the later phase of development from 1919. This was developed following the Co-Partners' acquisition of 200 acres of land to the north and east of the original suburb. The park is dominated by its open cricket field although in the north, along the Mutton Brook, is a small area of old woodland. This is shown on Rocque's map of 1754 and on 1864 OS maps is marked as Watery Wood. A few mature oaks survive in the park as well as remnant of a hedgerow to the south that once marked the boundary to the Bishop of London's medieval Hornsey Park estate.
Northway Gardens is a linear park comprising three areas of gardens through which the Mutton Brook runs in a channel, lined in parts by weeping willows. It was laid out as part of the 'New Suburb' developed from 1911 when 112 acres of land were purchased to the east of the original Hampstead Garden Suburb. The gardens have woodland and grass to the west, formal gardens and tennis courts in the middle area, and ornamental shrubs and trees in the most easterly section.
