Editing Finchley

{{short description|District of London, England}}
{{About|the area in London}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| map_type                 = Greater London
| region                   = London
| population               = 65,812  
| population_ref           = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]]<ref>Finchley is made up of 4 wards in the London Borough of Barnet: East Finchley, Finchley Church End, West Finchley, and Woodhouse. {{cite web|url=http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |title=2011 Census Ward Population Estimates &#124; London DataStore |access-date=9 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202755/http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |archive-date=22 February 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref>
| official_name            = Finchley
| coordinates              = {{coord|51.599|-0.187|display=inline,title}}
| os_grid_reference        = TQ255905
| post_town                = LONDON
| postcode_area            = N
| postcode_district        = N2, N3, N12, parts of N20
| london_borough           = Barnet
| dial_code                = 020
| constituency_westminster = [[Finchley and Golders Green (UK Parliament constituency)|Finchley & Golders Green]]
| charingX_distance_mi     = 6.8
| charingX_direction       = S
| static_image_name        = Ballards lane.JPG
| static_image_caption     = Ballards Lane, Church End, Finchley
}}'''Finchley''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|ɪ|n|tʃ|l|i}}) is a large district of north London, England, in the [[London Borough of Barnet]]. {{convert|7|mi|km|abbr=on}} north of [[Charing Cross]], nearby districts include: [[Golders Green]], [[Muswell Hill]], [[Friern Barnet]], [[Whetstone, London|Whetstone]], [[Mill Hill]] and [[Hendon]].

It is predominantly a residential suburb, with three town centres: [[North Finchley]], [[East Finchley]] and [[Finchley Church End]] (Finchley Central). Made up of four wards, the population of Finchley was 65,812 as of 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |title=2011 Census Ward Population Estimates &#124; London DataStore |access-date=9 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202755/http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |archive-date=22 February 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref>

== History ==
{{See also|Market Place, Finchley}}
{| class="wikitable" align="right" style=font-size:85%;margin-left:10px;
|+'''Finchley (parish) population'''
|-
!align="center"| 1881
|align="center"| 11,191
|-
!align="center"| 1891
|align="center"| 16,647
|-
!align="center"| 1901
|align="center"| 22,126
|-
!align="center"| 1911
|align="center"| 39,419
|-
!align="center"| 1921
|align="center"| 46,716
|-
!align="center"| 1931
|align="center"| 58,964
|-
!align="center"| 1941
|align="center"| war #
|-
!align="center"| 1951
|align="center"| 69,991
|-
!align="center"| 1961
|align="center"| 69,370
|-
|style="font-size:smaller" colspan=2|# no census was held due to war
|-
|style="font-size:smaller" colspan=2 align=center|source: [[Census#United Kingdom|UK census]]
|}
Finchley probably means "Finch's clearing" or "finches' clearing" in late [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]]; the name was first recorded in the early 13th century.<ref name="bho">{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22501|title=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6|last=Baker & Elrington|year=1980|publisher=Victoria County History|pages=38–55|access-date=27 April 2009}}</ref> Finchley is not recorded in [[Domesday Book]], but by the 11th century its lands were held by the Bishop of London. In the early medieval period the area was sparsely populated woodland, whose inhabitants supplied pigs and fuel to London.<ref name=barnetlocal>{{cite web|url=https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/libraries/local-studies-and-archives/pocket-histories/finchley-friern-barnet-and-totteridge.html|title=Finchley, Friern Barnet and Totteridge|publisher=London Borough of Barnet|access-date=10 March 2016|archive-date=22 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322000746/https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/libraries/local-studies-and-archives/pocket-histories/finchley-friern-barnet-and-totteridge.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Extensive cultivation began about the time of the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman conquest]]. By the 15th and 16th centuries the woods on the eastern side of the parish had been cleared to form [[Finchley Common]].<ref name=barnetlocal/> The medieval [[Great North Road (Great Britain)|Great North Road]], which ran through the common, was notorious for [[Highwayman|highwaymen]] until the early 19th century.<ref name="bho" />
[[File:entrance to st marys church end.JPG|thumb|left|St Mary's Church]]
[[St Mary-at-Finchley Church]] is first recorded in the 1270s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/libraries/local-studies-and-archives/pocket-histories/finchley-friern-barnet-and-totteridge/hendon-lane-finchley-n3.html|title=Hendon Lane (Finchley N3)|publisher=London Borough of Barnet|access-date=10 March 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053931/https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/libraries/local-studies-and-archives/pocket-histories/finchley-friern-barnet-and-totteridge/hendon-lane-finchley-n3.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Near the northern gate to the Bishop of London's park, the hamlet of East End, later East Finchley, had begun to develop by 1365.<ref name="tle" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-finchleyhistories/archives-finchley-eastendroad.htm|title=Finchley N2 East End Road|last=Nurse|first=Richard|date=13 February 2008|publisher=LB Barnet|access-date=23 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426184725/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-finchleyhistories/archives-finchley-eastendroad.htm|archive-date=26 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> By the 18th century Finchley was well known for the quality of its hay, which was the dominant agricultural activity until the second half of the 19th century.  North Finchley only began to develop after the enclosure of the common during the 1820s.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

It formed an ancient parish in the county of [[Middlesex]], originally within the [[Hundred (country subdivision)|hundred]] of [[Ossulstone]] and later becoming its own [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]], which was then incorporated as a [[Municipal Borough of Finchley|municipal borough in 1933]]. It has been part of [[Greater London]] since 1965.

