SQUABBLES and disagreements over the future of the Bothy building at Avenue House have hit the headlines in recent years.
But once upon a time it was not a pawn in a political struggle, but simply a beautiful Victorian labourers' dwelling - an integral part of Finchley's rich cultural heritage.
In 1998 a group of ten volunteers dedicated themselves to restoring the Bothy garden to its original 19th Century splendour. A decade later it is almost complete, and they are desperate for donations to help maintain it in its present state.
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Fifty-year-old Alison Dean, of Manor View, has been working in the garden for nine years and is the youngest of the volunteers. She said that at the beginning the group had faced an almost impossible task.
"It was completely overgrown, completely neglected. There was no lawn, no structure to the garden at all. There were weeds up to our eyes and brambles everywhere. It was good for blackberries, but not much else."
The Bothy was built in 1884 by Avenue House owner Henry C Stephens, an MP for 13 years for the Hornsey District, which included Finchley.
It was used as a house for labourers and stable lads, many of whom tended to the flourishing kitchen garden filled with fruit trees, vegetables and a huge variety of flora and wildlife.
Janet Durrant is manager of the Avenue House Estate Trust (AHET), which took over management of the estate from Barnet Council in 2002. An expert on the history of the estate, she believes Mr Stephens modelled his buildings on the 200ft Sway Tower in New Forest, built by Judge Andrew Thomas Turton Peterson from Portland cement. A highly distinctive structure, it was the tallest concrete building in the world when it was constructed in 1879.
Ms Durrant said: "Victorians were passionate about the seaside. Henry Stevens would have had to pass those places on his way to the sea from his home in Brockenhurst, so it's more than possible he was inspired by them and possibly got Peterson to build the estate.
"The problem is that so little is known about the early history of the buildings, so we can't know for sure."
More is known about Mr Stephens himself. Born in 1841, Inky Stephens' inherited his fortune from his father, the inventor of Stephens Ink. He acquired the house in 1874, 15 years after it was built, and continued its renovation and renewal until his death in 1918, when he donated it to the people of Finchley.
Renowned for his eccentric tastes, the ink pioneer kept exotic plants, birds and monkeys on the grounds, along with a crocodile in a special pit in the Bothy garden - a handy tool, perhaps, for ridding him of unwanted guests.
Now the volunteers, most of whom are aged between 70 and 85, have dedicated themselves to recreating a bona-fide, albeit reptile-free, version of the grounds. Authentic Victorian flowers such as aquilegias, magnolias, camelias and violas are combined with apple, fig, lemon and peach trees to form as accurate a representation as possible of the original garden, as designed by renowned 19th Century horticulturalist Robert Marnock.
Ms Durrant said: "In Victorian times you would have lots of different compartments to your garden, and we have tried to demonstrate that in the Bothy grounds, as well as in the rest of the estate, with our lawned areas, boxed formal areas, and wild, overgrown areas.
"For example, we have planted violas instead of pansies, as pansies are created from cross-breeding and weren't invented until 1900."
But despite the evident beauty of the Bothy grounds and a constant stream of appreciative visitors, the Trust relies completely on public donations to survive and is struggling to raise money to maintain the area.
David Fleisig, 70, has lived in the area for 20 years and visits the Bothy every Friday to support the workers. He said: "The ladies have done an absolutely fantastic job. It's the most beautiful garden you could imagine and they have done it on nothing.
"I would recommend everyone to support it as much as they can."
The Bothy garden is open every Friday between 10.30am and 1pm. To learn more or donate to the trust visit the link below.
Posted by: Susette Palmer, 31 The Vale NW11 8SE on 12:24pm Mon 12 May 08
It is a beautiful heritage garden developed from a jungle by the Finchley Arts Centre Trust. Were it not for the disgraceful way the Avenue House Trust have behaved towards this smaller charity on the estate there would be no problem of money or volunteers for the garden, and the summer performances , so much enjoyed would be continuing. For the Hendon Times to not even acknowledge FACT's work in this respect is unworthy,to say the least.
It is a beautiful heritage garden developed from a jungle by the Finchley Arts Centre Trust. Were it not for the disgraceful way the Avenue House Trust have behaved towards this smaller charity on the estate there would be no problem of money or volunteers for the garden, and the summer performances , so much enjoyed would be continuing. For the Hendon Times to not even acknowledge FACT's work in this respect is unworthy,to say the least.
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