86-769: The Silk Stream is a brook just over 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) long in the London Borough of Barnet . It is one of the major components of the Blue Ribbon Network . The Silk Stream is a tributary of the River Brent , which it joins at Brent Reservoir . It has several tributaries including Burnt Oak Brook , Edgware Brook , the Edgwarebury Brook and Deans Brook . The Silk Stream runs north–south through Colindale and Hendon . It gives its name to Silkstream Road, near Burnt Oak station, and
172-573: 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
258-510: A Pope ( Adrian IV ). Now a public school it has, since 1871, occupied a site to the west of the Abbey and includes the 14th-century Abbey Gateway . One of its buildings was a hat factory, a link with the city's industrial past. On Abbey Mill Lane, the road between the Abbey and the school, are the palaces of the Bishops of St Albans and Hertford and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks , claimed to be
344-495: A forum , basilica and a theatre , much of which were damaged during two fires, one in 155 and the other in around 250. These were repaired and continued in use in the 4th century. The theatre was disused by the end of the 4th century. One of the few extant Roman inscriptions in Britain is found on the remnants of the forum (see Verulamium Forum inscription ). The town was rebuilt in stone rather than timber at least twice over
430-529: 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
516-517: A Gucci advert featuring Harry Styles was filmed at a Fish and Chips shop in Fleetville, St Albans. It has also been used in the setting for the fictional town Waltringham , in the TV show Humans . In early 2022 Verulamium Park was used as a filming location for Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet . In December 2007, Sport England published a survey which revealed that residents of St Albans were
602-826: A community radio station. Local newspaper in the town is the St Albans Observer. The mixed character of St Albans and its proximity to London have made it a popular filming location. The Abbey and Fishpool Street areas were used for the pilot episode of the 1960s ecclesiastical TV comedy All Gas and Gaiters . The area of Romeland, directly north of the Abbey Gateway and the walls of the Abbey and school grounds, can be seen masquerading as part of an Oxford college in some episodes of Inspector Morse (and several local pubs also appear). Fishpool Street, running from Romeland to St Michael's village, stood in for Hastings in some episodes of Foyle's War . Life Begins
688-482: 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,
774-490: 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
860-803: A new civic centre in 1989 adjoining the 1960s City Hall complex, which became known instead as the Alban Arena. St Albans is part of the homonymous parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Established in 1885, it is a county constituency in Hertfordshire, and elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. St Albans has an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ) similar to most of
946-430: 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
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#17327756056031032-688: Is The Tangerines . St Albans Centurions Rugby league Club have their ground at Toulmin Drive, St Albans. They play in the London Premier League. In 2007 and again in 2010 'The Cents', as they are known, won 'the triple' – topping the league, and becoming the Regional and National Champions of the Rugby League Conference Premier Divisions. Old Albanian RFC is a rugby union club that plays at
1118-585: 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
1204-445: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 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
1290-589: 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
1376-418: Is also home to Trestle Theatre Company, who have been creating professional, physical storytelling theatre since 1981. Originally known for their work with masks, Trestle collaborates with UK and international artists to unify movement, music and text into a theatrical experience. The Sandpit Theatre is a theatre attached to Sandringham School which hosts plays throughout the year, mainly performances put on by
1462-745: 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
1548-494: 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
1634-506: 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
1720-408: Is the second largest London borough by population with 389,344 inhabitants as of 2021, also making it 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
