London Borough of Barnet
Encyclopedia
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough
in North London
and forms part of Outer London
. It has a population of 331,500 and covers 86.74 square kilometres (33 sq mi). It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow
and Brent
to the west, Camden
and Haringey
to the south-east and Enfield
to the east. The borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the counties of Middlesex
and Hertfordshire
. The local authority is Barnet London Borough Council
.
in 1965 from the Municipal Borough of Finchley
, Municipal Borough of Hendon
and the Friern Barnet Urban District of Middlesex
and the East Barnet Urban District
and Barnet Urban District
of Hertfordshire
. The 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 area covered by the modern borough has a long history. Evidence of 1st century Roman pottery manufacturing has been found at Brockley Hill and Roman coins from the 3rd and 4th centuries were found at Burnt Oak
. Both sites are on the Roman road Watling Street
from London (Londinium) and St Albans
(Verulamium
) which now forms 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 north of Chipping Barnet just within the present borough's boundary. It was here that Yorkist troops led by King Edward IV
killed the rebellious "Kingmaker" Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick and Warwick's brother, John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
.
Individual articles describe the history and development of the districts of Church End
, East Finchley, Edgware
, Golders Green
and North Finchley
.
The residents of London Borough of Barnet are represented in Westminster
by Members of Parliament (MPs) for three parliamentary constituencies. All three MPs are Conservative
. Chipping Barnet
is represented by Theresa Villiers
. Finchley and Golders Green is represented by Mike Freer
. Hendon
is represented by Matthew Offord
.
s. Following the local government election on 4 May 2006 the Conservative party gained a working majority and full control of the council. Mike Freer
became leader of the council on 11 May 2006, replacing Brian Salinger as Conservative group leader, having previously been Salinger's deputy. Barnet had £27.4 million invested in Icelandic banks Glitnir
and Landsbanki
when they collapsed October 2008. A report showed that Barnet Council failed to follow correct procedures when depositing the money.
The Conservatives retained control at the 2010 local elections
, after which the political composition of the council was:
Barnet Council along with the 31 other London boroughs and the City of London Corporation share local government powers with Greater London Authority
. The area covered by London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Camden
is jointly represented in the London Assembly
by Brian Coleman
, a Conservative
from Barnet.
commissioned its own report on the issues involved in 'Future Shape'. The scheme has been dubbed easyCouncil because of its similarity to EasyJet
's business model.
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 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 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, 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 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 a large number of 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 a Green Flag Award
for 2008/9: The borough has 67 Local Nature Reserve
s, and is jointly responsible with the London Borough of Brent
for the Welsh Harp (Brent) Reservoir
which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
. It is also home to the Npower League 2 football team, Barnet FC, who's Underhill ground was previously a council owned ground until 2002.
: the Church of St Jude
, the parish church of Hampstead Garden Suburb
with a Gothic
spire and on opposite side of Central Square, the Free Church
, of similar design but with a concrete dome. Royal Air Force Museum is a 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 is a grade II* listed 17th century farmhouse used by Barnet Council as an exhibition space. Friern Hospital
was a large Victorian psychiatric hospital
located in Friern Barnet
, which has been converted into flats.
and Barnet Copthall
leisure complex.
, 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 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 a quarter of people belonged to non-white ethnic groups, up from 18% in the 1991 censsus. 12.3% were Asian and 6.0% black. Barnet has the largest Chinese
population of any London borough at 6,379.
is a single site state sixth form college in North Finchley. The main college in 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.
since the thirteenth century, the rest of the area was agricultural. In 1588 Queen Elizabeth I
granted a charter to 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.
said "Barnet's transport agenda is recklessly anti-public transport, anti-pedestrian and anti-cycling. Barnet has become a laboratory experiment for some very ill-thought out policies". In 2004 cycle lanes were removed and cycling proficiency
funding cut by the pro motorist Cllr 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 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
was built as a turnpike in the 1830s linking the West End
to Finchley. The A41 splits of 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 an orbit route for London, it crosses the borough East-West linking all the other major routes. Junctions one, two and four of the M1 motorway
are in the borough. London Gateway services
is at the site of the abandoned third junction. The bus routesin the borough are managed by Transport for London
.