The [[Edgware, Highgate and London Railway]] (later the [[Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)|Great Northern Railway]]) reached Finchley in 1867.<ref name=CULG_1>{{Cite web|url=http://www.davros.org/rail/culg/northern.html#dates|title=CULG – Northern Line|website=www.davros.org}}</ref> It ran from [[Finsbury Park (district)|Finsbury Park]] via Finchley to [[Edgware]]. The branch from Finchley to [[High Barnet tube station|High Barnet]] opened in 1872. In 1905 [[tram]] services were established in Finchley, and extended shortly afterwards to Barnet.<ref>[http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/photo/photo.html?_IXSR_=T1bsDcYU_ib&_IXMAXHITS_=1&IXinv=2004/20296&IXsummary=location/location&IXlocation=Barnet&_IXFIRST_=5 London Transport Museum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190122/http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/photo/photo.html?_IXSR_=T1bsDcYU_ib&_IXMAXHITS_=1&IXinv=2004%2F20296&IXsummary=location%2Flocation&IXlocation=Barnet&_IXFIRST_=5 |date=3 March 2016 }} Tram in Finchley, dated 1905 to 1915</ref> They were eventually replaced by [[trolleybus]]es.<ref>[http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/photo/photo.html?_IXSR_=T1bsDcYU_ib&_IXMAXHITS_=1&IXinv=1998/85154&IXsummary=location/location&IXlocation=Barnet&_IXFIRST_=452 London Transport Museum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325034106/http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/photo/photo.html?_IXSR_=T1bsDcYU_ib&_IXMAXHITS_=1&IXinv=1998%2F85154&IXsummary=location%2Flocation&IXlocation=Barnet&_IXFIRST_=452 |date=25 March 2016 }} Trolley bus at North Finchley</ref>

In 1933, the Underground [[New Works Programme]] (1935–1940), to electrify the lines through Finchley, and connect the Northern line from [[Archway tube station|Archway]] to [[East Finchley tube station|East Finchley]], via a new tunnel was announced. Much of the work was carried out and East Finchley station was rebuilt, but the project was halted by the [[World War II|second world war]]. All passenger services from Finchley to Edgware ended in September 1939. Nevertheless, Underground trains began running from central London to High Barnet in 1940, and to [[Mill Hill East tube station|Mill Hill East]], to reach the army barracks, in 1941.

After the war, the introduction of London's [[Metropolitan Green Belt]] undermined pre-war plans and the upgrading between Mill Hill East and Edgware (the '[[Northern Heights#The Northern Heights plan|Northern Heights]]' project) was abandoned, although the line continued to be used by steam trains for goods traffic through Finchley, until 1964.

==Governance==
{{See also|Municipal Borough of Finchley}}
[[File:Finchley UD ward map 1930s.svg|thumb|left|upright|Wards of Finchley Urban District in the 1930s]]
[[File:Finchley MB Ward Map 1950s.svg|thumb|upright|Wards of Finchley Municipal Borough in the 1950s]]
From around 1547 Finchley had a parish [[vestry]], which became a local board in 1878, an [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district council]] in 1895, and finally a [[municipal borough]] council between 1933 and 1965. The area is now part of the [[London Borough of Barnet]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22506|title=Finchley Finchley Local government|last=Baker|first=T F T|author2=C R Elrington|year=1980|publisher=British History Online|access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref>

From 1959 to 1992 the [[Finchley (UK Parliament constituency)|Finchley constituency]] was [[United Kingdom constituencies|represented in Parliament]] by [[Margaret Thatcher]], UK [[Prime Minister]] from 1979 to 1990.<ref name="thatcher">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/thatcher_margaret.shtml|title=Historic Figures Margaret Thatcher (1925 – )|work=BBC|access-date=27 April 2009}}</ref> Finchley is now included in the new constituency of [[Finchley and Golders Green (UK Parliament constituency)|Finchley and Golders Green]].

