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Finchley
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Finchley (/ˈfɪntʃli/) is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. 7 mi (11 km) north of Charing Cross, nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill and Hendon.
Key Information
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, the population of Finchley was 65,812 as of 2011.[2]
History
[edit]| 1881 | 11,191 |
|---|---|
| 1891 | 16,647 |
| 1901 | 22,126 |
| 1911 | 39,419 |
| 1921 | 46,716 |
| 1931 | 58,964 |
| 1941 | war # |
| 1951 | 69,991 |
| 1961 | 69,370 |
| # no census was held due to war | |
| source: UK census | |
Finchley probably means "Finch's clearing" or "finches' clearing" in late Anglo-Saxon; the name was first recorded in the early 13th century.[3] 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.[4]
Extensive cultivation began about 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.[4] The medieval Great North Road, which ran through the common, was notorious for highwaymen until the early 19th century.[3]
St Mary-at-Finchley Church is first recorded in the 1270s.[5] 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.[6][7] By 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.[citation needed]
It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, originally within the hundred of Ossulstone and later becoming its own urban district, which 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.[8] 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.[9] They were eventually replaced by trolleybuses.[10]
In 1933, 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 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.
Governance
[edit]

From around 1547 Finchley had a parish vestry, which became a local board in 1878, an urban district council in 1895, and finally a municipal borough council between 1933 and 1965. The area is now part of the London Borough of Barnet.[11]
From 1959 to 1992 the Finchley constituency was represented in Parliament by Margaret Thatcher, UK Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990.[12] 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 the artsdepot in North Finchley.[13]
Geography
[edit]
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.[3] Mutton Brook forms the southern boundary, joining the Dollis Brook to become the River Brent.

Most of Finchley 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[6] corresponding to the three town centres in the area:
- Church End, often known as "Finchley Central" (particularly since the station was renamed), the area north and west of the North Circular Road, centred on Ballards Lane and Finchley Central Underground station, and in postal area N3;
- East Finchley, roughly between Highgate and the North Circular Road, and in postal area N2;
- North Finchley, surrounding Tally-Ho corner, stretching west to the Northern line, in postcode district N12.
The residential areas of West Finchley, in postcode district N3, and Woodside Park, in postcode district N12, centre on their respective tube stations to 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 the North Circular Road and on to Finchley.
Demography
[edit]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%.[14] West Finchley ward was 61% White (40% British, 18% Other, 3% Irish), 13% South Asian and 8% Other Asian.[15]
Landmarks
[edit]St Mary's at Finchley 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 is a Jewish cultural centre. It was founded to facilitate Reform and Liberal Jewish institutions,[clarification needed] 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 the approach to Finchley from the south, in a grassed area beside Regent's Park Road, just north of Henlys Corner.
Transport
[edit]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).
- East Finchley in zone three, serves East Finchley and is 21 minutes from Charing Cross.
- Finchley Central in zone four, serves Finchley, Church End and is 25 minutes from Charing Cross.
- West Finchley in zone four, serves North Finchley and is 27 minutes from Charing Cross.
- Woodside Park in zone four, serves North Finchley and is 29 minutes from Charing Cross.
- Whetstone in zone four, serves Whetstone / sections of North Finchley and is 31 minutes from Charing Cross.
Two of London's major roads, the east–west A406 North Circular Road and 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.[16]
Education
[edit]There are 17 primary schools in the district.[17]
There are seven secondary schools:
- The Archer Academy[18]
- Bishop Douglass Catholic School[19]
- Christ's College Finchley[20]
- The Compton[21]
- Finchley Catholic High School[22]
- St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School[23]
- Wren Academy[24]
There is also a secondary special school, Oak Lodge Special School in East Finchley.
Woodhouse College in North Finchley, on the site of the old Woodhouse Grammar School, is one of two colleges in the borough.[17]
Sports
[edit]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 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.[25] Finchley golf club on Frith Lane 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.
Public services
[edit]Veolia Water Central Limited, formerly Three Valleys Water, supplies Finchley's water; the area is in the southeast corner of the company's water supply area.[26] EDF Energy Networks is the Distribution network operator licensed to distribute electricity from the transmission grid to homes and businesses in Finchley. [citation needed]
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 was originally Finchley Cottage Hospital, renamed and expanded after the First World War as a war memorial.[27] 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 a station on Long Lane.
