95-550: Finchley ( / ˈ f ɪ n tʃ l i / ) is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet . Finchley is on high ground, 7 mi (11 km) north of Charing Cross . Nearby districts include: Golders Green , Muswell Hill , Friern Barnet , Whetstone , Mill Hill and Hendon . It is predominantly a residential suburb, with three town centres: North Finchley , East Finchley and Finchley Church End (Finchley Central). Made up of four wards,
190-573: A Green Flag Award for 2008–2009: The borough has sixty-seven Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation , eight Local Nature Reserves , and it is jointly responsible with the London Borough of Brent for the Welsh Harp (Brent) Reservoir , which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest . These are listed in Nature reserves in Barnet . The A5 ( Edgware Road ) forms the border between Barnet and
285-401: A charter of incorporation , constituting the area a municipal borough. The attempts to incorporate large industrial towns such as Birmingham , Bolton , Manchester and Sheffield by Whig and Radical "incorporationists" were bitterly contested by Tory "anti-incorporationists". The Tory objections to the legality of the charters led to them boycotting elections to the new boroughs until
380-453: A justice of the peace . The mayor was also required to serve as returning officer for parliamentary elections, except in those boroughs which were counties corporate , where the borough council appointed a sheriff whose duties included serving as returning officer. To fund their work the borough council was allowed to set and collect rates . Municipal boroughs were not automatically given powers to provide or maintain infrastructure under
475-469: A mayor , aldermen and councillors to oversee many local affairs. The legislation required all municipal corporations to be elected according to a standard franchise, based on property ownership. The Act reformed 178 boroughs with effect from 1 January 1836. At the same time, a procedure was established whereby the inhabitant householders of a town could petition the Crown via the privy council to grant
570-582: A municipal borough council between 1933 and 1965. The area is now part of the London Borough of Barnet . From 1959 to 1992 the Finchley constituency was represented in Parliament by Margaret Thatcher , UK Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. Finchley is now included in the new constituency of Finchley and Golders Green . In February 2010, the Green Party held its spring party conference at
665-529: A "laboratory experiment for some very ill-thought out policies". In 2004 cycle lanes were removed and cycle training funding cut by the controversial pro-motorist councillor Brian Coleman . The A5 is a major road in that forms much of the borough's western border. It is also the first Roman built road in England. It later took the Anglo-Saxon name Watling Street . The Great North Road passes through
760-482: A community sports stadium and is still used in this capacity thanks to Saracens using movable stands for their matches. As well as athletics facilities, the complex also has a swimming pool. In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 6,404; and the area was characterised by farming and woodland — with settlement principally around the Great North Road . By 1830,
855-412: A handful of cities the chief magistrate was granted the further dignity of lord mayor . The corporation was a body corporate with perpetual succession, and included all registered electors or "burgesses" of the borough. However, the actual administration was carried out by a town council, which was in effect a committee representative of the community at large. All those eligible to vote were entered in
950-513: A local authority in an unreformed state; the City undertook a major reform of its democratic structure in 2005. In 1873 the Association of Municipal Corporations was formed to represent the interests of the boroughs collectively; its membership included both county and non-county boroughs. The AMC was later to be a strong advocate for expanding county boroughs and unitary local government, and it
1045-490: A new turnpike , the Finchley Road was constructed and horse-drawn omnibuses introduced. The population rose dramatically with the arrival of the trams and railways in the middle of 19th century, and new estates were built to house commuters. As industry relocated away from London during the 1960s, the population entered a decline, that has begun to reverse with new housing developments on brownfield sites. According to
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#17327656032441140-430: A quarter of people belonged to non-white ethnic groups, up from 18% in the 1991 census. 12.3% were Asian and 6.0% black. Barnet had the largest Chinese population of any London borough in 2001, at 6,379. As of 2011, 13.3% of the borough's population is over 65 - the sixth-highest of London's boroughs. The 65+ population is 47,400, the second-highest after Bromley . The Jewish population is 54,084 and represents 15.5% of
1235-606: A small museum, the Stephens Collection, which covers the history of the Stephens family, the Stephens Ink company and the history of writing materials. The bequest also included Avenue House Grounds , designed by the leading nineteenth-century landscape gardener Robert Marnock . This has a tearoom, a children's playground, a walled garden and building called The Bothy, a pond and rare trees. A recent attraction