's Northern Line
, including all three of the line's northern termini (Edgware, High Barnet, and Mill Hill East). The surface sections of 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 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
, 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.
National Rail
services in Barnet are operated by First Capital Connect
on two routes. The Midland Main Line
passes through the western edge of the borough. First Capital Connect operates the Thameslink Route
on this line. The Thameslink route runs north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton
. The three stations within the borough boundaries on this route north to south are: Mill Hill Broadway
, Hendon
and Cricklewood
. The East Coast Main Line
crosses the north-eastern corner of the borough. First Capital Connect operates the Great Northern Route
on this line. The three stations in the borough are New Barnet
, Oakleigh Park
and New Southgate
(which straddles the border with the London Borough of Enfield
).
There was a railway joining the two sides of the borough, part of the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway
which was going to be part of the 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 abandoned in the 1950s. The track was removed in the 1960s, and part of the route was used for the M1 motorway
in the 1970s.
for the borough is NHS Barnet, part of the NHS North Central London Cluster. The trust runs Edgware Community Hospital and Finchley Memorial Hospital. Barnet General Hospital
is run by Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust. The London Ambulance Service
responds to medical emergencies
in the area. Home Office
policing in the borough is provided by the Metropolitan Police Service
. There are four police stations in the borough at: Colindale, Barnet, Golders Green and Whetstone. 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 the borough include Barnet FC's stadium, Underhill Stadium
, Brent Cross shopping centre, Coppetts Wood Hospitals and Barnet General Hospital
. There are also several busy roads that run through the borough such as the A1 and A406
. Between the four stations; five pumping appliances, two equipment lorries, a bulk foam unit, a breathing apparatus support unit, a damage control support unit and a hazardous materials support unit are operated.
, United States Chaville
, France Jinja, Uganda
Le Raincy
, France Montclair, New Jersey
, United States Morphou, Cyprus
Ramat Gan, Israel
Siegen-Wittgenstein
, Germany Tempelhof-Schöneberg
, Germany
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
and forms part of Outer London
Outer London
Outer London is the name for the group of London Boroughs that form a ring around Inner London.These were areas that were not part of the County of London and became formally part of Greater London in 1965...
. It has a population of 331,500 and covers 86.74 square kilometres (33 sq mi). It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
and Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
to the west, Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
and Haringey
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
to the south-east and Enfield
London Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
to the east. The borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the counties of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. The local authority is Barnet London Borough Council
Barnet London Borough Council
Barnet London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Barnet in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Barnet is divided into 21 wards, each electing three councillors...
.
History
The borough was formed under the London Government Act 1963London Government Act 1963
The London Government Act 1963 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which recognised officially the conurbation known as Greater London and created a new local government structure for the capital. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the area,...
in 1965 from the Municipal Borough of Finchley
Municipal Borough of Finchley
Finchley was a local government district in Middlesex, England, from 1878 to 1965. It formed part of the northern suburbs of London and was within the Metropolitan Police District and London Passenger Transport Area. Its former area now forms part of the London Borough of Barnet.-Formation:The...
, Municipal Borough of Hendon
Municipal Borough of Hendon
Hendon was an ancient civil parish of around which included Mill Hill, as well as Golders Green and Childs Hill. In 1894 it was created an urban district of Middlesex and in 1932 it became a municipal borough...
and the Friern Barnet Urban District of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and the East Barnet Urban District
East Barnet Urban District
East Barnet was a local government district in south Hertfordshire from 1863 to 1965 around the town of East Barnet.The district was created under the Local Government Act 1858 on September 25, 1863, as East Barnet Valley Local Government District. The district was governed by a local board...
and Barnet Urban District
Barnet Urban District
Barnet was a local government district in south Hertfordshire from 1863 to 1965 around the town of Barnet.-Creation:Barnet Local Government District was created on September 25, 1863 under the Local Government Act 1858, and was governed by a local board...
of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. The 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
Keith Joseph
Keith St John Joseph, Baron Joseph, Bt, CH, PC , was a British barrister and politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet under three Prime Ministers , and is widely regarded to have been the "power behind the throne" in the creation of what came to be known as...