Community facilities
[edit]The artsdepot, a community arts centre including a gallery, studio and theatre, opened in 2004, at Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley.[28]
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 was proposed in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's golden jubilee and opened in 1902 to be Finchley's first public park.[29] 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, 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 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 is a bronze statue of Spike Milligan sitting on a bench.[30]
Cultural references
[edit]
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:
- In Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop Mr Garland, one of the principal characters, lives in "Abel Cottage, Finchley".[31]
- In More Peers, a book of comic verse by Hilaire Belloc, one of the poems is about Lord Finchley.
- Bluebottle, a character in the 1950s BBC radio series The Goon Show, hails from East Finchley.[32] Peter Sellers, who played Bluebottle, lived in the area at one time.
- In the Disney film series The Chronicles of Narnia, the Pevensies are from Finchley.[33] In the original book series, it is not specified which part of London they are from.
The Monty Python's Flying Circus comedy sketch "The Funniest Joke in 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.[34]
Notable people
[edit]In birth order
- Sir Thomas Allen (1603–1681), politician and lawyer, died in Finchley.
- Thomas Pengelly (1650–1696), wealthy merchant, gave lodging to Richard Cromwell after the Restoration at a property he owned in Finchley.
- William Lawson (1774–1850), one of three earliest British explorers to cross the Blue Mountains in Australia, was born in Finchley.
- Rudolph Ackermann (1764–1834), Anglo-German inventor and bookseller, died in Finchley.
- Henry Stephens (1796–1864), who founded the Stephens Ink company, and his son Henry Charles Stephens, who was the local Member of Parliament (MP) from 1887 until 1900, lived in Finchley: Henry Charles in Avenue House which he left, in 1918, as a bequest to the people of Finchley, along with its grounds, now known as Stephens House and Gardens.
- Sir William Shee (1804–1868), the first Roman Catholic judge to sit in England and Wales since the Reformation, lived in Finchley.[3]
- The novelist Charles Dickens (1812–1870) wrote Martin Chuzzlewit while staying at Cobley Farm near Bow Lane, North Finchley.[35]
- Owen Suffolk (born 1829), Australian poet, autobiographer and confidence trickster, was born in Finchley.
- Octavia Hill (1838–1912), a social reformer and a founder of the National Trust, Kyrle Society and the Army Cadet movement lived at Brownswell Cottages on the High Road in East Finchley just south of the junction with the North Circular Road today.[36][37]
- L. S. Bevington (1845–1895), anarchist poet, essayist and journalist, died and was buried in Finchley.[38]
- Sid Penny (1875–1965), Rugby Union player for Leicester Tigers and England
- Dora Boothby (1881–1970), Wimbledon-champion tennis player, was born in Finchley.
- Eric Blore (1887–1959), actor, was born in Finchley.
- Private John Parr (1897–1914), the first British soldier and the first soldier of the Commonwealth killed in World War I, was born in Church End Finchley, and lived at 52 Lodge Lane, North Finchley.
- Harry Beck (1902–1974), an engineering draftsman who created the present London Underground Tube map in 1931,[39] lived in Finchley. There is a plaque commemorating him along with a copy of his original map on the southbound platform at Finchley Central tube station.
- Terry-Thomas (1911–1990), comedian and actor, was born in Finchley.
- Gwilym Williams (1913–1990), a prominent figure in the Anglican Church who served as Bishop of Bangor and Archbishop of Wales.
- Wing Commander Ian Richard Gleed (1916–1943), World War II flying ace later revealed to have been gay, was born in Finchley.
- Vera Lynn (1917–2020), singer, and her husband Harry Lewis (1915–1998), a saxophonist, lived in on Hendon Avenue in the 1950s and 1960s.[40][41]
- Spike Milligan (1918–2002), the comedian who was chief creator and main writer of The Goon Show, lived in Woodside Park from 1955 to 1974. He was president and patron of the Finchley Society.[42] His statue, sitting on a bench, occupies a prominent position at Stephens House and Gardens.
- Betty Driver (1920–2011), singer and actress, lived on Hendon Avenue in the 1950s with her husband, singer and theatrical agent Wally Petersen.[43][40]
- Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013), UK Prime Minister 1979–1990, was Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Finchley from 1959 to 1992,[12] although she lived in Chelsea before her time in Downing Street.
