Bells Hill Burial Ground

Bells Hill Burial Ground is a cemetery and Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation[1][2] in the Parish of Chipping Barnet in the London Borough of Barnet. It was opened in 1895 and closed in 2005 when it officially became full (although occasional burials still take place). In 2006 control was passed to Barnet Council.[3][4] There is access from Spring Close.

Bells Hill Burial Ground
Details
Established1895
Closed2005
Location
Spring Close, Barnet, Greater London, EN5 2JJ
CountryEngland
Coordinates51.6487°N 0.2143°W / 51.6487; -0.2143
Owned byBarnet London Borough Council
Size3.3 hectares (8.2 acres)
Find a GraveBells Hill Burial Ground

Burials

Among the interments at Bells Hill is Albert Edward Curtis (1866–1940), who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his rescue of a severely injured senior officer under heavy fire during the Second Boer War. The burial ground also includes 45 Commonwealth War Graves – 21 from World War I and 24 from World War II.[5][6]

Natural environment

The north-eastern part of the site has older monuments and is wooded with a variety of trees, including mature cedar and yew. Wildflowers include common knapweed and lady's bedstraw, while brambles and roses climb the tombs in wilder areas. The burial ground is a good site for butterflies, such as gatekeeper, small skipper and meadow brown. The south-western area is more managed with mown grass, and some graves have flowers.[1][7] The burial ground attracts birds typical of such suburban sites: jackdaws, magpies, starlings and green woodpeckers forage in the grassy areas, and the more wooded section attracts ring-necked parakeets, tits, warblers and other woodland birds. Larger mammals include grey squirrel and red fox, which breed within the cemetery.

Access

The original main entrance – a roofed brick gateway on Bells Hill (opposite Dellors Close) – is usually kept locked, but there are two entrances in Spring Close. Visitors can park here for up to an hour without needing a permit. Anyone requiring a permit for a longer stay should phone the Parish of Chipping Barnet office.

The lower entrance leads to a wide track adjacent to Bells Hill as far as the original main gate; the upper entrance leads to a parallel path across the centre of the site. These two are linked by two cross-paths. Leading northwest from the central track are two narrow dead-end paths to the boundary with the Barnet Hospital campus. There is no laid-out route connecting the ends of these paths, but it is easy to cross the short distance from one to the other to complete a walk without having to retrace one’s steps.

Notable interments
Frank B. Mitchell's grave at Bells Hill.

See also

Notes
  1. "Bell's Hill Burial Ground". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2006. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  2. "iGiGL – helping you find London's parks and wildlife sites". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2006. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012.
  3. Lawrence Marzouk (24 June 2006). "State of cemetery is 'heartbreaking'". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  4. "Chipping Barnet". The Church of England. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  5. "Commonwealth War Graves Bells Hill Burial Ground". ww2museums.com. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  6. CWGC: Bell's Hill Burial Ground
  7. "Bells Hill Burial Ground". London Gardens Online. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  8. Exactly 100 Years After Winning the Victoria Cross Sergeant Alber Curtis is Remembered by a Headstone Erected Over His Grave. Iain Stewart, 23 February 2000. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  9. Private (Later Sergeant) Albert Edward Curtis VC. Archived 18 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  10. The history of the Lancelot Hasluck Trust. Archived 12 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Lancelot Hasluck Trust. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  11. London Gazette, 2 January 1942.

Further reading
  • Hewlett, Janet (1997). Nature Conservation in Barnet. London Ecology Unit. ISBN 1871045274.
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