1806-591: Is uncertain. The Roman city of Verulamium , the second-largest town in Roman Britain after Londinium , developed from the Iron Age settlement and was granted the rank of municipium around AD 50, meaning that its citizens had what were known as "Latin Rights", a lesser citizenship status than a colonia possessed. It grew to a significant town, and as such received the attentions of Boudica of
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#17327756056031892-598: The Catuvellauni from about 20 BC until shortly after the Roman invasion of AD 43. The name "Verlamion" is Celtic, meaning "settlement over or by the marsh". The town was on Prae Hill, 2 km (1.2 mi) to the west of modern St Albans, now covered by the village of St Michael's, Verulamium Park and the Gorhambury Estate. Although excavations done in 1996 produced finds which include silver coins from
1978-609: The Green Belt . The local authority 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
2064-481: The Iceni in 61, when Verulamium was sacked and burnt on her orders. Excavations preceding the museum's new entrance done in 1996–97 within the centre of the Roman town gave archaeologists the chance to date a black ash layer to 60–65 AD, thus confirming the Roman written record. It grew steadily; by the early 3rd century, it covered an area of about 125 acres (51 ha), behind a deep ditch and wall. Verulamium contained
2150-750: 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
2236-516: 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
2322-499: 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
2408-684: The 10th most active in England in sports and other fitness activities. 30.8% of the population participate at least 3 times a week for 90 minutes. Clarence Park plays host to St Albans Cricket Club. The club currently runs four Saturday sides, playing in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League and also two Sunday sides in the Chess Valley Cricket League. In 2008 the club's 1st XI won the Hertfordshire League Title. In
2494-422: 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
2580-429: The 20th century St Albans was a rural market town , a Christian pilgrimage site, and the first coaching stop of the route to and from London , accounting for its numerous old inns. Victorian St Albans was small and had little industry. Its population grew more slowly than London, 8–9% per decade between 1801 and 1861, compared to the 31% per decade growth of London in the same period. The railway arrived in 1858. In 1869
2666-405: The 3rd or 4th century, when Christians were suffering persecution. Alban met a Christian priest fleeing from his persecutors and sheltered him in his house, where he became so impressed with the priest's piety that he converted to Christianity. When the authorities searched Alban's house, he put on the priest's cloak and presented himself in place of his guest. Consequently, he was sentenced to endure
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2752-501: 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 ;
2838-793: The Intalink Partnership [1] St Albans has a cultural life, with regular concerts and theatre productions held at venues including Trestle Arts Base , St Albans Abbey, The Horn, The Pioneer Club, Maltings Arts Theatre, the Alban Arena , the Abbey Theatre, St Peter's Church and St Saviour's Church, given by organisations including St Albans Bach Choir, St Albans Cathedral Choir , St Albans Cathedral Girls' Choir, St Albans Symphony Orchestra, St Albans Chamber Choir, St Albans Chamber Opera, The Company of Ten, St Albans Choral Society, and St Albans Organ Theatre. St Albans
2924-582: 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
3010-830: The Old Albanian sports complex. They play in National League 1 the third tier of the English rugby union system . Saracens A team and OA Saints Women's Rugby team also play here. This complex hosts the offices of the Premiership Rugby club Saracens (and have recently moved their home ground to Barnet ). St Albans RFC play at Boggymead Spring in Smallford. Verulamians RFC (formerly Old Verulamians) play at Cotlandswick in London Colney . St Albans
3096-493: The Roman Republic era dating from 90/80 BC. There was evidence of trade with the republic and that a settlement already existed on the site 50 years before Julius Caesar attempted to invade Britain. However, it is believed that the tribal capital was moved to the site by Tasciovanus (around 25 to 5 BC). Cunobelinus may have constructed Beech Bottom Dyke , a defensive earthwork near the settlement whose significance
3182-547: The Silk Bridge Retail Park beside where it passes under the A5. Silk Stream and Burnt Oak Brook are a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation , Grade II. The name Silk is believed to derive from sulh or sulc , Old English words for plough or furrow. 51°34′47″N 0°14′45″W / 51.57972°N 0.24583°W / 51.57972; -0.24583 This London location article
