Description
St Alban and St Michael's Church is an imposing brick building, planned in 1925 but not built until 1932-33, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in free Gothic style. The church hall to the south was built as the first church here in 1909 by Herbert Wills. Golders Green developed rapidly after the Northern Line was extended and the station opened here in 1907, with the line reaching Edgware in 1924; the North Circular Road and Hendon Way were constructed in the 1920s. The church is set within a pleasant garden with lawns, trees and shrubs. Archbishop Desmond Tutu was Curate at St Alban's in the 1960s.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Golders Green Parish Church; St Alban the Martyr with St Michael and St Barnabas |
|---|---|
| Site location | North End Road/West Heath Drive |
| Postcode | NW11 7RA |
| What3Words | ///oasis.tamed.leads |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Golders Green (Northern) |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2008 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ253873 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Diocese of London |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | 1925-33 |
| Designers | Sir Giles G Scott |
| 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 | to check |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | 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
Waterlow Court is an enclave of cloistered flats designed in 1904 by architect M H Baillie Scott, his only multiple housing scheme for Hampstead Garden Suburb. It was built as a communal residence for professional single women by the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company Ltd, whose chairman was Lord Sidney Waterlow. Around the buildings are five landscaped areas with lawns, beds, a wild garden with 35 fruit trees and a 1939 pre-cast shelter. The layout remains similar today to that of Baillie Scott's original plan; it is likely that the planting scheme was inspired by Gertrude Jekyll.
Heathcroft is an estate of Neo-Georgian flats built in 1923-4 for Second Hampstead Tenants Ltd, to designs of J B F Cowper following an architectural competition. His design, influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, consists of linked blocks of 3 and 4 storeys laid out in an inverted 'T' arrangement with a 1-storey caretaker's cottage at the front. The development was informed by the ethos of Hampstead Garden Suburb and communal facilities were an important part of the estate, which includes various areas of communal gardens and recreational facilities.
Golders Hill Park is on the site of Golders Hill House and grounds, purchased at auction in 1898 by a committee of local residents. It was opened by the LCC in 1899, the first public park in Hendon. The estate was created in the 1760s for Charles Dingley, for whom 'Capability' Brown reputedly landscaped the grounds, which were improved by Humphry Repton for a subsequent owner. In the 1870s Robert Marnock made further alterations to create a 'natural gardening effect' and enlarged the lake. The café stands on the site of the house, demolished in 1941. The old kitchen garden was laid out by the LCC as an 'Old English Garden'. The park has a woodland garden walk leading to tennis courts, the Swan Pond and Water Gardens; animal enclosures, a small zoo and aviary; on the open grass slope are ancient oaks and a C20th bandstand; a number of sculptures.