1330-726: A station on Long Lane. The artsdepot , a community arts centre including a gallery, studio and theatre, opened in 2004, at Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley. Finchley Film Makers was founded as the Finchley Amateur Cine Society in 1930, making it one of the oldest clubs in the Country. It meets at the Quaker Meeting House in Alexandra Grove, North Finchley. Victoria Park is off Ballards Lane between North Finchley and Finchley Central. It
1425-567: Is Barnet London Borough Council , which meets at Hendon Town Hall and has its main offices in Colindale . The area covered by the modern borough has a long history. Evidence of first-century Roman pottery manufacturing has been found at Brockley Hill and Roman coins from the third and fourth centuries were found at Burnt Oak . Both sites are on the Roman road Watling Street from London ( Londinium ) to St Albans ( Verulamium ) which now forms
1520-529: Is Barnet Council, which meets at Hendon Town Hall and has its main offices at 2 Bristol Avenue in the Colindale area of the borough. For elections to the Greater London Council , the borough formed the Barnet electoral division, electing four members. In 1973 it was divided into the single-member Chipping Barnet , Finchley , Hendon North and Hendon South . The Greater London Council
1615-541: Is a bronze statue of Spike Milligan sitting on a bench. William Hogarth painted his satirical March of the Guards to Finchley in 1750. It is a depiction of a fictional mustering of troops on London's Tottenham Court Road to march north to Finchley to defend the capital from the second Jacobite rebellion of 1745 . A number of fictional characters have been associated with the area, including: The Monty Python's Flying Circus comedy sketch " The Funniest Joke in
1710-539: Is a Jewish cultural centre. It was founded to facilitate Reform and Liberal Jewish institutions, attached to the Movement for Reform Judaism. The Archer , on East Finchley tube station, is a 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) statue by Eric Aumonier of a kneeling archer having just released an arrow. The statue La Délivrance depicts a naked woman holding a sword (and is informally known as the Naked Lady); it stands at
1805-589: Is a large multi-building museum built on part of the site of Hendon Aerodrome , dedicated to the history of aviation , and the British Royal Air Force in particular. Church Farmhouse Museum on Greyhound Hill in Hendon is a grade II* listed 17th-century farmhouse used by Barnet Council as an exhibition space and museum until the Council closed it to save money on 31 March 2011. Early in 2014 it
1900-477: Is on boulder clay or glacial moraine, skirted by a layer of gravel, then the underlying layer of London clay . This roughly triangular gravel line was the most fertile area; hamlets which grew at the three corners evolved into Finchley's early population centres corresponding to the three town centres in the area: The residential areas of West Finchley, in postcode district N3, and Woodside Park , in postcode district N12, centre on their respective tube stations to
1995-745: Is provided by the Metropolitan Police Service . There are two police stations in the borough at: Colindale and Barnet. Though only Colindale is open to the public. The Peel Centre at Hendon is the Metropolitan Police College. Statutory emergency fire service is provided by the London Fire Brigade . There are four fire stations that operate in the Borough of Barnet. These are mobilised to protect around 330,000 people. The main risks identified in
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#17327656032442090-494: Is represented by Dan Tomlinson . Finchley and Golders Green is represented by Sarah Sackman . Hendon , in 2024 the most marginal Labour-held seat in the country with a majority of 15 votes, is represented by David Pinto-Duschinsky . The borough covers a group of hills on the northern edge of the London Basin . The bedrock is chalk which is covered with clay. Some of the hills are formed from glacial till deposited at
2185-506: Is the last of these with a home ground in the Borough; Hendon and Edgware play in the Borough of Brent, and Barnet F.C. play in the Borough of Harrow. Barnet is also home to the Barnet Nightingales Girls Football Club and Barnet Judo Club. Since 2013 rugby union Premiership outfit Saracens F.C. have called the borough home, playing matches at StoneX Stadium at Barnet Copthall which was previously
2280-629: Is the parish church, with parts dating from the 13th century. College Farm is the last farm in Finchley; it was a model dairy farm, then a visitor attraction. The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley with its 1930s art deco façade is one of the oldest purpose-built cinemas in the United Kingdom. The Sternberg Centre for Judaism in the old Manor House (formerly convent and school of St Mary Auxiliatrice) at 80 East End Road in Finchley
2375-527: The Local Government Act 1888 . Boroughs were divided into two sorts, with some becoming county boroughs which were entirely self-governing and independent from county council administration. The non-county boroughs had more limited powers of self-government, and shared power with county councils. In 1894, towns which had not been incorporated as boroughs became urban districts with similar powers to municipal boroughs. The title of "borough"
