East Finchley
| East Finchley | |
| Middlesex | |
|---|---|
 East Finchley High Road | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ265895 |
| Location: | 51°35’25"N, 0°10’31"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 15,989 (2011) |
| Post town: | London |
| Postcode: | N2 |
| Dialling code: | 020 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Barnet |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Finchley and Golders Green |
East Finchley is a suburban town of Middlesex, found to the north-east of Hampstead Garden Suburb and west of Muswell Hill. Finchley itself is to the north-west.
The town is separated from the rest of Finchley by the North Circular Road, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central (Church End) to the north-west.
East Finchley (East End) was first mentioned in 1365, when it formed a scattered hamlet, but by 1860 it was the most populous part of Finchley. Badly bombed during the Second World War, and with the subsequent rebuilding, the street pattern of the Old Village was destroyed. However, the area retains a strong community feeling.[1]
History
The land on which most of East Finchley now stands was once part of the Bishop of London's hunting ground, to the south of Finchley Common, first recorded around 1400. The Bishop of London built a road through his land, named The Bishop's Avenue, which still exists today. Another road extended further north, weaving through what is now Market Place, The Walks, King Street, and Oak Lane. As a result, pubs such as The Old White Lion, The Bald Faced Stag, and The Five Bells (on East End Road), all of which survive today, sprang up to provide rest for the people using the road.
The area of "East Finchley Old Village" around Church Lane was west of the common and Bulls Lane (now Church Lane) dates back to at least the 17th century. With the coming of the Great Northern Railway in 1868, the area began to emerge, and the property was built gradually between the 1870s and the 1930s. However, it was not until 1914 that a more recognisable East Finchley High Road and surrounding area was visible.
Railway
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East Finchley Underground station is marked by a well-known statue of an archer by Eric Aumonier in the Art Deco style. The archer is pointing his arrow towards the entrance to the tunnel which starts south of the station and runs for 17¼ miles to the end of the Northern line at Morden. For many years this was the longest tunnel in the world. There was allegedly an arrow at Morden Station to match the archer at East Finchley, that was stolen a few months after the station was opened. However, East Finchley was not served by the Underground until 1939 and the statue was not erected until 1940.
The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line which serves the city (via Bank) and the west end (via Charing Cross).
Housing
Housing in East Finchley is diverse in its nature, encompassing many housing styles, from 19th-century terraced housing, large 30s houses, and multimillion-pound mansions on The Bishop's Avenue. The three eleven-storey tower blocks of Prospect Ring & Norfolk Close are visible for miles around. A further even taller towerblock in Prospect Ring was completed in 2021.
Media
The Archer, founded in 1993, is East Finchley's free monthly community newspaper, run by volunteers.[2] It takes its name from the eponymous statue at East Finchley tube station.
Literary references
In Evelyn Waugh's satirical novel Scoop, Lord Copper, owner of the newspaper Daily Beast, lived in East Finchley. "That evening, Mr Salter, foreign editor of The Beast, was summoned to dinner at his chief's country seat at East Finchley."[3]
Pictures
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about East Finchley) |
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East Finchley Underground Station -
Holy Trinity Church -
Cherry Tree Woods
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References
- ↑ A History of the County of Middlesex - Volume 6 pp 38-55: Finchley: Introduction (Victoria County History)
- ↑ "The Archer". http://www.the-archer.co.uk/.
- ↑ Waugh, Evelyn, 1938, Scoop, Book one, chapter 3: ISBN 0141187492