Description
Lawrence Campe Almshouses were built in c.1612 to provide for 12 poor people, each of whom was given a monthly allowance of one shilling. The founder, Lawrence Campe, was a draper's merchant in the City of London. The almshouses consist of a row of seven two-storey red brick cottages set back from the road, fronted by lawn with country-garden style flowers against the houses and a simple white paling fence separating them from the road.
Practical Information
| Site location | Friern Barnet Lane, Whetstone |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N20 |
| What3Words | ///rust.debate.friday |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private |
| Public Transport | Tube: Totteridge & Whetstone (Northern) then bus. Bus: 234, 383. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2003 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The almshouses were repaired after damage by fire in 1728, renovated in 1843 and again in 1899, but the original appearance is largely retained. Tablets on the front of the building shows heraldic devices and inspirational texts, one of which reads: 'Every morning before you feed - Come to this House and prayers read - Then you about your work may go - so God bless you and yours also'. They continue to be administered by the Lawrence Campe's Almshouse Trust, and provide accommodation for people over 50 with limited assets.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ268934 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Lawrence Campe's Almshouse Trust |
| Dates | c.1612 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Lawrence Campe Almshouses |
| 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 | No |
| 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
This private golf course is on land that was once the site of the manorial estate owned by Lord Chief Justice Popham, and was visited by Elizabeth I. The estate was sold in c.1906 to the North Middlesex Golf Company, whose clubhouse was the C19th manor house. In 1928 the land was acquired as open space by the local Council who then leased it back to the Golf Club. A small circular hedged area with a WWI War Memorial in the centre is located on the edge of the golf course.
All Saints' Church was founded in 1881 by John Miles of The Manor, Friern Barnet, whose son Henry was the first Vicar and was involved in creating the elaborate interior decoration of the church. The church is surrounded by a neat garden, with grass, flower and shrub beds, paved areas and seats, including a memorial garden made for Olive Mary Miles (d.1959). A War Memorial stands at the junction of two roads adjacent to the church.
Swan Lane Open Space was laid out for recreation by 1935 near the former site of a C19th estate. The area was used for gravel working, as a result of which in the 1960s or possibly earlier it was known locally as 'The Pits'. A small kidney-shaped pond, fed by a natural spring, was created in the park for model boating, with water lilies, rushes and jetty, now used for wildlife. The park is on hilly terrain with open grass and woodland that includes saplings as well as mature trees, both coniferous and deciduous. A group of giant redwoods and a Cedar of Lebanon are within a wooded area planted with conifers at the entrance on High Road Whetstone. Rose beds by the café have been planted in memory of two local residents, Vi and George Terry of Finchley; a memorial bench commemorates Tony Clark. Some parts of the park have now been left wild to form a natural area of long grass and smaller trees.
