Hampstead Garden Suburb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hampstead Garden Suburb | |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| London borough | Barnet |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | N2 |
| Postcode district | NW11 |
| Dial code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | Finchley & Golders Green |
| London Assembly | Barnet and Camden |
| European Parliament | London |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Hampstead Garden Suburb is an example of early 20th Century domestic architecture and town planning located in the London Borough of Barnet in North West London. The master plan was prepared by Barry Parker and Sir Raymond Unwin.
It was founded in 1907 by Henrietta Barnett, who, with her husband, Samuel Augustus Barnett, had started Whitechapel Art Gallery and Toynbee Hall. Among the scheme’s aims were:
- it should cater for all classes of people, and all income groups
- there should be a low housing density
- roads should be wide, and tree-lined
- houses should be separated by hedges, not walls
- woods and public gardens should be free to all
- it should be quiet (no church bells)
All this needed a Private bill before Parliament as it was counter to local bylaws.
In the 1930s the "Suburb" (as it is known by locals) expanded to the north of the A1. While more characterful than most other suburban housing, some of the housing to the north is considered, overall, of less architectural value.
On Central Square, laid out by Sir Edwin Lutyens, you can find two large churches - St. Jude's Church and The Free Church - plus a Quaker Meeting House. There are two mixed state primary schools in the Suburb, Garden Suburb and Brookland. There is also a state girls' school, Henrietta Barnett School. The school used to house The Institute, an adult education centre, but most of The Institute has now moved to accommodation in East Finchley opposite the tube station and it will complete the move in early 2007 with the opening of a new purpose-built arts centre behind East Finchley station. Shops and other services are provided in the shopping parades of Market Place and Temple Fortune with Golders Green and East Finchley within walking distance to those who live at either end.
High house prices and the very small proportion of housing association housing means that Hampstead Garden Suburb has an almost entirely middle class population. It is also home to several celebrities, including the last King of Greece, Jonathan Ross, Lord Winston and chat-show hosts Richard and Judy. Noel Edmonds and Elizabeth Taylor once lived here.
The Suburb has a large Jewish population (37.1% in the Garden Suburb electoral ward, according to the 2001 Census), many of whom attend the synagogue in Norrice Lea. The synagogue operates its own primary school.
The Suburb has an active Residents Association with some 2,200 households in membership which is co-ordinating an ambitious programme of events supported by 25 Suburb organisations for its Centenary Year in 2007.
