Description
A Norman church existed on the site from C12th but in 1872 Saxon foundations were discovered dating from an earlier church. The tower and main body are C15th with two later aisles. Bombed in WWII, the church was later restored. The churchyard is enclosed with C20th fence and iron railings, and has some good C17th and C18th tombs. An obelisk to Major John Cartwright (d.1824) was raised by public subscription and erected in 1835. The churchyard is densely shaded, and trees include ancient yew, cedar, holly, larch and hornbeam.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Finchley Parish Church |
|---|---|
| Site location | Hendon Lane, Finchley |
| Postcode | N3 1TR |
| What3Words | ///lodge.hers.radar |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Barnet |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Finchley Central (Northern) then bus. Bus: 125. |
| Research Updated | 9 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
A Norman church existed on the site from the C12th but in 1872 Saxon foundations were discovered dating from an earlier church founded by Bishop Erkenwald of London in c.675 AD to serve workmen felling timber to build the old St Paul's Cathedral. The tower and main body of the church are C15th with two aisles, one C19th the other C20th. Bombed in World War II, the church was later restored. The oldest brass dates from c.1480, other monuments include a tiny figure of Joan Prate in a horned head-dress; Thomas White, a grocer of London kneels with 3 wives and their 13 daughters some of whom are in swaddling clothes.
The churchyard on the west and north side of the church is enclosed with C20th fence and iron railings. There are some good C18th railed tombs and C17th tombs. Trees include ancient yew trees, cedar, holly, larch and hornbeam and the churchyard is densely shaded with little grass or undergrowth. It is bisected with paths that are in frequent use for access to adjacent streets. The path skirting the west nave is of York stone paving, the rest asphalted.
The Obelisk to Major John Cartwright (d.1824) was raised by public subscription and erected in 1835. Cartwright was a radical and one of a group of brothers famous for their tracts on parish reform. John Cartwright left the Navy refusing to fight against the Americans seeking their independence, and was removed from the militia for approving the Taking of the Bastille. Others buried in the churchyard include 'Honest Tom Payne' (d.1799), a bookseller who was responsible for producing the first known list of books on sale in 1740. The tomb for Richard Norris (d.1779) has a reclining veiled woman and urn. Two good tombstones near the south door date from the 1730s with cherubs' heads, skull and hourglass.
Across the road from the church is the gothic Pardes House school, red brick with blue brick patterning and an extraordinary turret, formerly Christ's College and built in 1860/1 by Edward Roberts.
The churchyard on the west and north side of the church is enclosed with C20th fence and iron railings. There are some good C18th railed tombs and C17th tombs. Trees include ancient yew trees, cedar, holly, larch and hornbeam and the churchyard is densely shaded with little grass or undergrowth. It is bisected with paths that are in frequent use for access to adjacent streets. The path skirting the west nave is of York stone paving, the rest asphalted.
The Obelisk to Major John Cartwright (d.1824) was raised by public subscription and erected in 1835. Cartwright was a radical and one of a group of brothers famous for their tracts on parish reform. John Cartwright left the Navy refusing to fight against the Americans seeking their independence, and was removed from the militia for approving the Taking of the Bastille. Others buried in the churchyard include 'Honest Tom Payne' (d.1799), a bookseller who was responsible for producing the first known list of books on sale in 1740. The tomb for Richard Norris (d.1779) has a reclining veiled woman and urn. Two good tombstones near the south door date from the 1730s with cherubs' heads, skull and hourglass.
Across the road from the church is the gothic Pardes House school, red brick with blue brick patterning and an extraordinary turret, formerly Christ's College and built in 1860/1 by Edward Roberts.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ249905 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Church: Diocese of London. |
| Site Management | Churchyard maintained by LB Barnet, Leisure and Youth Services, Green Spaces Division |
| Dates | C15th |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: St Mary's Church. LBII: chest tombs to Edward Burford, Elizabeth Norris, 2 unidentified chest tombs, Cartwright Monument, tombstones to Roberts, Sarah Gee. |
| 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 | Church End Finchley |
| Tree Preservation Order | Yes |
| 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
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Avenue House, built in 1859, was acquired by Dr Henry Stephens in 1874, son of the inventor of Stephens ink. He enlarged and improved the property and grounds, the latter laid out by Robert Marnock with lawns, ponds, mounds and rockwork, a network of informal paths and steps, a paddock and walled kitchen garden. Planting included a fine collection of trees. In 1918 Stephens bequeathed the house and 10 acres of grounds to 'the people of Finchley' on condition that it should be 'open for the use and enjoyment always of the public under reasonable regulations'. Put to various uses after Stephens's death in 1918, the property eventually opened to the public in 1928. The present gardens are reduced in size, but the planting and most of the path layout has remained unaltered since the 1870s/1880s.
Avenue House, built in 1859, was acquired by Dr Henry Stephens in 1874, son of the inventor of Stephens ink. He enlarged and improved the property and grounds, the latter laid out by Robert Marnock with lawns, ponds, mounds and rockwork, a network of informal paths and steps, a paddock and walled kitchen garden. Planting included a fine collection of trees. In 1918 Stephens bequeathed the house and 10 acres of grounds to 'the people of Finchley' on condition that it should be 'open for the use and enjoyment always of the public under reasonable regulations'. Put to various uses after Stephens's death in 1918, the property eventually opened to the public in 1928. The present gardens are reduced in size, but the planting and most of the path layout has remained unaltered since the 1870s/1880s.
Finchley Garden Village was built on garden city principles by the Finchley Co-Partnership Society, which had been formed in 1908. The architect Frank E Stratton was from the local firm of Bennett and Stratton; he designed cottage-style houses in pairs, each pair individually designed and incorporating traditional rural architectural features, laid out around an informal green. Stratton died in June 1922 and is commemorated by a memorial lamp on the green, which also acts as a war memorial.
The Sternberg Centre is on the former site of Finchley Manor House, which once belonged to the Bishops of London and comprised a sizeable estate. A moated manor house is known to have existed by 1253, but there may have been an earlier house on the site. It was occupied by a succession of influential people and underwent numerous name changes over the years. All that remains of the once extensive moat is a dry L-shaped ditch at the far end of the grounds. The current building dates from 1723, built for Sir Thomas Allen on a new site outside the moat, who also had gardens laid out. The estate began to be broken up for development from 1849 and the house was leased as a school in both the C19th and C20th. In 1984 the Manor House Centre for Judaism was opened, later renamed the Sternberg Centre for Judaism.
