Barnet, United Kingdom

The famous Barnet Market is now (2024) nearly 825 years old. On 23 August 1199 King John issued a charter for a market at Barnet to the Lord of the Manor, the Abbot of St. Albans, John de Cella.

Chipping Barnet was an ancient parish in Hertfordshire. In 1863, a local government district called Barnet was established covering the built-up area as it then was, taking in part of Chipping Barnet parish and parts of the neighbouring Middlesex parishes of South Mimms and Monken Hadley. The Middlesex parts of the district were transferred to Hertfordshire in 1889.

The district was reconstituted as the Barnet Urban District in 1894. As part of the 1894 reforms, the civil parish of Chipping Barnet was reduced to just cover the part of the old parish within the Barnet Urban District. The eastern end of the old Chipping Barnet parish that fell within the neighbouring East Barnet Valley Urban District became a new civil parish called Barnet Vale, and the remainder of the old Chipping Barnet parish outside either urban district became a new parish called Arkley. Barnet Urban District's boundaries were enlarged on a number of occasions, notably absorbing Arkley in 1905 and Totteridge in 1914.

In 1801 the parish had a population of 1,258 and covered an area of 1,440 acres (5.8 km2). By 1901 the parish was reduced to 380 acres (1.5 km2) and had a population of 2,893. In 1951 the population was 7,062.

The Barnet Urban District and the civil parishes it contained, including Chipping Barnet, were abolished in 1965, when the area was transferred from Hertfordshire to Greater London and the newly created London Borough of Barnet.

At the beginning of the 21st century, a tongue-in-cheek movement calling for the name Barnet to be changed to "Barnét" began to gain the attention of the public and the national media, with many public road signs in the area regularly being altered to contain the accented character.

St John the Baptist Church is a landmark for miles around and stands in what was the centre of the town. It was erected by John de la Moote, abbot of St Albans, about 1400, the architect being Beauchamp. Playing on its antiquity, it continues to call itself "Barnet Church", although this is not an official title. It is in fact the parish church of Chipping Barnet only, whilst Christ Church is the parish church of High Barnet, St Mark's is the parish church of Barnet Vale, St James's is the parish church of New Barnet, and Holy Trinity is the parish church of the Lyonsdown district. In addition, St Mary the Virgin is the parish church of East Barnet and St John of Friern Barnet. The parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Monken Hadley (rebuilt 1494) also has parish boundaries that include a significant part of High Barnet, including much of Barnet High Street.

The living of Barnet is a curacy, held with the rectory of East Barnet till the death of the last incumbent in 1866, when the livings were separated. The parish of Chipping Barnet, served by St John's Church, was provided with a chapel-of-ease in Victorian times; subsequently Chipping Barnet parish was split in two, and the chapel-of-ease (on Bells Hill, Barnet) raised to the status of a parish church, dedicated to St Stephen.