2470-679: The Local Government Act 1894 . Barnet was enlarged in 1914 to take in Totteridge , and Hendon was enlarged in 1931 to take in Edgware . Hendon was made a municipal borough in 1932, as was Finchley in 1933. East Barnet Valley was renamed East Barnet in 1935. The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 , covering the combined area of the former boroughs of Finchley and Hendon and urban districts of Barnet, East Barnet and Friern Barnet. The area
2565-516: The M1 motorway are in the borough. London Gateway services is at the site of the abandoned third junction. The bus routes in the borough are managed by Transport for London . The borough is served by the northernmost sections of the London Underground 's Northern line , including all three of the line's northern termini (Edgware, High Barnet, and Mill Hill East). The surface sections of
2660-585: The North Circular Road and on to Finchley. According to the 2011 UK Census in Finchley Church End ward, 67% of the population was White (47% British, 18% Other, 2% Irish), 8% South Asian and 6% Other Asian. The largest religion was Judaism , claimed by 31% of the population, whereas Christians made up 28%. West Finchley ward was 61% White (40% British, 18% Other, 3% Irish), 13% South Asian and 8% Other Asian. St Mary's at Finchley
2755-499: The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust , which runs Barnet Hospital , Chase Farm Hospital and some clinics at Edgware Community Hospital, and Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust , which runs Finchley Memorial Hospital and other services at Edgware Community Hospital. The London Ambulance Service responds to medical emergencies in the area. Home Office policing in the borough
2850-653: The artsdepot in North Finchley. Finchley is on a plateau, 90 metres (300 ft) above sea level 11 km (6.8 mi) north of Charing Cross and 6 km (3.7 mi) south of Barnet . To the west is the Dollis valley formed by Dollis Brook the natural western boundary of Finchley. Mutton Brook forms the southern boundary, joining the Dollis Brook to become the River Brent . Most of Finchley
2945-434: The "burgess roll", which was compiled by the town clerk annually. The town council of each municipal borough consisted of a mayor, aldermen, and councillors. The councillors were directly elected by the burgesses for a three-year term, with one-third of their membership retiring each year. Boroughs with a population of more than 6,000 were divided into wards with separate elections held in each ward annually. One-quarter of
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3040-462: The 17th largest district in England. The borough covers an area of 86.74 square kilometres (33 sq mi), the fourth highest of the 32 London boroughs, and has a population density of 45.8 people per hectare, which ranks it 25th. Barnet borders the Hertfordshire district of Hertsmere to the north and five other London boroughs: Camden and Haringey to the southeast, Enfield to
3135-420: The 1835 Act had powers relating to electoral registration , providing a watch , making byelaws , and holding various civil and criminal courts. The types of courts which could be held depended on whether the borough had been given a separate commission of the peace or its own quarter sessions ; those which had their own quarter sessions were also required to appoint a coroner . The mayor was ex officio made
3230-543: The 1835 Act. Many boroughs were covered by separate bodies of improvement commissioners responsible for matters such as paving, lighting and cleaning streets, supplying water and providing sewers. These improvement commissioners continued to exist alongside the borough councils unless the commissioners chose to transfer their powers to the council. From 1848 onwards local boards could also be established for providing infrastructure and overseeing public health. Where local board districts were created covering municipal boroughs
3325-458: The 1840 Act in 1926, allowing urban districts to petition the Governor for a charter of incorporation. Accordingly, by 1972 the number of boroughs had increased to 12 in number. The system of local government was reorganised in 1973, with 26 local government districts replacing all county and municipal boroughs as well as urban and rural districts . The city or borough status conferred by
3420-405: The 18th century Finchley was well known for the quality of its hay, which was the dominant agricultural activity until the second half of the 19th century. North Finchley only began to develop after the enclosure of the common during the 1820s. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex , originally within the hundred of Ossulstone and later becoming its own urban district , which
3515-422: The 2001 census the borough then had a population of 314,564 though the most recent ONS projection for 2008 is 331,500. 67% of householders are owner-occupiers. 47.3% of people described themselves as Christian, with the second largest group being Jewish at 14.8%, the highest percentage in any local government area in the United Kingdom. The third largest was people who said they had no religion at 12.8%. Just over
