Running Rector takes on gruelling 50km challenge!

Support our Rector on his arduous 50 km run for the St Mary-at-Finchley "Give me Shelter!" Church and Churchyard Project

On 5 October 2024 the Rector of St Mary-at-Finchley, the Revd Philip Davison, will be running the challenging Epping Forest 50K Ultra Marathon to raise funds for the St Mary-at-Finchley "Give me Shelter!" Church and Churchyard Project.

This difficult and demanding run is from Wanstead Flats up to Bell Common and back again. It is hilly and potentially muddy. It is also definitely the furthest Philip has ever run!

Please give generously!

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.

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.”