In February 2010, the [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] held its spring [[party conference]] at the [[artsdepot]] in North Finchley.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/5019909.Green_Party_conference_held_in_Finchley/|title=Green Party conference held in Finchley|last=Lowe|first=Rebecca|date=21 February 2010|publisher=The Times Series|access-date=6 March 2010}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Tally ho corner.JPG|right|thumb|Tally Ho Corner in North Finchley]]
[[File:Apartments in Finchley.jpg|thumb|Apartments in Finchley (Church End)]]
Finchley is on a plateau, 90 metres (300&nbsp;ft) above sea level {{convert|11|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of [[Charing Cross]] and {{convert|6|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of [[Chipping Barnet|Barnet]]. To the west is the Dollis valley formed by [[Dollis Brook]] the natural western boundary of Finchley.<ref name="bho" /> [[Mutton Brook]] forms the southern boundary, joining the Dollis Brook to become the [[River Brent]].
[[File:Parish_boundary_markers,_Finchley_and_Friern_Barnet.jpg|thumb|Parish boundary markers dated 1864 and 1871 between Finchley and [[Friern Barnet]]]]
Most of Finchley is on [[boulder clay]] or glacial moraine, skirted by a layer of gravel, then the underlying layer of [[London clay]]. This roughly triangular gravel line was the most fertile area; hamlets which grew at the three corners evolved into Finchley's early population centres<ref name="tle">{{cite book|last=Weinreb|first=Ben|author2=Christopher Hibbert|others=Julia Keay, John Keay|title=The London Encyclopedia|year=2008|publisher=Macmillan|edition=3rd|pages=290–291|isbn=978-1-4050-4924-5}}</ref> corresponding to the three town centres in the area:
* [[Church End, Finchley|Church End]], often known as "Finchley Central" (particularly since the station was renamed), the area north and west of the [[North Circular Road, London|North Circular Road]], centred on Ballards Lane and [[Finchley Central tube station|Finchley Central Underground station]], and in postal area [[N postcode area|N3]];
* [[East Finchley]], roughly between [[Highgate]] and the [[A406 road|North Circular Road]], and in postal area [[N postcode area|N2]];
* [[North Finchley]], surrounding Tally-Ho corner, stretching west to the [[Northern line]], in postcode district [[N postcode area|N12]].

The residential areas of West Finchley, in postcode district N3, and [[Woodside Park]], in postcode district N12, centre on their respective tube stations to the west of the area. Between East Finchley and Finchley Central is Long Lane, which runs parallel to the tube line and is dotted with small shopping parades.

The area of London known as 'Finchley Road', around [[Finchley Road tube station|Finchley Road Underground station]], is not part of Finchley, but instead refers to a district further south at [[Swiss Cottage]], [[London Borough of Camden|Camden]]. The area is named after a section of the [[A41 road]], which runs north to [[Golders Green]] and eventually continues to [[Henlys Corner]] on the [[North Circular Road, London|North Circular Road]] and on to Finchley.

==Demography==
According to the [[2011 UK Census]] in Finchley Church End ward, 67% of the population was White (47% British, 18% Other, 2% Irish), 8% South Asian and 6% Other Asian. The largest religion was [[Judaism]], claimed by 31% of the population, whereas Christians made up 28%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ukcensusdata.com/finchley-church-end-e05000051|title=Finchley Church End – UK Census Data 2011|first=Good Stuff IT|last=Services|website=UK Census Data}}</ref> West Finchley ward was 61% White (40% British, 18% Other, 3% Irish), 13% South Asian and 8% Other Asian.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ukcensusdata.com/west-finchley-e05000061|title=West Finchley – UK Census Data 2011|first=Good Stuff IT|last=Services|website=UK Census Data}}</ref>

==Landmarks==
{{See also|List of public art in Barnet}}
St Mary's at Finchley is the parish church, with parts dating from the 13th century.

[[College Farm]] is the last farm in Finchley; it was a model dairy farm, then a visitor attraction. The [[Phoenix Cinema]] in East Finchley with its 1930s art deco façade is one of the oldest purpose-built cinemas in the United Kingdom.

The [[Sternberg Centre]] for [[Judaism]] in the old Manor House (formerly convent and school of St Mary Auxiliatrice) at 80 East End Road in Finchley is a Jewish cultural centre. It was founded to facilitate Reform and Liberal Jewish institutions,{{Clarify|date=January 2010}} attached to the Movement for Reform Judaism.

''The Archer'', on East Finchley tube station, is a {{convert|10|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} statue by [[Eric Aumonier]] of a kneeling archer having just released an arrow.  The statue ''[[La Délivrance]]'' depicts a naked woman holding a sword (and is informally known as the ''Naked Lady''); it stands at the approach to Finchley from the south, in a grassed area beside Regent's Park Road, just north of [[Henlys Corner]].

