East Finchley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| East Finchley | |
| Greater London | |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
East Finchley is a pleasant and affluent suburban development in London, England, situated 5.4 miles (8.7 km) north north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.
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[edit] History
The land on which East Finchley now stands was once part of the Bishop of London's hunting ground. More recently, it was home to some grand 'country' estates of wealthy Londoners, from which several roads take their names (e.g. Summerlee Avenue, Park Hall Road).
At one time East Finchley was referred to as the "East End" but this name faded away and now only refers to the more famous "East End of London" to the east of Central London.
[edit] Transport
East Finchley Underground Station on the Northern Line is actually above ground.
It is topped by a well known statue of an archer by Eric Aumonier in the Art Deco style, and pointing his arrow towards the opening of the tunnel which starts south of the station and runs all the way to the end of the Northern Line at Morden. This 27.8 km long tunnel was for many years the longest in the world. There was originally an arrow at Morden Station to match the archer at East Finchley, but this was stolen not long after the station was opened.
East Finchley station is the closest station to the northern Northern Line depot at Highgate, and as such is one of the bases for Northern Line train drivers and administrative staff.
East Finchley is one of a minority of stations on the London Underground network where it is necessary to go upwards after passing the ticket gates in order to reach the train platform.
US TV show presenter Jerry Springer was born in East Finchley Underground station during WWII.
[edit] Amenities and Features
There are several public houses in East Finchley:
- The Bald Faced Stag, an historic inn on one of the main routes into London
- The Old White Lion, a large pub situated under the railway bridge
- Monkey Face, a newly opened restaurant and bar
- Maddens Ale House
- Gertie Browns, an Irish pub
- The Five Bells
The independent Phoenix Cinema is located on the high road, and regularly shows independent films. It is the oldest purpose-built cinema in the UK (the only older ones started life as theatres).
There is a listed Art Deco public library located on the High Road opposite Church Lane.
Behind the library are some award-winning allotments owned by Barnet Council. Adjacent to these are the Fuelland allotments which are held in trust.
The St Pancras and Islington Cemetery is located on the high road. Established in 1854, it is the oldest municipal cemetery in London and the largest. Victorian painter Ford Maddox Brown is buried there.
[edit] Housing
Housing in East Finchley is diverse in its nature, encompassing most housing styles, from 19th Century terraced housing and 1960s council estates to multi-million pound mansions on The Bishop's Avenue. The three 11-storey tower blocks near to the centre of East Finchley are visible for miles around.
[edit] Schools
East Finchley has several state primary schools, including Martin Infant and Junior Schools, and Holy Trinity Primary School. There are two secondary schools in East Finchley itself - Bishop Douglass RC High School (Roman Catholic and mixed) and Christ's College (boys only up to Year 11, mixed sixth form). Many local children attend schools elsewhere in the London Borough of Barnet, or for those living in the direction of Muswell Hill to the east of the High Road, Fortismere School (mixed comprehensive, falls under the London Borough of Haringey Local Education Authority). Local children also attend private schools as far away as Hertfordshire, generally meeting with other children in Hampstead Garden Suburb to ride private coaches to different schools.
[edit] External links
- The Archer East Finchley's community newspaper
- Spark a 4-minute documentary film about the allotments in East Finchley by Adam Gee
