Bells Hill Burial Ground

Bells Hill Burial Ground

Bells Hill Burial Ground is a 3.3 hectare 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 became full. In 2006 control was passed to Barnet Council.^[3][4] There is access from Spring Close.

Burials

The burial ground has twenty war graves from World War I and twenty-four from World War II.^[5][6]

Natural environment

The north-eastern end has older monuments and is wooded with mature cedar and yew trees. Wildflowers include common knapweed and lady's bedstraw, while brambles and roses climb the tombs in wilder areas. The burial ground is a very 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]

Notable interments

Frank B. Mitchell's grave at Bells Hill.

• Albert Edward Curtis, awarded the Victoria Cross.^[8][9]
• Lancelot Gerald Hasluck, founder of the Lancelot Hasluck Trust.^[10]
• John Oliver Brook Hitch, MC, architect.
• Hugh Moore, awarded the Queen's Police Medal.
• Francis Beaumont Mitchell, awarded the British Empire Medal for gallantry in 1942 after crawling 2-3 miles from the wreckage of his aircraft to raise the alarm after it crashed on a training flight.^[11]
• Kenneth Ian Thornton, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

See also

• Barnet parks and open spaces
• Nature reserves in Barnet

Notes

1. "Bell's Hill Burial Ground". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2006. 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 2012-11-29.
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 ALBERT 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. The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
10. The history of the Lancelot Hasluck Trust. 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 1 871045 27 4.

External links

Media related to Bells Hill Burial Ground at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 51°38′56″N 0°12′54″W / 51.649°N 0.215°W