3610-546: The English boroughs, and each borough was divided into wards with three, six or nine councillors per ward and one alderman for every three councillors. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 designated the six largest municipalities ( Belfast , Cork , Dublin , Limerick , Derry and Waterford ) as county boroughs. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 introduced a system of proportional representation into municipal elections. Wards were replaced by electoral areas, and
3705-501: The High Barnet and Edgware branches are entirely in the borough. The High Barnet branch surfaces just before East Finchley station . At Finchley Central station there is a single-station spur to Mill Hill East station . The rest of the line continues north through West Finchley , Woodside Park and Totteridge and Whetstone stations to the terminus at High Barnet station . The Edgware branch emerges at Golders Green station ;
3800-511: The London Borough of Barnet continues these links. London Borough of Barnet The London Borough of Barnet ( / ˈ b ɑːr n ɪ t / ) is a local authority area on the northern outskirts of London . The borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the ceremonial counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire . It is the second largest London borough by population with 389,344 inhabitants as of 2021, also making it
3895-582: The Lord of the Manor of Barnet to hold a twice yearly horse fair . The first example of an American style out-of-town shopping centre was built at Brent Cross in the 1970s. McDonald's has its UK headquarters at East Finchley. Argonaut Games once had its head office in Edgware . Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone said once said that Barnet's transport agenda is "recklessly anti-public transport, anti-pedestrian and anti-cycling" and that Barnet has become
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3990-712: The Underground New Works Programme (1935–1940), to electrify the lines through Finchley, and connect the Northern line from Archway to East Finchley , via a new tunnel was announced. Much of the work was carried out and East Finchley station was rebuilt, but the project was halted by the second world war . All passenger services from Finchley to Edgware ended in September 1939. Nevertheless, Underground trains began running from central London to High Barnet in 1940, and to Mill Hill East , to reach
4085-579: The World " is set in Finchley. In various episodes of the Channel 4 comedy Peep Show Finchley is used as an on-site shooting location. The background of the cover of Iron Maiden 's second studio album, Killers , depicts Etchingham Court, North Finchley, where artist Derek Riggs lived at the time. The 2013 David Bowie song 'Dirty Boys' on The Next Day album makes reference to Finchley Fair. In birth order Finchley Borough had four twin towns ;
4180-459: The abolished boroughs were inherited by one of the new local authorities. District councils were permitted to apply for a charter to receive borough status , while small municipal boroughs became successor parishes with town councils headed by a town mayor. In a few cases charter trustees , a special committee of district councillors, were formed to perpetuate the mayoralty of a town or city. The Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 followed
4275-473: The approach to Finchley from the south, in a small garden beside Regent's Park Road, just north of Henlys Corner . Transport for London is responsible for transport in Finchley. Finchley has four London Underground stations, all on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, which serves the West End and City (financial district). Two of London's major roads, the east–west A406 North Circular Road and
4370-472: The area is in the southeast corner of the company's water supply area. EDF Energy Networks is the Distribution network operator licensed to distribute electricity from the transmission grid to homes and businesses in Finchley. Finchley Memorial Hospital, on Granville Road, North Finchley, was a small NHS hospital administered by NHS Barnet, a primary care trust . Built with local donations in 1908 it
4465-466: The army barracks, in 1941. After the war, the introduction of London's Metropolitan Green Belt undermined pre-war plans and the upgrading between Mill Hill East and Edgware (the ' Northern Heights ' project) was abandoned, although the line continued to be used by steam trains for goods traffic through Finchley, until 1964. From around 1547 Finchley had a parish vestry , which became a local board in 1878, an urban district council in 1895, and finally
4560-404: The borough council was often, but not always, appointed to serve as the local board. In some places it was deemed necessary for the local board district to cover a larger or smaller territory than the borough, in which case a separate local board was elected. The overlapping functions of borough councils, improvement commissioners and local boards were gradually consolidated. Many boroughs took over
4655-484: The borough include Brent Cross Shopping Centre , Coppetts Wood Hospital and Barnet Hospital . Between the four stations; six pumping appliances, One Operational Support Unit and a High Volume Pump are operated. The London Borough of Barnet has 86 primary schools, 22 secondary schools and four special schools. Woodhouse College is a single site state sixth form college in North Finchley . The main college in
