Heritage Open Days 2026
Come join us at St Mary-at-Finchley to celebrate London Festival of Architecture 2026 in our Grade II* listed church and churchyard – the oldest building in Finchley! This is your chance to be a part of something truly unique in London. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to be a part of Finchley’s history. Join our fascinating history tours. Participate in ‘Churches Count on Nature’ activities to celebrate wildlife and ‘Love your Burial Ground Week’. Engage in Community Gardening. Join our Healthy Heritage Walk, Enjoy our Cello Concert!
A quote from Philip Mould, famous art curator and presenter of “Fake or Fortune?”:“The Church and Churchyard Project at St. Mary at Finchley embodies a poignant reclamation of our shared heritage. The planned restoration of the Georgian Sundial, as depicted in the 1793 watercolour by JMW Turner, offers a remarkable opportunity to preserve a remarkably evocative and documented cultural artifact. Such projects are invaluable in keeping our past alive for future generations.”
See us on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow at 22:27 minutes.
We will be running free-of-charge tours of our church and churchyard, and other events, at the following times:
- Friday 11 September 10am and 2pm
- Saturday 12 September 10am and 2pm
- Sunday 13 September 2pm (with Organ Recital at 11.30am and Patronal Lunch beforehand)
- Monday 14 September 10am and 2pm
- Tuesday 15 September 10am and 2pm
- Wednesday 16 September 2pm
- Thursday 17 September 10am and 2pm
- Friday 18 September 10am and 2pm
- Saturday 19 September 10am and 2pm
- Sunday 20 September 2pm
St Mary’s will be working in partnership with the London Borough of Barnet and neighbour Barnet Mencap to revitalise Grade II* St Mary’s, the heart of Finchley Church End Conservation Area, to maximise use of the site and improve physical, cultural and digital access for the community.
The project involves:
-Repair of the leaking roof of the Grade II* listed church and conservation work on seven Grade II listed monuments.
-A community garden as a place of peace and refuge. Use of the garden by Barnet Mencap for horticultural learning and social groups. It will help to develop easy-to-read printed and audio heritage guides.
-A historic footpath will connect seven local schools and link St Mary’s to the Capital Ring and Dollis Valley paths to form a 5-mile circular route.
-Digitisation of the churchyard and burial information will create an interactive map and photographs to give world-wide access to history enthusiasts – the first church in the Diocese of London to take part in the Church of England’s National Burial Survey!
-Republishing heritage literature and images from the 13th century onwards will allow St Mary’s to share its fascinating history so it is accessible locally, nationally and internationally. The churchyard’s monuments include an obelisk monument to Major John Cartwright (“Father of Reform”) and a Georgian sundial which features in a 1793 watercolour of St Mary’s by JMW Turner.