Description
By the mid C18th there were a number of large houses in the area and St Barnabas was consecrated in 1847 when the population of the former hamlet of Homerton was increasing. Its site had been that of a coach-house, stabling, and two paddocks. The church was built largely at the instigation of the Hackney Phalanx, an Anglican group who were instrumental in building churches and schools in Hackney. The churchyard is largely grassed and contains a number of headstones, with a war memorial in front of the church.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Parish of Hackney Marsh, Homerton Church |
|---|---|
| Site location | Homerton High Street/Brooksby's Walk |
| Postcode | E9 6DL |
| What3Words | ///theme.slimy.menu |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Hackney |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Homerton |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2014 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Homerton was formerly Hunburh's farm (Old English for farm being 'tun'), which was part of the Manor of Lordshold in the ownership of the Knights Templar and then in the C14th the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. Homerton's church of St Barnabas was built when the population of the former hamlet was increasing, on a site which in 1845 had a 'coach-house and stabling, and two pretty square paddocks' owned by a coach proprietor called Brostow who had two stage coaches 'painted green' (Benjamin Clarke) running between Homerton and the Royal Exchange. Rocque's map of 1745 showed a number of large mansions here with 'leafy avenues, parterres, groves and gardens' (Clarke). The church was designed by Arthur Ashpitel whose father lived in Clapton Square (q.v.) and was built largely at the instigation of Joshua Watkins, brother of the Archdeacon of St Albans and Rector of Hackney, the Rev. John James Watson, whose parents lived in Homerton. Both brothers were part of the Hackney Phalanx, an Anglican group who were instrumental in building churches and schools in Hackney. The church has a tower of Kentish ragstone in late mediaeval style, and is an early example of the trend at that time to replace brick with stone for church building and providing solid towers. Consecrated in 1847 St Barnabas already needed enlarging in 1852 when the north aisle was built. In the C20th the church suffered war damage and was repaired by W C Lock.
The churchyard is largely grassed and contains a number of headstones, mainly cleared to the area behind the church, although some tombs are under shrubbery. Writing in 1896, Mrs Basil Holmes remarked that 'a good deal of care is shown in its management' and that 'in 1884 the Easter offerings were devoted to its improvement, and many tombstones were then laid flat'/. In front of the church is a war memorial with two crosses on plinths. The C19th forecourt wall to the churchyard and vicarage remains, of coursed rubble of Kentish ragstone and later concrete coping, with at intervals square piers with ashlar quoins and pyramidal tops.
The churchyard is largely grassed and contains a number of headstones, mainly cleared to the area behind the church, although some tombs are under shrubbery. Writing in 1896, Mrs Basil Holmes remarked that 'a good deal of care is shown in its management' and that 'in 1884 the Easter offerings were devoted to its improvement, and many tombstones were then laid flat'/. In front of the church is a war memorial with two crosses on plinths. The C19th forecourt wall to the churchyard and vicarage remains, of coursed rubble of Kentish ragstone and later concrete coping, with at intervals square piers with ashlar quoins and pyramidal tops.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ358851 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Church |
| Site Management | Hackney Marsh Team Ministry |
| Dates | 1843-47; 1852 |
| Designers | church: Arthur Ashpitel |
| Listed Structures | LBC: St Barnabas Church; LBII: St Barnabas's Vicarage and Forecourt Wall to Church and Vicarage |
| 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 | Hackney |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Other LA Designation | Open Space |
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
Referred to as Kenton Road Shrubbery in 1898, this was a small enclosure at the junction of roads owned and maintained by Hackney Borough Council and preserved under the London Squares and Enclosures (Preservation) Act of 1906. It remains a small landscaped area with 5 London plane trees, raised beds on low walls with York stone paving with niches for seating, no longer there.
St John-at-Hackney Churchyard Gardens was the burial ground of Hackney's first parish church of St Augustine. The medieval church was demolished in 1790 although the C13th tower remains. Its burial ground was walled in 1707 and expanded twice in the C18th, in 1763 and 1790. The latter expansion enabled the erection of the new church of St John when a much larger church was needed for the growing population. The burial ground was declared full in 1859, and in 1893/4 was converted into a public garden; graves were grassed over, headstones moved to the perimeter and chest tombs into railed enclosures. It was re-opened as St John’s Gardens in 1894. In 1963, a walled garden was laid out. Neglected by the late C20th, in 2006/7 the gardens were extensively refurbished.
Originally known as Cassland Road Gardens these gardens date from the 1850s when Cassland Crescent was laid out on the northern side of Cassland Road by the Trustees of the Sir John Cass Estate. In 1858 the Cass Estate asked tenants of the Crescent to contribute towards enclosing the garden and sought tenders for iron railings. It is thought that the lawns, lime and London plane trees date from that time. Post WWII, the Governors of Sir John Cass's Foundation leased the gardens to Hackney Borough Council, to be maintained as a public amenity. In July 2021 the gardens were renamed Kit Crowley Gardens as part of Hackney's Review, Rename, Reclaim project. Kit Crowley's name replaced that of Sir John Cass, who was director of the Royal African Company, an English slave trading company that trafficked enslaved Africans for profit in the late C17th.