- Peter Cleall (born 1944), actor and actors' agent, was born in Finchley.
- Jennie Stoller (1946–2018), actress, was born in Finchley
- Rick Wills (born 1947), bass guitar, member of the Bad Company, Foreigner, Jokers Wild, Small Faces and The Jones Gang, was born in Finchley.
- John Zarnecki (born 1949), space scientist, was born in Finchley.
- Jonathan Sacks (Lord Sacks) (1948–2020), Chief Rabbi, grew up in Finchley.
- Morgan Fisher (born 1950), keyboardist, member of the Mott the Hoople, lives in Finchley.
- Jerry Shirley (born 1952), drummer, member of the Humble Pie, was born in Finchley.
- Geoff Travis (born 1952), record company founder, grew up in Finchley.
- Tim Parks (born 1954), writer, grew up in Finchley.
- Steve Richards (born 1960), journalist, grew up in Finchley.
- Will Self (born 1961), writer, went to school in Finchley.
- John Bercow (born 1963), former Speaker of the House of Commons, grew up in Finchley[44] and was a member of Finchley Young Conservatives.[45]
- George Michael (1963–2016), singer, was born in East Finchley.
- Mark Thomson (born 1963), professional darts player, lives in Finchley.
- Dave Colwell (born 1964), guitarist, member of the Bad Company, Samson and Humble Pie, was born in Finchley.
- Ram Vaswani (born c. 1970), professional snooker and then poker player, lives in Finchley.
- Emma Bunton (born 1976), singer, member of the Spice Girls, was born in Finchley.
- Demis Hassabis (born 1976), artificial intelligence researcher and founder of DeepMind, grew up in Finchley.[46]
- Jade Jones (born 1979), singer, member of the Damage, lives in Finchley.
- Jacob Collier (born 1994), composer and multi-instrumentalist, lives and records music in Finchley.
- Anna Popplewell (born 1988), actress
Twinning
[edit]Finchley Borough had four twin towns; the London Borough of Barnet continues these links.
- Jinja, Uganda, since 1963[47]
- Le Raincy, France, since 1962[48]
- Montclair, United States, since 1945[49]
- Siegen-Wittgenstein, Germany, since 1951[50]
Gallery
[edit]-
The Phoenix Cinema
-
Route of Edgware, Highgate and London Railway highlighted on a 1900 map
See also
[edit]- The Finchley Gap – a corridor of low-lying land between the drainage basin of the rivers Colne to the north and Brent to the west, possibly the remains of an Ice age overflow channel.
References
[edit]- ^ Finchley is made up of 4 wards in the London Borough of Barnet: East Finchley, Finchley Church End, West Finchley, and Woodhouse. "2011 Census Ward Population Estimates | London DataStore". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ "2011 Census Ward Population Estimates | London DataStore". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ a b c d Baker & Elrington (1980). "A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6". Victoria County History. pp. 38–55. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
- ^ a b "Finchley, Friern Barnet and Totteridge". London Borough of Barnet. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "Hendon Lane (Finchley N3)". London Borough of Barnet. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ a b Weinreb, Ben; Christopher Hibbert (2008). The London Encyclopedia. Julia Keay, John Keay (3rd ed.). Macmillan. pp. 290–291. ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5.
- ^ Nurse, Richard (13 February 2008). "Finchley N2 East End Road". LB Barnet. Archived from the original on 26 April 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
- ^ "CULG – Northern Line". www.davros.org.
- ^ London Transport Museum Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Tram in Finchley, dated 1905 to 1915
- ^ London Transport Museum Archived 25 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Trolley bus at North Finchley
- ^ Baker, T F T; C R Elrington (1980). "Finchley Finchley Local government". British History Online. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
- ^ a b "Historic Figures Margaret Thatcher (1925 – )". BBC. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
- ^ Lowe, Rebecca (21 February 2010). "Green Party conference held in Finchley". The Times Series. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
- ^ Services, Good Stuff IT. "Finchley Church End – UK Census Data 2011". UK Census Data.
- ^ Services, Good Stuff IT. "West Finchley – UK Census Data 2011". UK Census Data.
