Description
James Ravenscroft, an important benefactor of Barnet like his father Thomas, founded Jesus Hospital almshouses for 6 poor widowed women in 1679, so-called because Ravenscroft was a graduate of Jesus College Cambridge. The almshouses have a pleasant front garden with a central path from the gates, which are flanked by gate piers with inset stone plaques with initials surmounted by a lion and the foundation date, a replica commemorating the 300th anniversary with the date '1979'.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Jesus Hospital Almshouses |
|---|---|
| Site location | Wood Street |
| Postcode | EN5 |
| What3Words | ///entire.follow.input |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | No |
| Opening Times | private, visible from the road |
| Public Transport | Tube: High Barnet (Northern) then bus. Bus: 34, 84, 107, 184, 234, 263, 307, 326, 384, 389, X43 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
James Ravenscroft, an important benefactor of Barnet like his father Thomas, founded Jesus Hospital Almshouses in 1679 to provide for 6 poor widowed women of the town. The Jesus Hospital Almshouses were initially so-called because Ravenscroft was a graduate of Jesus College Cambridge; they were later named after their founder. Ravenscroft was 'a man of untarnished integrity, of a happy disposition, exceedingly well known for the greatness of his mind' according to his tomb in St John the Baptist churchyard (q.v.). The almshouses were largely supported from the rent of land in Stepney. The residents were described as 'sisters', and were led by a 'governess', the trustees known as 'visitors'. The almshouses have a pleasant garden in the front, with lawn and flower beds, a central path leading from the gates, which are flanked by brick stone-capped gate piers with inset stone plaques. These show initials surmounted by a lion and the foundation date, with a replica commemorating the 300th anniversary having the date '1979'.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ242964 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | private |
| Dates | 1679 |
| 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 | Wood Street |
| 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 |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Leathersellers' Close contains the Leathersellers' Almshouses and related grounds. The two wings of almshouses and the central Chapel block were built between 1838 and 1866 in the Gothic style and then rebuilt and remodelled in 1964-1966. The small Victorian lodge dates from 1859.To the south of the central path are large ornamental iron gates and, just inside the gates, a pair of decorative Victorian lampposts. The extensive grounds are mostly laid to grass and contain many fine mature trees, including several beech and holly, a tulip tree and a Monterey cypress, together with mixed shrub borders and eight standard bay trees at the sides of the central path.
In the C19th the land was owned by the Rumball family and leased for pasture, a brewery and stables, and two houses. In 1912 the brewery site was purchased by Barnet UDC, who later purchased the freehold of the Old Court House Estate in 1923. The recreation ground on the south side of the gardens opened in 1924 and Barnet Bowls Club was founded here in 1926. The park was formally laid out with an ornamental pond, rockery, shrub and flower beds, and a fine variety of specimen trees.
St John's Church was in the centre of the medieval village of Chipping Barnet, which developed to the west of the village of East Barnet where the main parish church was. Until the 1830s the area was largely woods, commonland and fields. In 1420 an earlier church at Chipping Barnet was rebuilt by the Abbot of St Albans; it became a parish in its own right in 1866. In 1870-75 a larger church was built although many of the old monuments were preserved and include the tomb of Thomas Ravenscroft (d.1630). The churchyard has been made into a garden and has grass, mature trees and seating. Barnet War Memorial, originally located in front of the church, was unveiled in 1921.