4750-726: The borough is Barnet College , with five sites. Middlesex University has its main campus at Hendon. University College London has its teaching observatory at Mill Hill. Municipal borough A municipal borough was a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1836 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in Scotland from 1833 to 1975 with
4845-540: The borough starting at East Finchley and crossing into Hertfordshire at Monken Hadley . It was a coaching route used by mail coaches between London, York and Edinburgh. The many inns on the road provided accommodation, stabling for the horses and replacement mounts. A section of the A1 road was built to bypass this route through Mill Hill, eventually joining the Great North Road at Hatfield . The Finchley Road
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#17327656032444940-479: The borough was elected for a one-year term, although he was eligible for re-election indefinitely. Under the original legislation the mayor was required to be a councillor or alderman. The Municipal Corporations Act 1882 empowered the council to elect any suitably qualified inhabitant of the borough as mayor. However, the mayoralty continued to be almost universally conferred on a senior alderman or councillor. Municipal elections were originally held on 1 November, with
5035-651: The boroughs of Brent and Harrow , with an exception being the West Hendon area and part of the Welsh Harp . Barnet has two Grade I listed buildings , both designed by Edwin Lutyens : the Church of St Jude , the parish church of Hampstead Garden Suburb with a Gothic spire and on the opposite side of Central Square, the Free Church , of similar design but with a concrete dome. The Royal Air Force Museum
5130-399: The control of the lord of the manor . A Royal commission was appointed in 1833 to investigate the various borough corporations in England and Wales. In all 263 towns were found to have some form of corporation created by charter or in existence by prescription . The majority had self-elected common councils, whose members served for life. Where there was an election, the incumbent members of
5225-457: The corporation often effectively nominated the electorate. Eleven boroughs were manorial court leets . Following the report of the royal commission, legislation was introduced to reform borough corporations. The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 provided for a reformed form of town government, designated a municipal borough. The Act introduced a uniform system of town government in municipal boroughs, with an elected town council , consisting of
5320-403: The council were aldermen , who were elected by the council for a six-year term. Half of the aldermen were elected every third year at the council's annual meeting. It was originally envisaged that the council would choose persons from outside of the municipal body. In practice, however, the aldermanic benches were almost exclusively filled by the promotion of long-serving councillors. The mayor of
5415-511: The east, as well as Harrow and Brent to the west of the ancient Watling Street (now the A5 road). The borough's major urban settlements are Hendon , Finchley , Golders Green , Friern Barnet , Chipping Barnet , Whetstone , and Edgware ; there are also village settlements notably Totteridge and Arkley along with rural areas and countryside part of the Green Belt . The local authority
5510-716: The eastern side grew around what is now the High Barnet Underground branch of the Northern line . The western side grew around the Midland Railway and what is now the Edgware branch of the Northern line. Further south, around the borough's centre, the development becomes steadily more intensive around the suburbs of Cricklewood , Colindale , Hendon and Finchley . Golders Green is renowned for its Jewish minority ethnic population and forms part of
5605-574: The enactment of the Borough Charters Confirmation Act 1842 . A number of further acts of parliament amended the 1835 legislation. All of these were repealed and replaced by the Municipal Corporations Act 1882 . The 1882 Act and the consolidating Local Government Act 1933 provided the statutory basis for municipal boroughs up to their abolition. An important change in the 1933 legislation removed
5700-483: The entire council was to be elected triennially. Separate elections of aldermen and councillors were ended, with all members of the council elected by popular vote. One-quarter of the elected members were entitled to the title of "alderman", which was used to designate the first candidates elected in each area. The remaining successful candidates being "councillors". Under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 , Ireland
5795-600: The example of the legislation in England and Wales. Unlike the 1835 Act, the Irish Act abolished nearly all of the country's boroughs, reforming just 10. Inhabitants of the larger of the abolished boroughs or of any town with a population of 3,000 could petition the crown for incorporation under the Act. In the event, only one additional borough was created when Wexford received a charter of incorporation in 1846. The corporation and town council were identical in their constitution to