==Transport==
[[File:East Finchley stn building.JPG|thumb|right|East Finchley tube station]]
[[Transport for London]] is responsible for transport in Finchley.
Finchley has four [[London Underground]] stations, all on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, which serves the West End and City (financial district).
* [[East Finchley tube station|East Finchley]] in zone three, serves East Finchley and is 21 minutes from Charing Cross.
* [[Finchley Central tube station|Finchley Central]] in zone four, serves Finchley, Church End and is 25 minutes from Charing Cross.
* [[West Finchley tube station|West Finchley]] in zone four, serves North Finchley and is 27 minutes from Charing Cross.
* [[Woodside Park tube station|Woodside Park]] in zone four, serves North Finchley and is 29 minutes from Charing Cross.
* [[Totteridge and Whetstone tube station|Whetstone]] in zone four, serves Whetstone / sections of North Finchley and is 31 minutes from Charing Cross.
Two of London's major roads, the east–west [[A406 road|A406 North Circular Road]] and the north–south [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]] meet and briefly merge at [[Henlys Corner]] at the southern edge of Finchley.

North Finchley bus station is a hub with nine bus routes using bus stops around Tally Ho Corner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/northfinchley-2190.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612044103/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/northfinchley-2190.pdf |archive-date=2009-06-12 |url-status=live|title=Buses from North Finchley|publisher=Transport for London|access-date=22 September 2009}}</ref>

==Education==

[[File:Christs College old building on hendon lane.JPG|thumb|The old Christ's College, now a secondary school]]
There are 17 [[primary school]]s in the district.<ref name="sch">{{cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/education-learning/schools-colleges.htm|title=Schools and Colleges|last=Crouch|first=Suzanne|date=10 September 2009|publisher=LB Barnet|access-date=24 September 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001142734/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/education-learning/schools-colleges.htm|archive-date=1 October 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

There are seven [[secondary education#United Kingdom|secondary schools]]:
*[[The Archer Academy]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thearcheracademy.org.uk/|title=Home Page &#124; Archer|date=12 January 2012|website=thearcheracademy.org.uk}}</ref> 
*[[Bishop Douglass Catholic School]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bishopdouglass.barnet.sch.uk|title=Bishop Douglass Catholic School - Home}}</ref>
*[[Christ's College Finchley]]<ref>[http://www.ccflearning.com/school Christ's College Finchley School web site] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710115514/http://www.ccflearning.com/school |date=10 July 2009 }}</ref>
*[[The Compton School|The Compton]]<ref>[http://www.thecompton.barnet.sch.uk/ The Compton School web site]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*[[Finchley Catholic High School]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.finchleycatholic.org.uk/default.asp |title=Finchley Catholic High School web site |access-date=1 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112104003/http://www.finchleycatholic.org.uk/default.asp |archive-date=12 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.st-michaels.barnet.sch.uk/|title=Home – St Michael's Catholic Grammar School|website=www.st-michaels.barnet.sch.uk}}</ref>
*[[Wren Academy]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrenacademiestrust.org/index.html|title=Website temporarily unavailable - Wren Academy Trust|website=www.wrenacademiestrust.org}}</ref>

There is also a secondary [[special school]], Oak Lodge Special School in [[East Finchley]].

[[Woodhouse College]] in [[North Finchley]], on the site of the old Woodhouse Grammar School, is one of two colleges in the borough.<ref name="sch" />

==Sports==

The local football team Old Finchleians (nicknamed the OFs) formed in 1901 who play home games at The Old Finchleians Memorial Ground in Southover and are members of the Southern Amateur League.

[[Wingate & Finchley]] plays in the premier division of the [[Isthmian league]]. The club was formed in 1991 following the merger between Finchley Football Club (est. 1874) and [[Wingate Football Club]] (est. 1946). Although the club is sometimes incorrectly perceived to be exclusively [[Jewish]], it is open to people of every religion and ethnic background. Wingate & Finchley play home games at Summers Lane, N12.

The local rugby team is Finchley RFC. Finchley Cricket Club (founded 1832), plays in the Middlesex premier league, at Arden Field, East End Road, N3.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/1893661.Barnet_cricket___150_and_not_out/|title=Barnet cricket – 150 and not out|last=Lowe |first=Rebecca|date=10 December 2007|publisher=Times Series|access-date=24 September 2009}}</ref> Finchley golf club on Frith Lane was designed by five-times Open Champion James Braid. Ken Brown, Ryder Cup player and BBC presenter, described it as "The best presented golf course for club play that I have seen in years".

Finchley Victoria Bowls and Croquet Club, with two greens and a modern clubhouse in [[Victoria Park, Finchley|Victoria Park]], offers [[lawn bowls]], [[croquet]] and [[pétanque]] facilities in the summer and year-round social activities.