, 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 area covered by the modern borough has a long history. Evidence of 1st century Roman pottery manufacturing has been found at Brockley Hill and Roman coins from the 3rd and 4th centuries were found at Burnt Oak
Burnt Oak
Burnt Oak is a suburb predominantly in the London Borough of Barnet south of Edgware, although parts of it fall within Brent and Harrow.The name Burnt Oak was first used in 1754 and from then until the 1850s referred to no more than a field on the eastern side of the Edgware Road...
. Both sites are on the Roman road Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
from London (Londinium) and St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
(Verulamium
Verulamium
Verulamium was an ancient town in Roman Britain. It was sited in the southwest of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, Great Britain. A large portion of the Roman city remains unexcavated, being now park and agricultural land, though much has been built upon...
) which now forms the western border of the borough.
Hendon is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
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
Battle of Barnet
The Battle of Barnet was a decisive engagement in the Wars of the Roses, a dynastic conflict of 15th-century England. The military action, along with the subsequent Battle of Tewkesbury, secured the throne for Edward IV...
was fought north of Chipping Barnet just within the present borough's boundary. It was here that Yorkist troops led by King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
killed the rebellious "Kingmaker" Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick and Warwick's brother, John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu
John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu KG was a Yorkist leader in the Wars of the Roses, best-known for eliminating Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part of the reign of Edward IV of England....
.
Individual articles describe the history and development of the districts of Church End
History of Church End Finchley
History of Church End describes the development of Church End, a district in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England.-Local landmarks:*La Delivrance*Christ's College Finchley*Avenue House*College Farm-Hendon Lane and the Church:...
, East Finchley, Edgware
History of Edgware
Edgware is a Saxon name. It means "Ecgi's weir". Ecgi must have been a Saxon and the weir relates to a pond where Ecgi's people would catch fish. Over many years the name slowly became Edgware, and Ecgi as an individual is long since forgotten...
, Golders Green
History of Golders Green
-Ghosts:There is a ghost story attached to Golders Green. According to legend a house called , situated where Golders Gardens is today, was haunted. “The story attached to it was that it was left by will to a certain person as long as a testator of the relative “remained above ground”...
and North Finchley
History of North Finchley
- Tally Ho Corner and the High Road :North End, the old name for the area of North Finchley and Whetstone, was first recorded in 1462. North Finchley did not develop into an urban area until after the enclosure of Finchley Common after 1816. Prior to that, in 1627, Thomas Rawson was allowed to...
.
Parliamentary constituencies
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
by Members of Parliament (MPs) for three parliamentary constituencies. All three MPs are Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. Chipping Barnet
Chipping Barnet (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 2000s:- References :...
is represented by Theresa Villiers
Theresa Villiers
Theresa Anne Villiers is a British Conservative Party politician. She is the Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet and the Minister of State for Transport.She was appointed as a Privy Counsellor on 9 June 2010.-Early life:...
. Finchley and Golders Green is represented by Mike Freer
Mike Freer
Michael Whitney Freer MP is a British politician. A Conservative, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Finchley and Golders Green at the 2010 general election...
. Hendon
Hendon (UK Parliament constituency)
Hendon is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The current MP, since 2010, is Matthew Offord of the Conservative Party.-History:The constituency was originally...
is represented by Matthew Offord
Matthew Offord
Dr Matthew James Offord FRGS is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Hendon in North London...
.
Council
The borough is divided into 21 wards, each with 3 councillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s. Following the local government election on 4 May 2006 the Conservative party gained a working majority and full control of the council. Mike Freer
Mike Freer
Michael Whitney Freer MP is a British politician. A Conservative, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Finchley and Golders Green at the 2010 general election...
became leader of the council on 11 May 2006, replacing Brian Salinger as Conservative group leader, having previously been Salinger's deputy. Barnet had £27.4 million invested in Icelandic banks Glitnir
Glitnir
Glitnir is the hall of Forseti, the Norse god of law and justice, and the seat of justice amongst gods and men. It is also noted to have been a place of dwelling for Balder, Forseti's father in Norse and Germanic mythologies...
and Landsbanki
Landsbanki
Landsbanki, also commonly known as Landsbankinn in Iceland, is a private Icelandic bank with international operations...
when they collapsed October 2008. A report showed that Barnet Council failed to follow correct procedures when depositing the money.
