Stephens Collection
- Technology enthusiasts
- Local history enthusiasts
- Families with children
What Visitors Say
*Edit* I cannot believe that I paid £14 for this 'experience'. Please look at the response from the 'management'. This was my opinion and indeed of others from the group who may not have wished to speak out. You may also want to cross reference some of the park user's reviews of the snooty arrogance displayed by some. As for the decision to no longer accept Meetup tours: I think that is for the best as I've seen 3* reviews from other Meetup groups which rather underline my point. **********? I attended a guided tour here as part of a Meetup group - the issue with such an arrangement is that not everyone who RSVPs actually turns up on the day. Apparently the maximum number of persons permitted on a tour, costing £14-£15pp is 25, we had 45 and boy, weren't we reminded of it!? The guy sporting a natty panama hat mentioned it but not as much as our guide, Melanie, who probably said it about twenty times in total. Someone's polite request to see the tower elicited a snappy response of 'no, max 7 people.' The house was lovely as were the gardens and quaint little ink museum, which was located in an outbuilding. I venture out on many visits to historic sites and even volunteer at one, but I'd never act in such a grumpy and passive aggressive way to a group of paying guests. There are other, more friendly places to visit in London.
A simply magnificent refuge from busy city life, speckled with blessings of nature: flora, trees, hills, and a pond. Its cafe offers hearty, comforting meals—perfect for a lovely day off in the weekend with family or friends. I used to walk through this park, through the gently rustling trees and scintillating pathways to get to school, now a fond memory of mine. It is on the petite side of parks; however, it has pretty much everything you could ask for in a park, and most importantly a brisk and soothing atmosphere.
We had our wedding and reception here yesterday with 40 guests, and everything turned out absolutely beautiful. The food was amazing, and we truly cannot recommend this venue enough. Grace was incredible and took care of everything we needed on the day. Sienna was also fantastic and so helpful throughout the planning process, ensuring our special day turned out perfectly. The food was outstanding — mushroom and parmesan risotto, sweet and sour chicken, couscous and vegetables, as well as chips and potatoes. The day was absolutely perfect, and we can’t thank you all enough for making it so special.
We had our wedding reception here in October. It was the perfect venue for the autumn wedding! Everyone was so excited about the beautiful autumn colours of trees in the day time and spend a cosy evening inside of the house. It was a lot to organise, but every staff was so helpful and made our reception so welcoming and special. They have so many options for whatever you need for the wedding and we could have everything we wanted😊 Thank you very much for the wonderful memories!
Highlights
Ink Lab & Bottles
How a Victorian formula went globalStephens’s blue-black ink solved a real problem: a deep colour that bit into paper and stayed legible.
Main room cases
Avenue House Story
From private home to public goodHenry Charles Stephens turned profits into parks, water supply and a community estate.
Estate & philanthropy panels
Brand & Ad Art
When packaging sold trustTrade cards and labels show how a chemist’s name became a household verb for ink.
Poster wall
Water Tower Walk-out
A Victorian experiment in self-sufficiencyGardens, a bog stream and tower reflect Henry’s plan for a model estate.
Grounds of Stephens House
Opening Hours
Fun Facts
Henry Charles ‘Inky’ Stephens served as MP for Finchley while running the ink firm—hence the nickname that stuck to both man and brand.
Stephens bequeathed Avenue House and its grounds for public benefit in 1918—an early example of a North London industrialist endowing civic green space.
Stephens’s blue-black formula was prized by clerks because it wrote blue and dried nearly black—the iron-gall chemistry literally darkened as it oxidised.