- ^ "Buses from North Finchley" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 June 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
- ^ a b Crouch, Suzanne (10 September 2009). "Schools and Colleges". LB Barnet. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
- ^ "Home Page | Archer". thearcheracademy.org.uk. 12 January 2012.
- ^ "Bishop Douglass Catholic School - Home".
- ^ Christ's College Finchley School web site Archived 10 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Compton School web site[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Finchley Catholic High School web site". Archived from the original on 12 November 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
- ^ "Home – St Michael's Catholic Grammar School". www.st-michaels.barnet.sch.uk.
- ^ "Website temporarily unavailable - Wren Academy Trust". www.wrenacademiestrust.org.
- ^ Lowe, Rebecca (10 December 2007). "Barnet cricket – 150 and not out". Times Series. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
- ^ "Our supply area". Veolia Water. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
- ^ "Honouring a century of care at Finchley Memorial Hospital". Times Series. 21 October 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
- ^ London Transport Museum Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine artsdepot, 2006
- ^ "Victoria Park, London Gardens Online".
- ^ "The history of Avenue House Estate". Avenue House Estate. 2008. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ Dickens, Charles (2012). The Old Curiosity Shop. Dover Publications. p. 129.
- ^ Carpenter, Humphrey (2011). Spike Milligan. Hodder & Stoughton.
- ^ Diem-Wille, Gertraud (2018). Latency The Golden Age of Childhood. Taylor & Francis.
- ^ Pegg, Nicholas (2016). The Complete David Bowie (Revised and Updated 2016 ed.). Titan Books.
- ^ Nurse, Richard (13 February 2008). "Finchley N12 Fallow Corner". LB Barnet. Archived from the original on 27 April 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
- ^ "Early Social Reform Influences". Octavia Hill's Birthplace House. Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
- ^ "The Octavia Hill Society" (PDF). The Finchley Society. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
- ^ "Bevington, Louisa Sarah, 1845–1895" Retrieved 28 April 2015. Archived 8 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Design Classics-The London Underground Map". BBC TV4.
- ^ a b London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Electoral Registers
- ^ Lynn, Vera (2009). Some Sunny Day: My Autobiography. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-731815-5.
- ^ "Spike Milligan Statue Fund". Finchley Society. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
- ^ Driver, Betty; Little, Daran (2000). Betty: The Autobiography. Granada Media. ISBN 978-0-233-99780-3.
- ^ "The Rt Hon John Bercow MP". City, University of London. 23 November 2020.
- ^ "Bercow v Boris". Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ "Inside DeepMind's epic mission to solve science's trickiest problem". Wired UK – via www.wired.co.uk.
- ^ Godleman, Mike (4 July 2007). "Town twinning Jinja (Uganda)". LB Barnet. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
- ^ Costello, Laura (28 July 2008). "Town twinning Le Raincy (France)". LB Barnet. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
- ^ Costello, Laura (29 July 2008). "Town twinning Montclair (USA)". LB Barnet. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
- ^ Godleman, Mike (28 July 2008). "Town twinning Siegen Wittgenstein (Germany)". LB Barnet. Archived from the original on 4 September 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2009.
Further reading
[edit]- James Thorne (1876). "Finchley". Handbook to the Environs of London. London: John Murray. hdl:2027/mdp.39015063815669.