The Conservatives retained control at the 2010 local elections
Barnet Council election, 2010
The 2010 Barnet Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of Barnet London Borough Council in London, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.-Background:...
, after which the political composition of the council was:
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
: 39 (+2) - LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
: 21 (+1) - Liberal Democrat: 3 (-3)
Barnet Council along with the 31 other London boroughs and the City of London Corporation share local government powers with Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
. The area covered by London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
is jointly represented in the London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
by Brian Coleman
Brian Coleman
Brian Coleman FRSA is a Conservative Party politician and member of the London Assembly for Barnet and Camden, England. He is a Councillor in the London Borough of Barnet, and was Mayor for 2009-2010....
, a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
from Barnet.
Service delivery
In 2009, the authority started to introduce a new model of local government delivery in the borough, called 'Future Shape', after commissioning a six-month external study. The first stages of 'Future Shape' were agreed by the council's cabinet in July 2009 The mainly public-sector union UNISONUNISON
UNISON is the largest trade union in the United Kingdom with over 1.3 million members.The union was formed in 1993 when three public sector trade unions, the National and Local Government Officers Association , the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service...
commissioned its own report on the issues involved in 'Future Shape'. The scheme has been dubbed easyCouncil because of its similarity to EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
's business model.
Geography
The borough covers a group of hills on the northern edge of the London Basin
London Basin
The London Basin is an elongated, roughly triangular sedimentary basin approximately long which underlies London and a large area of south east England, south eastern East Anglia and the adjacent North Sea...
. The bedrock is chalk which is covered with clay. Some of the hills are formed from glacial till
Till
thumb|right|Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material , and this characteristic, known as matrix support, is diagnostic of till....
deposited at the farthest extent of glaciers during the Anglian glaciation
Anglian glaciation
The Anglian Stage is the name for a middle Pleistocene stage used in the British Isles. It precedes the Hoxnian Stage and follows the Cromerian Stage in the British Isles. The Anglian Stage is equivalent to the Elsterian Stage of northern Continental Europe, the Mindel Stage in the Alps and Marine...
.
The pattern of settlement is somewhat diverse.
In the north of the borough on the eastern side is Barnet
Barnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...
, also known as High Barnet or Chipping Barnet, Totteridge
Totteridge
Totteridge is an area of the London Borough of Barnet in north London, England. It is a mixture of suburban development and open land situated 8.20 miles north north-west of Charing Cross....
, and Whetstone
Whetstone, London
-Buses:* 34 - Barnet Church to Walthamstow Central bus/tube/railway station* 125 - Winchmore Hill to Finchley Central* 234 - Barnet to Highgate Wood * 251 - Edgware bus/tube station to Arnos Grove tube station...
. In the north on the western side is Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
and Mill Hill
Mill Hill
Mill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburb situated 9 miles north west of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until it was absorbed by London...
. The central northern part of the borough is largely countryside. This division is largely because the eastern side grew around what is now the High Barnet Underground branch of the Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
. The western side grew around the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
and what is now the Edgware branch of the Northern Line.
Further south, the development becomes steadily more intensive around the suburbs of Cricklewood
Cricklewood
Cricklewood is a district of North London, England whose northeastern part is in the London Borough of Barnet, western part is the London Borough of Brent and southeastern part is in London Borough of Camden.-History:...
, Colindale
Colindale
-Transport:*Colindale tube station, on the Northern Line Edgware branch, is situated on the north side of the east-west Colindale Lane.-Development:...
, Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
and Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
. Golders Green
Golders Green
Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Although having some earlier history, it is essentially a 19th century suburban development situated about 5.3 miles north west of Charing Cross and centred on the crossroads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road.In the...
is renowned for its Jewish minority ethnic population and forms part of the south of the borough, along with Hampstead Garden Suburb
Hampstead Garden Suburb
-Notable Residents :*Theo Adams*Martin Bell*Sir Victor Blank*Katie Boyle*Constantine, the last King of Greece*Greg Davies*Richard & Judy Finnigan*David Matthews*Michael Ridpath*Claudia Roden*Jonathan Ross*Sir Donald Sinden*Marc Sinden...
and Childs Hill
Childs Hill
Childs Hill, now the southernmost ward of the London Borough of Barnet, although of historic origin, is a late-19th-century suburban development situated 5 miles northwest of Charing Cross bordered by the A41 and Dunstan Road, and centred on the junction of Cricklewood Lane and Finchley Road...
