East Finchley

History

The land on which most of East Finchley now stands was once part of the Bishop of London's hunting ground, named Finchley Common, first recorded around 1400. The Bishop of London built a road through his land which weaved through what is now Market Place, The Walks, King Street and Oak Lane up to the north. As a result, pubs such as The 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 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 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.

Transport

East Finchley tube 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 17.3 miles (27.8 km) to the end of the Northern line at Morden. For many years this was the longest tunnel in the world. There was originally an arrow at Morden Station to match the archer at East Finchley, but this was stolen a few months after the station was opened.

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) with trains every 2–3 minutes. Buses also serve the high street with the 263 route going from Barnet Hospital to Highbury Barn; the 143 bus linking East Finchley to Archway and Brent Cross; the 102 from Edmonton Green, and the 234 serving Barnet (the Spires) from Highgate Wood.

Housing

Housing in East Finchley is diverse in its nature, encompassing many housing styles, from 19th-century terraced housing and 1960s council estates to large 30s houses to multimillion-pound mansions on The Bishop's Avenue. The three eleven-storey tower blocks of Prospect Ring & Norfolk Close, near to the centre of East Finchley, are visible for miles around.

Schools

East Finchley has several state primary schools, including Our Lady Of Lourdes RC primary school, Martin Primary School (Ofsted Outstanding), 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. The Archer Academy, a new non-denominational, non-selective community secondary school opened in East Finchley in September 2013 and is already oversubscribed.

Many local children attend schools elsewhere in the London Borough of Barnet. For those living in the direction of Muswell Hill to the east of the High Road, Fortismere School (mixed comprehensive, which falls under the London Borough of Haringey Local Education Authority) is an option and many East Finchleans also fall into the catchment area for Brookland Junior School, which neighbours Christ's College. The Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute's new facilities are on the High Road.

Demography

52% of the ward's population is White British and 16% is Other White, according to the 2011 census.

Amenities and features

The independent Phoenix Cinema (once called the Rex and before that the Coliseum) is located on the High Road, and regularly shows films with more individual appeal than is the case with the cinema chains. It is the oldest purpose-built cinema in the UK (the only older ones having started life as theatres). Time Out, the arts magazine, describes the Phoenix as the best single-screen cinema in London. Film critic Mark Kermode has written that the Phoenix Cinema "remains the single most significant cinema in my development as a bona fide cinema obsessive."

There is a listed Neo-Georgian public library located on the High Road opposite Leslie Road. 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 massive 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. The Victorian painter Ford Madox Brown is buried there.

Opposite the tube station is Cherry Tree Wood, approx. 4.5 ha in size, and contains both woodland and grassland. Nearby parks include Coldfall wood to the north, and Highgate Wood, Queens Wood, and Hampstead Heath to the south.

Also opposite the tube station is the head office to McDonald's UK, this is seen by the flags and logos on the building.

Media

The Archer, founded in 1993, is East Finchley's free monthly community newspaper, run by volunteers. It takes its name from the eponymous statue at East Finchley tube station.

Notable people

Peter Sellers lived with his mother at 211b High Road, and in his Goon Show persona as Bluebottle was usually referred to as an East Finchley boy scout. Singer George Michael was born in Church Lane.

Sir Ronald Fisher was born in East Finchley. Gracie Fields lived in The Bishop's Avenue. Thomas Pierrepoint, the official British hangman in the early 1900s lived in Huntingdon Road, by chance not far where the 18th-century gibbet stood in Lincoln Road.

The poet, playwright and educator Clive Sansom was born in East Finchley in 1910. The musical comedy actress and picture postcard beauty Marie Studholme lived and died at Croftway in Finchley Road and Studholme Court was named after her.

East Finchley is currently home to many actors, including Steve McFadden, Stanley Bates, Sophie Thompson, Carolyn Pickles, and Michelle Collins.

Marina and the Diamonds lives in a flat on Great North Road.

Entertainer Jerry Springer lived on Chandos Road until the age of 5, when his family emigrated to the United States.