- Lawrence, G. R. P. (1964). Village into Borough (PDF) (2nd ed.). Finchley Public Libraries Committee. OCLC 899240019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
- Stephens, H. C. (1893). Parochial Self-government in Rural Districts: Argument and Plan (2nd ed.). London: Longmans, Green & Co. (Includes Finchley Vestry minutes 1780 to 1841)
External links
[edit]- The Finchley Society
- The Finchley Arrow
- . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
Finchley
View on GrokipediaHistory
Origins and Early Settlement
The area encompassing modern Finchley shows limited archaeological evidence of prehistoric human activity, with the landscape likely consisting of dense woodland suitable for hunting rather than sustained settlement. Mesolithic or Neolithic tools have not been prominently documented in situ within Finchley itself, though broader Greater London excavations reveal scattered flint implements from these periods in peripheral wooded zones, suggesting transient use of such terrains for resource gathering proximate to the Thames Valley. The absence of concentrated prehistoric sites underscores Finchley's role as a marginal, forested hinterland rather than a focal point for early habitation. During the Roman period (c. 43–410 CE), Finchley remained peripheral to imperial infrastructure, with no evidence of villas, forts, or urban outposts; the nearest major route, Watling Street, passed south through Londinium toward Verulamium (St Albans), facilitating transit but not direct exploitation of the northern woods. Sporadic Roman artifacts, such as pottery shards, appear in Middlesex surveys but lack density to indicate settlement, aligning with the region's characterization as underutilized beyond military logistics.[7] This peripheral status persisted, as Roman focus prioritized southern and eastern access corridors over Finchley's elevated, wooded plateaus. Finchley, deriving its name from Old English elements denoting a wooded clearing frequented by finches (finc + leah), emerged as an identifiable entity in the late Anglo-Saxon era, though it is absent from the Domesday Book of 1086.[8] By the early 11th century, its lands formed part of the Bishop of London's estate, centered at Fulham, indicating ecclesiastical oversight of dispersed agrarian holdings rather than nucleated villages.[9] Early medieval population was minimal, tied to subsistence farming on cleared fringes, with initial steadings probable at Church End by the 13th century, reflecting gradual woodland clearance amid manorial fragmentation.[1]Medieval to Georgian Era
Finchley was not recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, but by the 11th century its lands formed part of the demesne of the Bishop of London, with the first documentary evidence of the name appearing in the early 13th century.[1] The area remained sparsely populated, characterized by extensive woodlands that inhabitants began clearing—known as assarting—for agriculture from the 12th and early 13th centuries onward.[1] Meadow lands along the Dollis Brook bordered arable fields, supporting a primarily agrarian economy focused on crops and pasture, with little evidence of industrial activity.[1] The manor of Bibbesworth, central to Finchley's feudal structure, included a manor house by the late medieval period, held under the bishopric which granted leases to tenants, such as a 40-year lease of part of the manor in 1434.[1] [10] Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s, while monastic lands elsewhere were seized by the Crown, Finchley's holdings under the Bishop of London persisted as ecclesiastical property, transitioning toward greater lay involvement through long-term tenancies rather than widespread freehold conversion immediately.[1] Population estimates indicate stability, with around 400 inhabitants recorded in 1717, reflecting self-sufficient rural communities reliant on farming without significant growth until the late 18th century.[1] In the 18th century, Finchley Common—spanning approximately 900 acres by 1816—served as vital grazing and timber land but gained notoriety for highway robbery, with frequent attacks on travelers along the Great North Road prompting mounted patrols from 1805.[1] [11] Incidents persisted into the early 19th century, including a robbery in 1807, though enclosure under an act of Parliament in 1816 privatized the common, formalizing boundaries, allocating plots to proprietors, and effectively curbing crime by eliminating open access.[1] This process, driven by encroachment and episcopal claims, enhanced agricultural efficiency but displaced common rights, contributing to minor local tensions over land use without broader agrarian unrest.[1] By 1801, the population had reached 1,503, still anchored in agricultural self-sufficiency amid gradual modernization.[1] [12]
Victorian Expansion and Suburbanization