==Public services==

[[Veolia Water Central Limited]], formerly [[Three Valleys Water]], supplies Finchley's water; the area is in the southeast corner of the company's water supply area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://central.veoliawater.co.uk/our-supply-area-moving-home.aspx|title=Our supply area|publisher=Veolia Water|access-date=1 October 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809233152/https://central.veoliawater.co.uk/our-supply-area-moving-home.aspx|archive-date=9 August 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[EDF Energy|EDF Energy Networks]] is the [[Distribution network operator]] licensed to distribute electricity from the transmission grid to homes and businesses in Finchley. {{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}

Finchley Memorial Hospital, on Granville Road, North Finchley, was a small NHS hospital administered by NHS Barnet, a [[primary care trust]]. Built with local donations in 1908 it was originally Finchley Cottage Hospital, renamed and expanded after the [[First World War]] as a war memorial.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/3778350.Honouring_a_century_of_care_at_Finchley_Memorial_Hospital/|title=Honouring a century of care at Finchley Memorial Hospital|date=21 October 2008|publisher=Times Series|access-date=1 October 2009}}</ref> A modern new hospital on adjacent land opened in September 2012; the old hospital buildings were demolished.

[[London Ambulance Service]] responds to [[medical emergency|medical emergencies]] in Finchley. Policing in Finchley is by the [[Metropolitan Police Service]]. [[Fire service in the United Kingdom|Statutory emergency fire service]] is by [[London Fire Brigade]], which has a station on Long Lane.

==Community facilities==
The [[artsdepot]], a community arts centre including a gallery, studio and theatre, opened in 2004, at Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley.<ref>[http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/photo/photo.html?_IXSR_=T1bsDcYU_ib&_IXMAXHITS_=1&IXinv=2007/11220&IXsummary=location/location&IXlocation=Barnet&_IXFIRST_=566 London Transport Museum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205842/http://www.ltmcollection.org/photos/photo/photo.html?_IXSR_=T1bsDcYU_ib&_IXMAXHITS_=1&IXinv=2007%2F11220&IXsummary=location%2Flocation&IXlocation=Barnet&_IXFIRST_=566 |date=3 March 2016 }} artsdepot, 2006</ref>

Finchley Film Makers was founded as the Finchley Amateur Cine Society in 1930, making it one of the oldest clubs in the Country. It meets at the Quaker Meeting House in Alexandra Grove, North Finchley.

[[Victoria Park, Finchley|Victoria Park]] is off Ballards Lane between North Finchley and Finchley Central. It was proposed in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's golden jubilee and opened in 1902 to be Finchley's first public park.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BAR092|title=Victoria Park, London Gardens Online}}</ref> It is home to tennis courts and Finchley Victoria Bowling and Croquet Club.  There is also a small nature reserve adjacent to the [[North Circular Road, London|North Circular Road]] known as [[Long Lane Pasture]].

[[Avenue House]] in East End Road was built in 1859. In 1874 it was acquired by [[Henry Charles Stephens]], known as "Inky" Stephens, the son of the inventor of indelible blue-black ink [[Henry Stephens (doctor)|Dr Henry Stephens]]. On his death in 1918 he bequeathed the house and its grounds for 'Public enjoyment subject to reasonable rules'. The estate, a private garden to which public access is granted, is now known as Stephens House and Gardens and managed from 2002 on a 125-year lease by Avenue House Estate Trust, an independent charity.

It has a visitor centre with a small museum, the Stephens Collection, which covers the history of the Stephens family, the Stephens Ink company and the history of writing materials. The bequest also included [[Avenue House Grounds]], designed by the leading nineteenth-century landscape gardener [[Robert Marnock]]. This has a tearoom, a children's playground, a walled garden and building called The Bothy, a pond and rare trees.  A recent attraction is a [[bronze]] statue of [[Spike Milligan]] sitting on a bench.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avenuehouse.org.uk/page.php?page=History|publisher=Avenue House Estate|title=The history of Avenue House Estate|year=2008|access-date=29 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120130655/http://www.avenuehouse.org.uk/page.php?page=History|archive-date=20 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Cultural references ==
[[File:William-Hogarth-The-March-of-the-Guards-to-Finchley-1750-©-The-Foundling-Museum.jpg|thumb|''[[March of the Guards to Finchley]]'']]
[[William Hogarth]] painted his satirical ''[[March of the Guards to Finchley]]'' in 1750. It is a depiction of a fictional mustering of troops on London's [[Tottenham Court Road]] to march north to Finchley to defend the capital from the second [[Jacobite rebellion of 1745]].