.
Community facilities
There are 15 council run libraries in the London Borough of Barnet, mobile library and home library services, and a local studies and archives library.Much of the borough is within the Metropolitan Green Belt
Metropolitan Green Belt
The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...
, and it has a large number of parks and open spaces. In addition there are large areas taken over by cemeteries
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
and golf courses
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, and part of Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay...
, Hampstead Heath Extension and Golders Hill Park
Golders Hill Park
Golders Hill Park is a formal park in Golders Green, London. It is managed by the City of London Corporation as part of the parkland and commons in and near Hampstead Heath, and is part of the Hampstead Heath Local Nature Reserve...
. Barnet describes its 16 main open spaces as 'premier parks', nine of which achieved a Green Flag Award
Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
for 2008/9: The borough has 67 Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
s, and is jointly responsible with the London Borough of Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
for the Welsh Harp (Brent) Reservoir
Brent Reservoir
The Brent Reservoir is a reservoir which straddles the boundary between the London boroughs of Brent and Barnet and is owned by British Waterways...
which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. It is also home to the Npower League 2 football team, Barnet FC, who's Underhill ground was previously a council owned ground until 2002.
Landmarks
Barnet has two Grade I Listed buildings, both designed by Edwin LutyensEdwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
: the Church of St Jude
St Jude's Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb
Saint Jude-on-the-Hill is the Parish Church of Hampstead Garden Suburb which was founded in 1907 by Henrietta Barnett to be a model community where all classes of people would live together in attractive surroundings and social harmony.-History:...
, the parish church of Hampstead Garden Suburb
Hampstead Garden Suburb
-Notable Residents :*Theo Adams*Martin Bell*Sir Victor Blank*Katie Boyle*Constantine, the last King of Greece*Greg Davies*Richard & Judy Finnigan*David Matthews*Michael Ridpath*Claudia Roden*Jonathan Ross*Sir Donald Sinden*Marc Sinden...
with a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
spire and on opposite side of Central Square, the Free Church
Free Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb
The Free Church is a building located in Hampstead Garden Suburb, Barnet, London. It was built to a design by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1908-1910, and, like St Jude's Church at the opposite side of Central Square, is a Grade I listed building.-External links:*...
, of similar design but with a concrete dome. Royal Air Force Museum is a museum built on part of the site of Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in Hendon, north London, England that, between 1908 and 1968, was an important centre for aviation.It was situated in Colindale, seven miles north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became "the Charing Cross of the UK's international air routes", but for the...
, dedicated to the history of aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
, and the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in particular. Church Farmhouse Museum
Church Farmhouse Museum
Church Farmhouse Museum is a Grade II* listed 17th century farmhouse in Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet. The building is the oldest surviving dwelling in Hendon....
on Greyhound hill is a grade II* listed 17th century farmhouse used by Barnet Council as an exhibition space. Friern Hospital
Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum
Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum was an early psychiatric hospital located in Colney Hatch in what is now the London Borough of Barnet. The hospital was in operation from 1851 to 1993....
was a large Victorian psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
located in Friern Barnet
Friern Barnet
Friern Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburban development situated north of Charing Cross. The centre of Friern Barnet is formed by the busy intersection of Colney Hatch Lane , Woodhouse Road and Friern Barnet Road .-History:Friern Barnet was an...
, which has been converted into flats.
Sport
The borough is home to a professional football club, Barnet F.C.Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
and Barnet Copthall
Barnet Copthall
Barnet Copthall is a leisure complex in Hendon, London NW4, near the border with Mill Hill.Today, the complex houses a local authority-owned swimming pool, athletics stadium and gymnasium facilities...
leisure complex.
Demographics
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, a new turnpikeTurnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
, the Finchley Road
Finchley Road
Finchley Road, an inner city main road which runs for about 7 kilometres/4 miles, is one of the major thoroughfares of north London, England.Originally named Finchley New Road, it was built as a turnpike road in the late 1820s/early 1830s to provide a by-pass to the existing route north from London...