Finchley's transition from rural parish to suburb accelerated in the mid-19th century, fueled by London's industrial expansion and the demand for commuter housing rather than direct industrialization. The population rose from 4,937 in 1861 to 11,191 in 1881 and reached 22,126 by 1901, as census records document the influx of residents drawn by proximity to the capital.[1][12] The pivotal development was the Great Northern Railway's branch line opening on 22 August 1867, connecting Finchley to Finsbury Park and enabling efficient daily commutes for office workers. Stations at East Finchley and Finchley (later Central) spurred building away from village cores, particularly transforming North End from farmland into residential areas by century's end. This infrastructure indirectly channeled London's economic growth northward, prioritizing transport over factories.[1] Residential patterns shifted to semi-detached villas and terraced homes suited to middle-class clerks, replacing agrarian layouts with planned streets for greater density and accessibility. These accommodations, often featuring gardens and modern amenities, catered to families escaping urban squalor while remaining viable for rail travel to employment centers.[1] To address growth-induced issues like inadequate drainage and public health, Finchley formed an urban district council on 31 December 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894, which empowered local governance for sanitation and planning reforms. This status facilitated sewerage systems and bye-laws enforcing building standards, curbing haphazard expansion.20th Century Developments and Political Significance
The 20th century marked Finchley's transformation from a semi-rural parish into a densely populated suburb, primarily through private speculative development. Between 1901 and 1931, the population surged from 22,126 to 58,964, fueled by the construction of semi-detached houses on former greenfield sites, particularly in areas like West Finchley and extensions of Hampstead Garden Suburb along Falloden Way.[12][1] The opening of the North Circular Road in the 1920s facilitated this westward expansion, while limited council housing—such as 72 units built by Finchley Urban District Council in 1930—supplemented but did not dominate the private sector-led boom, contrasting with state-heavy urban models elsewhere in London.[1] During World War II, Finchley endured bombing raids, including strikes on East Finchley in 1941 that tested local resilience amid the Blitz's broader toll on London.[13] No census occurred in 1941 due to the war, but postwar recovery saw population rebound to 69,990 by 1951, with continued private and municipal housing filling remaining gaps, such as eleven-storey flats in East End planned in 1954.[12] In 1965, under the London Government Act, Finchley was amalgamated into the London Borough of Barnet alongside Hendon and other districts, preserving its suburban autonomy while integrating into Greater London's administrative framework.[14][15] This shift emphasized Finchley's model of homeowner-driven growth over centralized urban dependency. Politically, Finchley emerged as a Conservative stronghold, exemplified by Margaret Thatcher's tenure as MP from 1959 to 1992, during which she secured substantial majorities in a constituency aligned with self-reliant suburban values.[16] Thatcher's representation coincided with Finchley's relative economic stability, including unemployment rates below London's inner-city averages in the 1980s and a property value surge tied to national deregulation and local homeowner equity.[17] This prosperity underscored the area's preference for private enterprise, distinguishing it from state-reliant urban zones and reinforcing its electoral loyalty to policies favoring low taxes and housing ownership.[18]Recent Regeneration and Challenges (Post-2000)
The North Finchley Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document, adopted by Barnet Council, provides a framework for regeneration emphasizing retail enhancement, public realm upgrades, and integrated mixed-use developments to revitalize the area. This initiative, supported by a dedicated partnership board, identifies site-specific opportunities while preserving local assets, with implementation ongoing through collaborative planning since the early 2010s.[19] In June 2025, Barnet's Strategic Planning Committee approved a private-sector led mixed-use project at the Lodge Lane site, formerly the Great North Leisure Park, featuring 98 market-rate apartments across one- to three-bedroom configurations, alongside a cinema, bowling alley, and restaurant totaling nearly 30,500 square feet of commercial space.[20] The approval proceeded without affordable housing units, justified by developer viability arguments amid construction and market costs, sparking local controversy over prioritizing economic feasibility against borough housing mandates.[21] Complementing these efforts, Regal JP's masterplan for North Finchley envisions up to 855 new homes, enhanced public spaces, and vibrant commercial hubs to foster a self-sustaining town center, backed by council land assembly agreements rather than direct subsidies.[22][23] The COVID-19 pandemic intensified challenges, with sustained declines in town center footfall prompting targeted investments in cultural amenities and trade support to restore viability.[24][25] Barnet's 2025-2030 Economic Development Framework highlights borough-wide GVA growth post-2019 but notes persistent high street pressures, underscoring the need for regeneration to leverage private capital for long-term resilience without excessive public funding dependency.Geography
Location and Administrative Boundaries