3268-735: The United Kingdom. St Albans is north-east of the intersection between the M1 and M25 motorways. On the M1, its northern, central and southern junctions are 9, 7 and 6, respectively; on the M25, its western and eastern junctions are 21A and 22 respectively. Notable A-roads serving the city include: Two railway stations serve the city: St Albans is well served by local buses, with frequent services to local villages and major towns including Watford, Harpenden and Luton. Routes are operated predominantly run by Arriva Herts & Essex , Uno , Red Eagle and Sullivan Buses . Buses in Hertfordshire are run under
3354-408: The abbey's powers in the town. Following the dissolution of the abbey in 1539, the rights previously held by it passed to the crown. On 12 May 1553 the town was granted a charter by Edward VI , incorporating it as a borough with a mayor. The borough consisted of the ancient parish of St Albans (also known as the Abbey parish) and parts of the parishes of St Michael and St Peter . The borough
3440-561: The area that was St Albans Borough prior to 1974 is an unparished area. Within this area, (the Ashley, Batchwood, Clarence, Cunningham, Marshalswick South, St Peters, Sopwell and Verulam wards) a City Neighbourhood Committee of the district council was set up in June 2013 with comparable responsibilities to parish councils for small parks, playgrounds, open spaces, war memorials, allotments and public conveniences. The City and District Council built
3526-624: The associated Anglo-Saxon settlement were founded on the hill outside the Roman city where it was believed St Alban was buried. An archaeological excavation in 1978, directed by Martin Biddle , failed to find Roman remains on the site of the medieval chapter house . As late as the eighth century the Saxon inhabitants of St Albans nearby were aware of their ancient neighbour, which they knew alternatively as Verulamacæstir or, under what H. R. Loyn terms "their own hybrid", Vaeclingscæstir, "the fortress of
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3612-404: The borough became the new parishes of St Michael Urban, St Peter Urban and Sandridge Urban. The part of St Stephen within the borough was absorbed by the parish of St Albans. The parishes that were formed outside the borough, that is St Michael Rural , St Peter Rural , Sandridge Rural and the reduced St Stephen, became part of St Albans Rural District on 28 December 1894. St Albans Town Hall
3698-484: 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
3784-599: 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. St Albans The Clock Tower , St Albans ( / s ən t ˈ ɔː l b ən z / ) is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire , England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield , 20 miles (32 km) north-west of London , 8 miles (13 km) south-west of Welwyn Garden City and 11 miles (18 km) south-east of Luton . St Albans
3870-540: 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
3956-651: 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
4042-575: The church and subsequently promoted the cult of St Alban. A few traces of the Roman city remain visible, such as parts of the city walls , a hypocaust – still in situ under a mosaic floor, and the theatre, which is on land belonging to the Earl of Verulam , as well as items in the museum. Further remains beneath nearby agricultural land have only had a few exploratory trenches, which have never been fully excavated and were seriously threatened by deep ploughing , which ceased in 2005 after compensation
4128-772: 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
4214-485: The extension of the city boundaries was opposed by the Earl of Verulam and many of the townsfolk, but there was rapid expansion and much building at the end of the century, and between 1891 and 1901 the population grew by 37%. In 1877, in response to a public petition, Queen Victoria issued the second royal charter, which granted city status to the borough and Cathedral status to the former Abbey Church. The new diocese
4300-468: 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
4386-583: The first floor were connected by a flight of spiral stairs. Another flight rises the whole height of the tower by 93 narrow steps and gave access to the living chamber, the clock and the bell without disturbing the tenant of the shop. Two battles of the Wars of the Roses took place in or near the town. The First Battle of St Albans was fought on 22 May 1455 within the town, and the Second Battle of St Albans
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#17327756056034472-468: The followers of Wæcla", possibly a pocket of British-speakers remaining separate in an increasingly Saxonised area. The medieval town grew on the hill to the east of Wæclingacaester where the Benedictine Abbey of St Albans was founded by Ulsinus in 793. There is some evidence that the original site was higher up the hill than the present building, which was begun in 1077. St Albans Abbey