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 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 a quarter of people belonged to non-white ethnic groups, up from 18% in the 1991 censsus. 12.3% were Asian and 6.0% black. Barnet has the largest Chinese
British Chinese
British Chinese , including British-born Chinese are people of Chinese ancestry who were born in, or have migrated to, the United Kingdom. They are part of the Chinese diaspora, or overseas Chinese...
population of any London borough at 6,379.
Education
The London Borough of Barnet has 86 primary schools, 22 secondary schools and four special schools. Woodhouse CollegeWoodhouse College
Woodhouse College is a single site state sixth form college situated between North Finchley and Friern Barnet on the eastern side of the London Borough of Barnet...
is a single site state sixth form college in North Finchley. The main college in the borough is Barnet College
Barnet College
Barnet College is a Further education college in North London, England in the United Kingdom. It has two main sites and two other learning centres in the London Borough of Barnet, and is a member of the 157 Group of schools....
, with five sites. Middlesex University
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
has its main campus at Hendon. University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
has its teaching observatory
University of London Observatory
The University of London Observatory at Mill Hill in London is an astronomical teaching observatory, part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University College London....
at Mill Hill.
Economy
Chipping Barnet has been a market townMarket town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
since the thirteenth century, the rest of the area was agricultural. In 1588 Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
granted a charter to the Lord of the Manor of Barnet to hold a twice yearly horse fair
Barnet Fair
Barnet Fair is an annual horse and pleasure fair held near Mays Lane Barnet on the first Monday in September.Barnet Horse Fair takes place over three days starting on the 4th September...
. The first example of an American style out-of-town shopping centre was built at Brent Cross
Brent Cross
Brent Cross is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Barnet. It is located near the A41 Brent Cross Flyover over the A406 North Circular Road. Brent Cross is best known for its shopping centre and the proposed Brent Cross Cricklewood development....
in the 1970s. McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
has its UK headquarters at East Finchley.
Transport Policy
Former mayor of London, Ken LivingstoneKen Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
said "Barnet's transport agenda is recklessly anti-public transport, anti-pedestrian and anti-cycling. Barnet has become a laboratory experiment for some very ill-thought out policies". In 2004 cycle lanes were removed and cycling proficiency
Cycling Proficiency Test
The Cycling Proficiency Test was a test given by Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents which served as a minimum recommended standard for cycling on British roads. It has been superseded by the new National Standards for Cycle Training, branded Bikeability in England.The first Cycling...
funding cut by the pro motorist Cllr Brian Coleman.
Road
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
name Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
. The Great North Road passes through the borough starting at East Finchley and crossing into Hertfordshire at Monken Hadley
Monken Hadley
Monken Hadley is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. An ancient country village north of Barnet, it is now a suburban development situated on the very edge of Greater London north north-west of Charing Cross, while retaining much of its rural character....
. It was a coaching route used by mail coaches between London, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
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
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Hatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
. The Finchley Road
Finchley Road
Finchley Road, an inner city main road which runs for about 7 kilometres/4 miles, is one of the major thoroughfares of north London, England.Originally named Finchley New Road, it was built as a turnpike road in the late 1820s/early 1830s to provide a by-pass to the existing route north from London...
was built as a turnpike in the 1830s linking the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
to Finchley. The A41 splits of 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
A406 road
The A406 or the North Circular Road is a road which crosses North London, UK, linking West and East London. It, together with the South Circular Road, forms a ring road through the inner part of Outer London...
(or A406) is part of an orbit route for London, it crosses the borough East-West linking all the other major routes. Junctions one, two and four of the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
are in the borough. London Gateway services
London Gateway services
London Gateway services is the southern-most motorway service station on the M1 motorway, located between Junctions 2 and 4 north of London, England....
is at the site of the abandoned third junction. The bus routesin the borough are managed by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
.
Rail
The borough is served by the northern-most sections of the London UndergroundLondon Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
's Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
, including all three of the line's northern termini (Edgware, High Barnet, and Mill Hill East). The surface sections of the High Barnet and Edgware branches are entirely in the borough. The High Barnet branch surfaces just before East Finchley station
East Finchley tube station
East Finchley is a London Underground station in East Finchley in north London. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Highgate and Finchley Central stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-History:...
