Avenue House
Encyclopedia
Avenue House is a large Victorian
house (Grade II listed) situated on East End Road in Finchley
in the London Borough of Barnet
.
Built in 1859 on land formerly known as Temple Croft Field, it was acquired in 1874 by ink magnate Henry Charles Stephens
who enlarged and improved the house and grounds with advice from well-known landscape gardener Robert Marnock
(1800-1889).
The house and ten acres of grounds are held in trust for the people of Finchley and have been run by the Avenue House Estate Management since 2002. It is also home to the Finchley Society and their archive.
. During Stephens' time in the house the grounds were laid out, to designs by Robert Marnock
. The house and grounds were left to the people of Finchley by Stephens in his will in 1918. It was used for a short time by the RAF as a hospital before it became a public park on 3 May 1928. In 1989 the house was almost gutted by fire, but has largely been restored to its former condition.
Hertford Lodge, also a grade II listed building and adjacent to Avenue House, was built in the 1860s. It was a girls' school for many years before becoming Finchley
council offices. In 2001 the owners (London Borough of Barnet
) decided to sell the building. Late in 2004 it was damaged by fire but was refurbished and redeveloped (2006-7) into private luxury flats (apartments).
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
house (Grade II listed) situated on East End Road in Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
in the London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
.
Built in 1859 on land formerly known as Temple Croft Field, it was acquired in 1874 by ink magnate Henry Charles Stephens
Henry Charles Stephens
Henry Charles "Inky" Stephens was an English businessman and Conservative Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1887 to 1900 as the Member of Parliament for the Hornsey division of Middlesex....
who enlarged and improved the house and grounds with advice from well-known landscape gardener Robert Marnock
Robert Marnock
Robert Marnock was one of the outstanding horticulturalists and garden designers of the 19th century and was considered by his contemporaries to be the best exponent of the gardenesque school of landscape gardening....
(1800-1889).
The house and ten acres of grounds are held in trust for the people of Finchley and have been run by the Avenue House Estate Management since 2002. It is also home to the Finchley Society and their archive.
The Stephens Collection
Avenue House is home to the Stephens Collection, a small display and archive of material relating to the Stephens Ink company and Stephens family. It is open 2 pm - 4.30 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only, is wheelchair-accessible and admission is free. Its first curator was the late Norman Burgess. The current chairman is Peter Marsh.The Bothy
The Bothy was built as a large walled garden in the shape of a castle sometime in the late 1870s. It is one of, if not the earliest, non-Roman concrete structures in England. An attempt to restore the Bothy during the noughties was not completed, and it remains out of use.The park
The grounds of the estate, variously called Avenue House Estate, Avenue House Park or Avenue House Grounds, have been developed as a public park during the 20th century. They include a collection of unusual trees and shrubs.History of the House
The first house on the site was built in 1859 by the Rev. Edward Cooper, a relative of the Allen family (Lords of the manor of Finchley) who had owned the land since the 1730s. The house takes its name from The Avenue which runs behind the house, and was originally the route between Bibbesworth manor and the church of St Mary’s Finchley. In 1874 the house was bought by the famous ink manufacturer Henry Charles StephensHenry Charles Stephens
Henry Charles "Inky" Stephens was an English businessman and Conservative Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1887 to 1900 as the Member of Parliament for the Hornsey division of Middlesex....
. During Stephens' time in the house the grounds were laid out, to designs by Robert Marnock
Robert Marnock
Robert Marnock was one of the outstanding horticulturalists and garden designers of the 19th century and was considered by his contemporaries to be the best exponent of the gardenesque school of landscape gardening....
. The house and grounds were left to the people of Finchley by Stephens in his will in 1918. It was used for a short time by the RAF as a hospital before it became a public park on 3 May 1928. In 1989 the house was almost gutted by fire, but has largely been restored to its former condition.
Hertford Lodge, also a grade II listed building and adjacent to Avenue House, was built in the 1860s. It was a girls' school for many years before becoming Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
council offices. In 2001 the owners (London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
) decided to sell the building. Late in 2004 it was damaged by fire but was refurbished and redeveloped (2006-7) into private luxury flats (apartments).