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#17327656032445890-468: The farthest extent of glaciers during the Anglian glaciation . The pattern of settlement is somewhat diverse. In the north of the borough on the eastern side is Barnet , also known as High Barnet or Chipping Barnet, Totteridge , and Whetstone . In the north on the western side is Edgware and Mill Hill . The central northern part of the borough is largely countryside. This division is largely because
5985-689: The functions of commissioners or separate local boards under the Public Health Act 1872, which established urban sanitary districts , with borough councils usually being designated as the urban sanitary authority. There were a handful of exceptions where commissioners and local boards continued to operate alongside borough councils until the Local Government Act 1888 required the remaining anomalies to be addressed; from 1889 all borough councils were sanitary authorities with powers to provide infrastructure and oversee public health. In 1889, county councils were created across England and Wales under
6080-432: The least populous of the five predecessor districts at the 1961 census; nearly half the new borough's population lived in the old borough of Hendon. When the present borough was created, it included part of Elstree . On 1 April 1993 Barnet's northern boundary was altered and some of its more rural northern parts, including Elstree, were transferred to Hertfordshire (and its district of Hertsmere ). The local authority
6175-529: The line continues on a series of viaducts through Brent Cross station to Hendon Central station . Here it goes through a tunnel before continuing above ground through Colindale and Burnt Oak stations to the terminus at Edgware station . The Piccadilly line , although in the Borough of Enfield, is very close to the border, with buses in Barnet connecting people to the stations. There are two National Rail routes in Barnet. The Midland Main Line passes through
6270-654: The mayoral election and filling of aldermanic vacancies on 9 November. Elections were cancelled during the First and Second World Wars , and the November 1948 elections were postponed until May 1949. From that date, municipal elections were held on the second Thursday of May. In view of the forthcoming local government reorganisation, the 1972 elections were rescheduled to 4 May, with no elections in 1973 and all sitting councillors and aldermen holding their seats until midnight on 31 March 1974. The municipal boroughs created under
6365-540: The merger between Finchley Football Club (est. 1874) and Wingate Football Club (est. 1946). Although the club is sometimes incorrectly perceived to be exclusively Jewish , it is open to people of every religion and ethnic background. Wingate & Finchley play home games at Summers Lane, N12. The local rugby team is Finchley RFC. Finchley Cricket Club (founded 1832), plays in the Middlesex premier league, at Arden Field, East End Road, N3. Finchley golf club on Frith Lane
6460-560: The municipal charters passed to the new district councils. Nine boroughs (four county boroughs and five municipal boroughs) were within the territory of the Irish Free State in 1922. Two new boroughs were created by statute. In 1930, the borough of Dún Laoghaire was created by the amalgamation of the four urban districts of Blackrock , Dalkey , Kingstown , and Killiney and Ballybrack in County Dublin . This borough
6555-483: The north–south A1 meet and briefly merge at Henlys Corner at the southern edge of Finchley. North Finchley bus station is a hub with nine bus routes using bus stops around Tally Ho Corner. There are 17 primary schools in the district. There are seven secondary schools : There is also a secondary special school , Oak Lodge Special School in East Finchley . Woodhouse College in North Finchley , on
6650-407: The population - the highest in the United Kingdom. 41.2% identify themselves as Christians, and 16.1% with no religion. The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 2001 and 2011 census in Barnet. Faith in Barnet (2021) Chipping Barnet has been a market town since the thirteenth century, the rest of the area was agricultural. In 1588 Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to
6745-583: The population of Finchley was 65,812 as of 2011. Finchley probably means "Finch's clearing" or "finches' clearing" in late Anglo-Saxon ; the name was first recorded in the early 13th century. Finchley is not recorded in Domesday Book , but by the 11th century its lands were held by the Bishop of London. In the early medieval period the area was sparsely populated woodland, whose inhabitants supplied pigs and fuel to London. Extensive cultivation began about
6840-523: The powers of a parish council . Seven small boroughs in Cornwall, Devon and Shropshire underwent this process. The remaining municipal boroughs, of which there were over 200, were abolished on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 . In England, they were replaced by metropolitan or non-metropolitan districts and in Wales by districts . In most cases, the civic privileges and coat of arms of