. At Finchley Central station
Finchley Central tube station
Finchley Central tube station is a London Underground station in the Church End area of Finchley, North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and East Finchley stations and is the junction for the short branch to Mill Hill East station...
there is a single station spur to Mill Hill East station
Mill Hill East tube station
Mill Hill East tube station is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, and is the terminus, and only station, of a branch from Finchley Central station...
. The rest of the line continues through West Finchley
West Finchley tube station
West Finchley tube station is a London Underground station in the Finchley area of north London in the London Borough of Barnet.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Finchley Central and Woodside Park stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:The station was...
, Woodside Park
Woodside Park tube station
Woodside Park tube station is a London Underground station in Woodside Park, north London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and Totteridge and Whetstone stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4...
and Totteridge and Whetstone
Totteridge and Whetstone tube station
Totteridge and Whetstone tube station is a London Underground station in north London. The station is the penultimate one on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Woodside Park and High Barnet stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4...
stations to the terminus at High Barnet station
High Barnet tube station
High Barnet tube station is a London Underground station located in High Barnet in North London. The station is the terminus of the High Barnet branch of the Northern line and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the northernmost station on the Northern line and is situated 10.2 miles north north-west...
. The Edgware branch emerges at Golders Green station
Golders Green tube station
Golders Green tube station is a London Underground station in Golders Green, north London. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line between Hampstead and Brent Cross...
, the line continues on a series of viaducts through Brent Cross station
Brent Cross tube station
Brent Cross tube station is a London Underground station located on Highfield Avenue in the Golders Green area of north west London. The station is a Grade II listed building....
to Hendon Central station
Hendon Central tube station
Hendon Central tube station is a London Underground station in North West London on the A41.The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Colindale and Brent Cross stations, and is on the boundary between Travelcard Zone 3 and Zone 4. Its postcode is NW4 2TE...
. Here it goes through a tunnel before continuing above ground through Colindale
Colindale tube station
Colindale tube station is a London Underground station in Colindale, a suburb of north London. The station is on the north-south Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Burnt Oak and Hendon Central stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:...
and Burnt Oak
Burnt Oak tube station
Burnt Oak tube station is a London Underground station in Burnt Oak, north London, on Watling Avenue, off the A5...
stations to the terminus at Edgware Station
Edgware tube station
Edgware tube station is a London Underground station in Edgware, in the London Borough of Barnet, in North London. The station is the terminus of the Edgware branch of the Northern Line and the next station towards central London is . Edgware is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Location:The station is in...
. The Piccadilly Line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
, although in the Borough of Enfield, is very close to the border, with buses in Barnet connecting people to the stations.
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
services in Barnet are operated by First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
on two routes. The Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
passes through the western edge of the borough. First Capital Connect operates the Thameslink Route
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
on this line. The Thameslink route runs north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
. The three stations within the borough boundaries on this route north to south are: Mill Hill Broadway
Mill Hill Broadway railway station
Mill Hill Broadway railway station is in the London Borough of Barnet in North London.The station lies on the Midland Main Line and is served by First Capital Connect trains as part of the Thameslink Line service. It is in Travelcard Zone 4...
, Hendon
Hendon railway station
Hendon railway station is a National Rail station situated to the west of Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet in North London, at .The station lies on the north-south Midland Main Line and is served by First Capital Connect trains as part of the Thameslink Line service...
and Cricklewood
Cricklewood railway station
Cricklewood railway station is in the London Borough of Barnet in North London. The station lies on the north-south Midland Main Line where it crosses Cricklewood Lane. It is served by First Capital Connect services as part of the Thameslink service...
. The East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
crosses the north-eastern corner of the borough. First Capital Connect operates the Great Northern Route
Great Northern Route
The Great Northern Route is the name of the suburban rail services run on the southern end of Britain's East Coast Main Line and associated branches. Services operate to or from and in London...
on this line. The three stations in the borough are New Barnet
New Barnet railway station
New Barnet railway station is in the London Borough of Barnet in north London, England. It is 10¼ miles north of Moorgate and is on the East Coast Main Line between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. New Barnet is in Travelcard Zone 5...