4558-674: The important Roman Town; and, the St Albans Museum + Gallery , located in the old St Albans Town Hall , which focuses on the history of the town and of Saint Alban. Because of its proximity to London, television signals are received from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter, placing St Albans in the BBC London and ITV London areas. The local radio stations are served by BBC Three Counties Radio on 92.1 FM, Heart Hertfordshire on 96.6 FM and Mix 92.6 on 92.6FM,
4644-432: 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
4730-478: 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
4816-400: The next 150 years. Roman occupation ended between 400 and 450 AD. The body of St Alban was probably buried outside the city walls in a Roman cemetery near the present cathedral . His hillside grave became a place of pilgrimage. Recent investigation has uncovered a basilica there, indicating the oldest continuous site of Christian worship in Great Britain. In 429 Germanus of Auxerre visited
4902-462: The north and five other London boroughs: Camden and Haringey to the southeast, Enfield to 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
4988-486: The oldest pub in England. Between 1403 and 1412 Thomas Wolvey was engaged to build a clock tower in the Market Place. It is the only extant medieval town belfry in England. The original bell, named for the Archangel Gabriel sounds F-natural and weighs one ton. Gabriel sounded at 4 am for the Angelus and at 8 or 9 pm for the curfew. The ground floor of the tower was a shop until the 20th century. The first- and second-floor rooms were designed as living chambers. The shop and
5074-407: 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
5160-442: The population of the enlarged borough was 25,593, growing to 28,624 in 1931. It expanded again in 1935 as part of a county review order gaining more of St Michael Rural (890 acres), St Peter Rural (436 acres) and St Stephen (712 acres). The population of the borough was 44,098 in 1951 and 50,293 in 1961. The borough was abolished on 1 April 1974 and St Albans became part of the new, larger St Albans City and District . City status
5246-401: The previous two seasons, the first XI came 5th (2011) and 4th (2012) in division one. The local football team is St Albans City FC : its stadium is on the edge of Clarence Park and the team won promotion from the Conference South League in 2005–06. It played in the Nationwide Conference Division of the Football Conference for the 2006–07 season, but finished at the bottom of the table and
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#17327756056035332-400: The punishments that were to be inflicted upon the priest, unless he renounced Christianity. Alban refused and was taken for execution. In later legends, his head rolled downhill after execution and a well sprang up where it stopped. There was an Iron Age settlement known as, Verlamion , or Verlamio, near the site of the present city, the centre of Tasciovanus ' power and a major centre of
5418-462: The pupils of Sandringham School. The school also hosts Best Theatre Arts, a part-time theatre school for children aged 4 to 16. Furthermore, St Albans is home to many music acts such as Enter Shikari , Friendly Fires , Maximum Love , The Zombies , Trash Boat and Your Demise . The Odyssey Cinema (formerly the Odeon) on London Road is an independent, arthouse cinema that was restored and re-opened in 2014. Originally opened in 1931, it stands on
5504-402: The site of the Alpha Picture House, Hertfordshire's first cinema, which was opened in 1908 by film-making pioneer Arthur Melbourne-Cooper . The Watercress nature reserve is by the River Ver and is run by the Watercress Wildlife Association. St Albans Museums runs two museums: Verulamium Museum , which tells the story of everyday life in Roman Britain using objects from the excavations of
5590-430: 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
5676-414: The title sequence of the TV series Porridge , starring Ronnie Barker . The 2001 film Birthday Girl starring Ben Chaplin and Nicole Kidman was also partly filmed in St Albans. More recently, several scenes from the film Incendiary , starring Michelle Williams , Ewan McGregor and Matthew Macfadyen , were filmed in St Albans, focusing in particular on the Abbey and the Abbey Gateway. In 2018,
5762-476: 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
5848-400: The urban area of St Albans (the pre-1974 borough) is an unparished area , directly administered by the city/district and county councils. The early administrative history of the town of St Albans is closely tied to St Albans Abbey . The town was effectively controlled by the abbey through the Middle Ages , but there were frequent disputes between the abbot and townspeople about the extent of
5934-554: 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
6020-413: 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
6106-670: 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