6935-403: The reform of royal burghs and creation of police burghs . Boroughs had existed in England and Wales since medieval times. By the late Middle Ages they had come under royal control, with corporations established by royal charter . These corporations were not popularly elected: characteristically they were self-selecting oligarchies , were nominated by tradesmen's guilds or were under
7030-571: The right to petition for incorporation from inhabitant householders. In future, petitions could only be made by existing urban or rural district councils. The boroughs unreformed by the Act were not immediately abolished. Several of them subsequently sought new charters as municipal boroughs; those that did not were finally abolished in 1887 by the Municipal Corporations Act 1886. Only the City of London Corporation survived as
7125-639: The site of the old Woodhouse Grammar School, is one of two colleges in the borough. The local football team Old Finchleians (nicknamed the OFs) formed in 1901 who play home games at The Old Finchleians Memorial Ground in Southover and are members of the Southern Amateur League. Wingate & Finchley plays in the premier division of the Isthmian league . The club was formed in 1991 following
7220-419: The son of the inventor of indelible blue-black ink Dr Henry Stephens . On his death in 1918 he bequeathed the house and its grounds for 'Public enjoyment subject to reasonable rules'. The estate, a private garden to which public access is granted, is now known as Stephens House and Gardens and managed from 2002 on a 125-year lease by Avenue House Estate Trust, an independent charity. It has a visitor centre with
7315-505: The south of the borough, along with Hampstead Garden Suburb and Childs Hill . Much of the borough is within the Metropolitan Green Belt , and it has many parks and open spaces. In addition there are large areas taken over by cemeteries and golf courses , and part of Hampstead Heath , Hampstead Heath Extension and Golders Hill Park . Barnet describes its 16 main open spaces as 'premier parks', nine of which achieved
7410-525: The time of the Norman conquest . By the 15th and 16th centuries the woods on the eastern side of the parish had been cleared to form Finchley Common . The medieval Great North Road , which ran through the common, was notorious for highwaymen until the early 19th century. St Mary-at-Finchley Church is first recorded in the 1270s. Near the northern gate to the Bishop of London's park, the hamlet of East End, later East Finchley, had begun to develop by 1365. By
7505-586: The two sides of the borough, part of the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway which was going to be part of the Underground's Northern line "Northern Heights" expansion, but steam passenger services beyond Mill Hill East ended in 1939, and the completion of the electrification of this railway was eventually abandoned in the 1950s, primarily because the full extension would have breached the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 ( 10 & 11 Geo. 6 . c. 51). What track
7600-535: The west of the area. Between East Finchley and Finchley Central is Long Lane, which runs parallel to the tube line and is dotted with small shopping parades. The area of London known as 'Finchley Road', around Finchley Road Underground station , is not part of Finchley, but instead refers to a district further south at Swiss Cottage , Camden . The area is named after a section of the A41 road , which runs north to Golders Green and eventually continues to Henlys Corner on
7695-668: The western border of the borough. Hendon is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, but the districts of Barnet, Edgware and Finchley were not referred to, possibly because these areas were included in other manors. In 1471 the Battle of Barnet was fought in Monken Hadley , just within the present borough's boundary. It was here that Yorkist troops led by King Edward IV killed the "Kingmaker" Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick and his brother, John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu . A local government district called Barnet
7790-484: The western edge of the borough, and is served by Thameslink at (from north to south): Mill Hill Broadway , Hendon and Cricklewood . The East Coast Main Line crosses the north-eastern corner of the borough, and is served by the Great Northern Route at New Barnet , Oakleigh Park and New Southgate (which straddles the border with the London Borough of Enfield ). There was a railway line joining
7885-495: Was partitioned in 1921, between Northern Ireland , which would remain in the United Kingdom, and the remainder, which left the United Kingdom in 1922 as the Irish Free State . On establishment, Northern Ireland contained the county boroughs of Belfast and Londonderry, with no municipal boroughs. The Parliament of Northern Ireland abolished proportional representation in local government elections in 1922, and amended
7980-734: Was abolished in 1986. Since 2000, Barnet Council along with the 31 other London boroughs and the City of London Corporation share local government powers with Greater London Authority . The Barnet and Camden London Assembly constituency covers the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Camden and is represented on the London Assembly by one constituency Assembly Member. The residents of London Borough of Barnet are represented at Westminster by Members of Parliament (MPs) for three parliamentary constituencies . All three MPs are represented by Labour since 2024, overturning three previous Conservative MPs. Chipping Barnet