, Oakleigh Park
Oakleigh Park railway station
Oakleigh Park railway station is in Oakleigh Park in the London Borough of Barnet in north London, England. It is 9½ miles north of Moorgate on the East Coast Main Line between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. Oakleigh Park is in Travelcard Zone 4...
and New Southgate
New Southgate railway station
New Southgate railway station is on the boundary of the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Enfield in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 4...
(which straddles the border with the London Borough of Enfield
London Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
).
There was a railway joining the two sides of the borough, part of the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway
Edgware, Highgate and London Railway
The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in north London. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground's Northern Line and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the Second World War...
which was going to be part of the 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 abandoned in the 1950s. The track was removed in the 1960s, and part of the route was used for the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
in the 1970s.
Public services
The primary care trustNHS Primary Care Trust
An NHS primary care trust is a type of NHS trust, part of the National Health Service in England. PCTs commission primary, community and secondary care from providers. Until 31 may2011 they also provided community services directly. Collectively PCT are responsible for spending around 80% of the...
for the borough is NHS Barnet, part of the NHS North Central London Cluster. The trust runs Edgware Community Hospital and Finchley Memorial Hospital. Barnet General Hospital
Barnet General Hospital
Barnet Hospital, formerly called Barnet General Hospital, is a hospital in Barnet, north London, run by Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Hospitals Trust as part of the National Health Service.-Overview:...
is run by Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust. The London Ambulance Service
London Ambulance Service
The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the largest "free at the point of contact" emergency ambulance service in the world. It responds to medical emergencies in Greater London, England, with the ambulances and other response vehicles and over 5,000 staff at its disposal.It is one of 12...
responds to medical emergencies
Medical emergency
A medical emergency is an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long term health. These emergencies may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the...
in the area. Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
policing in the borough is provided by the Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
. There are four police stations in the borough at: Colindale, Barnet, Golders Green and Whetstone. The Peel Centre at Hendon is the Metropolitan Police College.
Statutory emergency fire service
Fire service in the United Kingdom
The fire services in the United Kingdom operate under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
is provided by the London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
. 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 the borough include Barnet FC's stadium, Underhill Stadium
Underhill Stadium
Underhill is the home of Barnet F.C. It is situated in Barnet in the London Borough of Barnet and has a capacity of 6,200. The stadium is famous for its slope from the North to South end. It is also used for Arsenal reserve games....
, Brent Cross shopping centre, Coppetts Wood Hospitals and Barnet General Hospital
Barnet General Hospital
Barnet Hospital, formerly called Barnet General Hospital, is a hospital in Barnet, north London, run by Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Hospitals Trust as part of the National Health Service.-Overview:...
. There are also several busy roads that run through the borough such as the A1 and A406
A406 road
The A406 or the North Circular Road is a road which crosses North London, UK, linking West and East London. It, together with the South Circular Road, forms a ring road through the inner part of Outer London...
. Between the four stations; five pumping appliances, two equipment lorries, a bulk foam unit, a breathing apparatus support unit, a damage control support unit and a hazardous materials support unit are operated.
Twinning
Barnet, VermontBarnet, Vermont
Barnet is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,690 at the 2000 census. Barnet contains the locations of Barnet Center, East Barnet, McIndoe Falls, Mosquitoville, Passumpsic and West Barnet.-Geography:...
, United States Chaville
Chaville
Chaville is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Nearest communes:*Meudon*Sèvres*Vélizy-Villacoublay*Viroflay*Ville-d'Avray....
, France Jinja, Uganda
Jinja, Uganda
Jinja is the largest town in Uganda, Africa. It is the second busiest commercial center in the country, after Kampala, Uganda's capital and only city. Jinja was established in 1907.-Location:...
Le Raincy
Le Raincy
Le Raincy is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Le Raincy is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Le Raincy....
, France Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, United States Morphou, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
Ramat Gan, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Siegen-Wittgenstein
Siegen-Wittgenstein
Siegen-Wittgenstein is a Kreis in the southeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Olpe, Hochsauerlandkreis, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Lahn-Dill, Westerwaldkreis, Altenkirchen.-History:...
, Germany Tempelhof-Schöneberg
Tempelhof-Schöneberg
Tempelhof-Schöneberg is the seventh borough of Berlin, formed in 2001 by merging the former boroughs of Tempelhof and Schöneberg.-Geography:...
, Germany