A number of fictional characters have been associated with the area, including:
* In [[Charles Dickens]]' ''[[The Old Curiosity Shop]]'' Mr Garland, one of the principal characters, lives in "Abel Cottage, Finchley".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dickens |first1=Charles |title=The Old Curiosity Shop |date=2012 |publisher=Dover Publications |page=129}}</ref>
* In ''More Peers'', a book of comic verse by [[Hilaire Belloc]], one of the poems is about Lord Finchley.
* [[Bluebottle (character)|Bluebottle]], a character in the 1950s [[BBC]] radio series ''[[The Goon Show]]'', hails from East Finchley.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carpenter |first1=Humphrey |title=Spike Milligan |date=2011 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton}}</ref> [[Peter Sellers]], who played Bluebottle, lived in the area at one time.
* In the Disney film series ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia (film series)|The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', [[Pevensie|the Pevensies]] are from Finchley.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Diem-Wille |first1=Gertraud |title=Latency The Golden Age of Childhood |date=2018 |publisher=Taylor & Francis}}</ref> In [[The Chronicles of Narnia|the original book series]], it is not specified which part of London they are from.

The ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' comedy sketch "[[The Funniest Joke in the World]]" is set in Finchley.

In various episodes of the Channel 4 comedy ''[[Peep Show (British TV series)|Peep Show]]'' Finchley is used as an on-site shooting location.

The background of the cover of [[Iron Maiden]]'s second studio album, ''[[Killers (Iron Maiden album)|Killers]]'', depicts Etchingham Court, North Finchley, where artist [[Derek Riggs]] lived at the time.