8075-634: Was at the annual conference of the AMC in 1965 that Richard Crossman called for a reform of all local government. This speech eventually led to the Redcliffe-Maud Report recommending large unitary councils for all England. Each municipal borough possessed a corporation uniformly designated as the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the town. The only exception was where the borough enjoyed city status ; in this case "burgesses" became "citizens". In
8170-590: Was built as a turnpike in the 1830s linking the West End to Finchley . The A41 splits off from the Finchley Road just before it crosses the borough boundary, briefly merges with the A1 through Mill Hill, leaving the borough at Edgware. The North Circular Road (or A406) is part of a north orbital route for London; it crosses the borough east–west linking all the other major routes. Junctions one, two and four of
8265-499: Was considered to be more dignified than "urban district", and so many larger urban districts petitioned to be granted the status of a municipal borough, and many were granted this right. Borough status did not substantially increase local government powers, although municipal boroughs above a certain size had the right to run primary education . Under the Local Government Act 1958 , small municipal boroughs could be absorbed by surrounding rural districts to become rural boroughs , with
8360-495: Was created in 1863 covering the town of Barnet, also known as Chipping Barnet . Such districts were subsequently also created for East Barnet Valley in 1874, Finchley in 1878, Hendon in 1879, and Friern Barnet in 1883. Barnet and East Barnet Valley both straddled Hertfordshire and Middlesex until 1889 when they were placed entirely in Hertfordshire; Hendon, Finchley and Friern Barnet were all in Middlesex. All five districts were converted into urban districts under
8455-553: Was designed by five-times Open Champion James Braid. Ken Brown, Ryder Cup player and BBC presenter, described it as "The best presented golf course for club play that I have seen in years". Finchley Victoria Bowls and Croquet Club, with two greens and a modern clubhouse in Victoria Park , offers lawn bowls , croquet and pétanque facilities in the summer and year-round social activities. Veolia Water Central Limited , formerly Three Valleys Water , supplies Finchley's water;
8550-576: Was given the classification of "vulnerable" by English Heritage after having stood abandoned for almost three years. It now houses units of Middlesex University . Friern Hospital was a large Victorian psychiatric hospital located in Friern Barnet , which has been converted into expensive apartments. The borough is traditionally home to a professional football club, Barnet F.C. and non-League football clubs Wingate & Finchley F.C. , Hendon F.C. , London Lions and Edgware Town . Wingate
8645-415: Was laid, was removed in the 1960s, with a small part of the trackbed used for the M1 motorway extension in the 1970s. In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents aged 16–74 used to travel to work were (expressed as percentages of all residents aged 16–74): Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group commissions NHS services for Barnet residents. Health care providers active within Barnet include
8740-494: Was originally Finchley Cottage Hospital, renamed and expanded after the First World War as a war memorial. A modern new hospital on adjacent land opened in September 2012; the old hospital buildings were demolished. London Ambulance Service responds to medical emergencies in Finchley. Policing in Finchley is by the Metropolitan Police Service . Statutory emergency fire service is by London Fire Brigade , which has
8835-492: Was proposed in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's golden jubilee and opened in 1902 to be Finchley's first public park. It is home to tennis courts and Finchley Victoria Bowling and Croquet Club. There is also a small nature reserve adjacent to the North Circular Road known as Long Lane Pasture . Avenue House in East End Road was built in 1859. In 1874 it was acquired by Henry Charles Stephens , known as "Inky" Stephens,
8930-556: Was then incorporated as a municipal borough in 1933 . It has been part of Greater London since 1965. The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (later the Great Northern Railway ) reached Finchley in 1867. It ran from Finsbury Park via Finchley to Edgware . The branch from Finchley to High Barnet opened in 1872. In 1905 tram services were established in Finchley, and extended shortly afterwards to Barnet. They were eventually replaced by trolleybuses . In 1933,
9025-613: Was transferred from Middlesex and Hertfordshire to Greater London, to become one of the 32 London boroughs. The 1963 Act did not include a name for the new borough. A joint committee of the councils due to be amalgamated suggested "Northgate" or "Northern Heights". Keith Joseph , the Minister of Housing and Local Government, eventually chose Barnet. The place name Barnet is derived from the Old English bærnet meaning "land cleared by burning". The old Barnet Urban District had been
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