6192-504: Was agreed. Test trenches in 2003 confirmed that serious damage had occurred to buildings on the northern side of Old Watling Street by deep ploughing. Permission needs to be granted to enable the full extent of the damage to the western half of Verulamium to be investigated. After the Roman withdrawal the town became the centre of the territory or regio of the Anglo-Saxon Waeclingas tribe. St Albans Abbey and
6278-590: 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
6364-622: Was built between 1829 and 1831 and served as the council's meeting place until the 1960s, when the council moved to new premises at the City Hall and adjoining buildings. In 1898 the parish of St Albans absorbed St Michael Urban, St Peter Urban and Sandridge Urban so the parish and borough occupied the same area. In 1901 the population of the borough was 16,019, growing to 18,133 in 1911. St Albans expanded in 1913 by gaining parts of Sandridge Rural (241 acres), St Michael Rural (138 acres), St Peter Rural (992 acres) and St Stephen (335 acres). In 1921
6450-552: 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
6536-509: Was established in the same year, in the main from parts of the large Diocese of Rochester . In the inter-war years it became a centre for the electronics industry. In the post- World War II years it expanded rapidly as part of the post-War redistribution of population out of Greater London . It is now a popular tourist destination. St Albans has two tiers of local government, at district and county level: St Albans City and District Council and Hertfordshire County Council . The main part of
6622-536: Was filmed largely in and around St Albans. The Lady Chapel in the Abbey itself was used as a location for at least one scene in Sean Connery 's 1995 film First Knight , whilst the nave of the Abbey was used during a coronation scene as a substitute for Westminster Abbey in Johnny English starring Rowan Atkinson . The 19th-century gatehouse of the former prison near the mainline station appeared in
6708-499: Was fought on 17 February 1461, just to the north. A street market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, founded by Abbot Ulsinus , still flourishes. In 1553, Henry's son Edward VI sold the right to hold the market to a group of local merchants and landowners via letters patent which also incorporated St Albans as a borough . The old market hall, which dated from around 1596, was replaced by the Corn Exchange in 1857. Before
6794-576: 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
6880-415: 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
6966-609: Was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 to become a municipal borough , and the boundary was adjusted to additionally include part of the parish of St Stephen . On 28 August 1877 the borough gained city status , following the elevation of St Albans Abbey to become a cathedral. The boundary was also adjusted in 1877 to include part of the parish of Sandridge . The Local Government Act 1894 divided parishes that were partly within municipal boroughs. The parts of St Michael, St Peter and Sandridge within
7052-514: Was relegated. St Albans Gymnastics Club, founded in 2005, provides the St Albans area with recreational classes as well as a professionally managed competitive squad. St Albans is also home to St Albans Hockey Club , based in Oaklands, St Albans. The club is represented at National league level by both women's and men's teams, as well as other local league competitions. The club's nickname
7138-744: Was the first major town on the old Roman road of Watling Street for travellers heading north and became the city of Verulamium . It is within the London commuter belt and the Greater London Built-up Area . St Albans takes its name from the first British saint, Alban . The most elaborate version of his story, in Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People , relates that he lived in Verulamium , sometime during
7224-586: Was the principal medieval abbey in England. The scribe Matthew Vickers lived there and the first draft of Magna Carta was drawn up there. It became a parish church after the dissolution of the Benedictine abbey in 1539 and was made a cathedral in 1877. St Albans School was founded in AD 948. Matthew Paris was educated there and it is the only school in the English-speaking world to have educated
7310-613: 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
7396-479: Was transferred to the entire district by letters patent dated 9 July 1974. Local government services are now provided by Hertfordshire County Council (strategic services) and St Albans City and District Council. Eight local parish councils (limited local services) cover the parts of St Albans City and District that were previously in St Albans Rural District and Harpenden Urban District, but
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