Stephens House and Gardens is something of a hidden gem in the heart of Finchley, offering a slice of the country in the suburbs of the city.
Ink manufacturer Henry Charles "Inky" Stephens (1841 – 1918) of the Stephens' Ink Company bought the house in 1874 and later purchased the adjoining ten-acre Temple Croft Field and employed Robert Marnock, who designed gardens in the 'gardenesque' fashion.
The house and grounds were left to the 'people of Finchley' by Stephens in his will in 1918, with a condition that they be always open for the use and enjoyment of the public. The gardens today feature a number of different habitats, including a bog garden, rockery and the 'Bothy'.
Stephens House and Gardens by Laura Steel (via I Am No Bird):
The house is a beautiful Victorian creation; what was once the front is now the back, and the “back” has been converted to the front of the house – it’s easy to see why. There is currently an exhibition in the basement, Avenue House at War, which looks at the history of the house during the two world wars: in World War I it was a hospital and during World War II it was the headquarters of the Finchley ARP. An escape tunnel is visible in the basement: this was put in place in case of the house being bombed.