The 2013 [[David Bowie]] song 'Dirty Boys' on [[The Next Day]] album makes reference to Finchley Fair.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pegg |first1=Nicholas |title=The Complete David Bowie |date=2016 |publisher=Titan Books |edition=Revised and Updated 2016 }}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Barnet}}
In birth order
* [[Thomas Allen (English politician)|Sir Thomas Allen]] (1603–1681), politician and lawyer, died in Finchley.
* [[Thomas Pengelly (merchant)|Thomas Pengelly]] (1650–1696), wealthy merchant, gave lodging to [[Richard Cromwell]] after the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]] at a property he owned in Finchley.
*[[William Lawson (explorer)|William Lawson]] (1774–1850), one of three earliest British explorers to cross the Blue Mountains in [[Australia]], was born in Finchley.
* [[Rudolph Ackermann]] (1764–1834), Anglo-German inventor and bookseller, died in Finchley.
* [[Henry Stephens (doctor)|Henry Stephens]] (1796–1864), who founded the Stephens Ink company, and his son [[Henry Charles Stephens]], who was the local [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) from 1887 until 1900, lived in Finchley: Henry Charles in [[Avenue House]] which he left, in 1918, as a bequest to the people of Finchley, along with its grounds, now known as Stephens House and Gardens.
* [[William Shee|Sir William Shee]] (1804–1868), the first [[Roman Catholic]] [[judge]] to sit in [[England and Wales]] since the [[English Reformation|Reformation]], lived in Finchley.<ref name="bho" />
* The novelist [[Charles Dickens]] (1812–1870) wrote ''[[Martin Chuzzlewit]]'' while staying at Cobley Farm near Bow Lane, North Finchley.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-finchleyhistories/archives-finchley-fallowcorner.htm|title=Finchley N12 Fallow Corner|last=Nurse|first=Richard|date=13 February 2008|publisher=LB Barnet|access-date=28 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100427015242/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-finchleyhistories/archives-finchley-fallowcorner.htm|archive-date=27 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Owen Suffolk]] (born 1829), Australian poet, autobiographer and confidence trickster, was born in Finchley.
* [[Octavia Hill]] (1838–1912), a social reformer and a founder of the [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]], [[Kyrle Society]] and the [[Army Cadet Force|Army Cadet movement]] lived at Brownswell Cottages on the High Road in East Finchley just south of the junction with the [[North Circular Road, London|North Circular Road]] today.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://octaviahill.org/early-social-reform-influences.html|title=Early Social Reform Influences|publisher=Octavia Hill's Birthplace House|access-date=28 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511104836/http://octaviahill.org/early-social-reform-influences.html|archive-date=11 May 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finchleysociety.org.uk/Newsletters/2000s/2009/9-09.pdf|title=The Octavia Hill Society|date=September 2009|publisher=The Finchley Society|access-date=1 October 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716095354/http://www.finchleysociety.org.uk/Newsletters/2000s/2009/9-09.pdf|archive-date=16 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* [[L. S. Bevington]] (1845–1895), anarchist poet, essayist and journalist, died and was buried in Finchley.<ref>"Bevington, Louisa Sarah, 1845–1895" [https://libcom.org/history/bevington-louisa-sarah-1845-1895. Retrieved 28 April 2015.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108130828/https://libcom.org/history/bevington-louisa-sarah-1845-1895. |date=8 January 2016 }}</ref>
*[[Sid Penny]] (1875–1965), Rugby Union player for [[Leicester Tigers]] and England
* [[Dora Boothby]] (1881–1970), [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon-champion]] tennis player, was born in Finchley.
* [[Eric Blore]] (1887–1959), actor, was born in Finchley.
* Private [[John Parr (British Army soldier)|John Parr]] (1897–1914), the first British soldier and the first soldier of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] killed in [[World War I]], was born in [[Church End, Finchley|Church End]] Finchley, and lived at 52 Lodge Lane, North Finchley.
* [[Harry Beck]] (1902–1974), an engineering [[technical drawing|draftsman]] who created the present [[London Underground]] [[Tube map]] in 1931,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074tkm |title=Design Classics-The London Underground Map |publisher=BBC TV4 }}</ref> lived in Finchley. There is a plaque commemorating him along with a copy of his original map on the southbound platform at Finchley Central tube station.
* [[Terry-Thomas]] (1911–1990), comedian and actor, was born in Finchley.
* [[Gwilym Williams]] (1913–1990), a prominent figure in the [[Anglican Church]] who served as Bishop of Bangor and Archbishop of Wales.
* [[Wing commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] [[Ian Gleed|Ian Richard Gleed]]  (1916–1943), World War II [[flying ace]] later revealed to have been gay, was born in Finchley.
* [[Vera Lynn]] (1917–2020), singer, and her husband [[Harry Lewis (musician)|Harry Lewis]] (1915–1998), a saxophonist, lived in on Hendon Avenue in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name=":1">[[London Metropolitan Archives]]; London, England; ''Electoral Registers''</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lynn |first=Vera |author-link=Vera Lynn |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vfFueydmZL0C |title=Some Sunny Day: My Autobiography |date=2009 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=978-0-00-731815-5 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Spike Milligan]] (1918–2002), the comedian who was chief creator and main writer of [[The Goon Show]], lived in Woodside Park from 1955 to 1974.  He was president and patron of the Finchley Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finchleysociety.org.uk/actstatuefund.htm|title=Spike Milligan Statue Fund|publisher=Finchley Society|access-date=28 April 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326071900/http://www.finchleysociety.org.uk/actstatuefund.htm|archive-date=26 March 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> His statue, sitting on a bench, occupies a prominent position at Stephens House and Gardens.
* [[Betty Driver]] (1920–2011), singer and actress, lived on Hendon Avenue in the 1950s with her husband, singer and theatrical agent [[Wally Peterson|Wally Petersen]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Driver |first1=Betty |author-link=Betty Driver |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rexNAAAAYAAJ |title=Betty: The Autobiography |last2=Little |first2=Daran |author-link2=Daran Little |date=2000 |publisher=[[Granada Media]] |isbn=978-0-233-99780-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
* [[Margaret Thatcher]] (1925–2013), UK Prime Minister 1979–1990, was [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for Finchley from 1959 to 1992,<ref name="thatcher" /> although she lived in [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] before her time in [[Downing Street]].
* [[Peter Cleall]] (born 1944), actor and actors' agent, was born in Finchley.
* [[Jennie Stoller]] (1946–2018), actress, was born in Finchley
* [[Rick Wills]] (born 1947), bass guitar, member of the [[Bad Company]], [[Foreigner (band)|Foreigner]], [[Jokers Wild (band)|Jokers Wild]], [[Small Faces]] and [[The Jones Gang]], was born in Finchley.
* [[John Zarnecki]] (born 1949), [[Space science|space scientist]], was born in Finchley.
* [[Jonathan Sacks]] (Lord Sacks) (1948–2020), Chief Rabbi, grew up in Finchley.
* [[Morgan Fisher]] (born 1950), keyboardist, member of the [[Mott the Hoople]], lives in Finchley. 
* [[Jerry Shirley]] (born 1952), drummer, member of the [[Humble Pie]], was born in Finchley.
* [[Geoff Travis]] (born 1952), record company founder, grew up in Finchley.
* [[Tim Parks]] (born 1954), writer, grew up in Finchley.
* [[Steve Richards]] (born 1960), journalist, grew up in Finchley.
* [[Will Self]] (born 1961), writer, went to school in Finchley.
* [[John Bercow]] (born 1963), former [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]], grew up in Finchley<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.city.ac.uk/people/honorary-graduates/the-right-honourable-john-bercow-mp|title=The Rt Hon John Bercow MP|website=City, University of London|date=23 November 2020}}</ref> and was a member of Finchley Young Conservatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://members.tortoisemedia.com/2019/08/29/john-bercow/content.html|title=Bercow v Boris|access-date=15 November 2019|archive-date=15 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115184854/https://members.tortoisemedia.com/2019/08/29/john-bercow/content.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[George Michael]] (1963–2016), singer, was born in East Finchley.
* [[Mark Thomson (darts player)|Mark Thomson]] (born 1963), professional darts player, lives in Finchley.
* [[Dave Colwell]] (born 1964), guitarist, member of the [[Bad Company]], [[Samson (band)|Samson]] and [[Humble Pie]], was born in Finchley.
* [[Ram Vaswani]] (born c. 1970), professional [[snooker]] and then [[poker]] player, lives in Finchley.
* [[Emma Bunton]] (born 1976), singer, member of the [[Spice Girls]], was born in Finchley.
* [[Demis Hassabis]] (born 1976), artificial intelligence researcher and founder of [[DeepMind]], grew up in Finchley.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/deepmind-protein-folding|title=Inside DeepMind's epic mission to solve science's trickiest problem|magazine=Wired UK |via=www.wired.co.uk }}</ref>
* [[Jade Jones (singer)|Jade Jones]] (born 1979), singer, member of the [[Damage (British group)|Damage]], lives in Finchley.
* [[Jacob Collier]] (born 1994), composer and multi-instrumentalist, lives and records music in Finchley.
* [[Anna Popplewell]] (born 1988), actress