Finchley lies in the northern sector of the London Borough of Barnet, positioned about 11 km north-northwest of Charing Cross at the historic center of London. The district's core aligns with several Barnet wards, including Finchley Church End, East Finchley, and West Finchley, as outlined in the borough's electoral divisions.[26] These wards encompass the traditional Finchley area, with boundaries refined through periodic reviews by the Local Government Boundary Commission to reflect population shifts while preserving community coherence.[27] From 1894 to 1965, Finchley operated as an autonomous urban district within Middlesex, evolving into a municipal borough in 1933 before its dissolution under the London Government Act 1963. This legislation prompted the amalgamation of the Municipal Borough of Finchley with the Urban Districts of Barnet and Friern Barnet, creating the London Borough of Barnet effective 1 April 1965.[8] The merger standardized administrative oversight across a unified territory, integrating Finchley's governance into Greater London's framework without significant territorial disputes at the time.[28] Contemporary boundaries follow key arterial routes, with the A1000 (the former Great North Road) traversing longitudinally through North Finchley and East Finchley, while the A406 North Circular demarcates much of the southern limit, adjoining Haringey borough. Ordnance Survey mappings, such as those underpinning Barnet's ward delineations, clarify minor overlaps at historical parish edges, like those with Friern Barnet, ensuring precise jurisdictional lines for services and planning. Finchley's southern adjacency to Hampstead Heath—approximately 5.6 km distant via direct rail or 3.5 miles by footpath from East Finchley—bolsters its status as a verdant commuter zone proximate to central London's transport hubs.[29][30][31]Physical Features and Environmental Context
Finchley occupies undulating terrain typical of the northern fringes of the London Basin, with elevations ranging from approximately 50 to 100 meters above sea level, rising toward the Northern Heights in the west. This topography, shaped by glacial and fluvial processes during the Pleistocene, features gentle ridges and valleys that influence local drainage patterns and limit intensive development on steeper slopes. Surveys indicate average elevations around 75 meters in central areas, contributing to varied microclimates and views across the landscape.[32][33] The Dollis Valley, carved by Dollis Brook—a tributary of the River Brent—traverses eastern Finchley, creating low-lying floodplains prone to fluvial inundation during heavy rainfall, as evidenced by recurrent events documented in local risk assessments. This vulnerability has imposed causal constraints on urban expansion, with strategic flood risk evaluations identifying the valley as a high-risk zone under sequential testing protocols for development sites, prioritizing avoidance of flood Zone 3 areas. Upstream of the Dollis Brook Viaduct, the valley supports riparian habitats, though encroachment from adjacent built environments exacerbates runoff and erosion.[34][35] Wooded areas in the Northern Heights, including remnants like Cherry Tree Wood, serve as biodiversity hotspots amid suburban fragmentation, hosting ancient woodland species and designated as Sites of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. These greenspaces, alongside parks derived from enclosed historical commons such as Finchley Common—divided into allotments and fields by 1816—help mitigate the urban heat island effect through shading and evapotranspiration, with Barnet's policies targeting increased canopy cover to counter elevated summer temperatures. Finchley's temperate maritime climate features mild conditions with annual averages of 9-11°C and 600-700 mm precipitation, punctuated by extremes like intensified winter floods or heatwaves, aligning with broader southeast England patterns.[36][1][37][38]Demographics
Historical Population Changes
Finchley's population remained sparse and rural in character prior to 1900, reflecting its status as an agricultural parish on London's periphery. The 1801 census recorded 1,503 inhabitants, with modest increases to 4,120 by 1851 and 22,126 by 1901, driven primarily by villa developments for affluent London commuters along improved turnpike roads and early rail links.[12][1] This growth was uneven, concentrated in areas like Church End and East Finchley, where proximity to the city spurred selective settlement without widespread urbanization.[1] The interwar period marked a sharp acceleration, fueled by private housing initiatives and expanded transport infrastructure. From 39,419 residents in 1911, the population rose to 46,716 by 1921 and 58,964 by 1931, as developers constructed estates such as Etchingham Park and Woodside Park to accommodate middle-class families migrating outward from central London.[12][1] New tube stations, including West Finchley in 1933, facilitated this suburban expansion, prioritizing owner-occupied homes over dense tenements.[1] No census occurred in 1941 due to World War II, but post-war data indicate a peak of 69,990 in 1951, followed by slight stabilization at 69,370 by 1961.[12] This plateau reflected constrained housing supply amid national trends of outward migration, yet Finchley attracted net inflows of middle-class households, countering narratives of uniform "white flight" by sustaining demand for its established suburban amenities.[1] Subsequent decades showed relative constancy, with the area's population hovering around 65,000 into the late 20th century, linked to limited new builds and an emerging older demographic profile evident in census age distributions.[1]| Census Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1801 | 1,503 |
| 1851 | 4,120 |
| 1901 | 22,126 |
| 1911 | 39,419 |
| 1921 | 46,716 |
| 1931 | 58,964 |
| 1951 | 69,990 |
| 1961 | 69,370 |