==Twinning==
Finchley Borough had four [[sister city|twin towns]]; the London Borough of Barnet continues these links.
* [[Jinja, Uganda]], since 1963<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/tourism-travel/town-twinning/jinja.htm|title=Town twinning Jinja (Uganda)|last=Godleman|first=Mike|date=4 July 2007|publisher=LB Barnet|access-date=28 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820052948/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/tourism-travel/town-twinning/jinja.htm|archive-date=20 August 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Le Raincy]], France, since 1962<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/tourism-travel/town-twinning/le-raincy.htm|title=Town twinning Le Raincy (France)|last=Costello|first=Laura|date=28 July 2008|publisher=LB Barnet|access-date=28 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821123434/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/tourism-travel/town-twinning/le-raincy.htm|archive-date=21 August 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Montclair, New Jersey|Montclair]], United States, since 1945<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/tourism-travel/town-twinning/montclair.htm|title=Town twinning Montclair (USA)|last=Costello|first=Laura|date=29 July 2008|publisher=LB Barnet|access-date=28 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821130153/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/tourism-travel/town-twinning/montclair.htm|archive-date=21 August 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Siegen-Wittgenstein]], Germany, since 1951<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/tourism-travel/town-twinning/siegen-wittgenstein.htm|title=Town twinning Siegen Wittgenstein (Germany)|last=Godleman|first=Mike|date=28 July 2008|publisher=LB Barnet|access-date=28 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904212042/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/tourism-travel/town-twinning/siegen-wittgenstein.htm|archive-date=4 September 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Gallery==

<gallery>
File:Dollis brook viaduct.JPG|[[Dollis Brook Viaduct]]
File:East Finchley Stn statue.JPG|[[Art Deco]] 'Archer' Statue at [[East Finchley tube station|East Finchley Tube Station]] by [[Eric Aumonier]]
File:Phoenix cinema.JPG|The [[Phoenix Cinema]]
File:Extract of 1900 Map showing Edgware Highgate and London Railway.png|Route of [[Edgware, Highgate and London Railway]] highlighted on a 1900 map
</gallery>

==See also==
*The [[Finchley Gap]] – a corridor of low-lying land between the drainage basin of the rivers Colne to the north and Brent to the west, possibly the remains of an Ice age overflow channel.

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |publisher = John Murray |location = London |title = Handbook to the Environs of London |author = James Thorne |date = 1876 |chapter= Finchley |hdl = 2027/mdp.39015063815669?urlappend=%3Bseq=228 |chapter-url= http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015063815669?urlappend=%3Bseq=228 }}
*{{cite book|last=Lawrence|first=G. R. P.|authorlink=|title=Village into Borough|publisher=Finchley Public Libraries Committee|edition=2nd|location=|year=1964|oclc=899240019|url=https://www.barnet.gov.uk/sites/default/files/assets/citizenportal/documents/libraries/LocalStudies/VillageintoBorough.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009054100/https://www.barnet.gov.uk/sites/default/files/assets/citizenportal/documents/libraries/LocalStudies/VillageintoBorough.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}
*{{cite book|last= Stephens|first=H. C.  |authorlink=Henry Stephens (Conservative politician) |title=Parochial Self-government in Rural Districts: Argument and Plan |publisher=Longmans, Green & Co |location =London |year=1893|edition=2nd|url=https://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/24518}} (Includes Finchley Vestry minutes 1780 to 1841)

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.finchleysociety.org.uk/ The Finchley Society]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20171031005551/http://www.finchleyarrow.co.uk/ The Finchley Arrow]
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Finchley |short=x}}

{{LB Barnet}}
{{London Districts}}
{{Geographic Location
|Northwest = [[Totteridge]]
|North     = [[Whetstone, London|Whetstone]]
|Northeast = [[Friern Barnet]]
|West      = [[Mill Hill]]
|Centre    = Finchley
|East      = [[Muswell Hill]]
|Southwest = [[Hendon]]
|South     = [[Golders Green]]
|Southeast = [[Highgate]]
}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Finchley| ]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Places formerly in Middlesex]]
[[Category:District centres of London]]