Finchley, United Kingdom
Finchley is a town of 65,812 people in England, United Kingdom.
Why visit Finchley
Townapedia lists 38 museums and landmarks, 79 parks and trails, 163 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Alexandra Palace, Everyman Cinema, St Pancras and Islington Cemetery and Arts Depot.
Weather in Finchley
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About Finchley
Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. 7 mi (11 km) north of Charing Cross, nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill and Hendon.
From the Wikipedia article Finchley (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photos of Finchley
Things to do8
Alexandra Palace
Cinema and theater · 2.8 mi
Entertainment venue in Alexandra Park, London
Everyman Cinema
Cinema and theater · 3.2 mi
Cinema and former theatre in Hampstead, London, England
Golders Green Hippodrome
Cinema and theater · 2.0 mi
Theatre in London, England, UK
New End Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.0 mi
Former theatre in Hampstead, London
Pentameters Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.2 mi
Pub theatre in Hampstead, Camden, London, England
Museums and landmarks38
2 Willow Road
Museum · 3.2 mi
Heritage Museum in London, United Kingdom
Church Farmhouse Museum
Museum · 1.6 mi
Former museum in Barnet, London
Fenton House
Museum · 3.0 mi
17th-century house with walled garden in Hampstead, London, UK
Golders Green War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 2.0 mi
War memorial in London
Hampstead War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 2.7 mi
War memorial in London
Hendon War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 1.8 mi
War memorial in London
Keats House
Museum · 3.4 mi
Writer's house museum in Keats Grove, Hampstead, London Borough of Camden, England, UK
Kenwood House
Museum · 2.4 mi
Art museum and historic house in Hampstead, London
Burgh House and Hampstead Museum
Museum · 3.1 mi
Local museum in Camden, London, England, United Kingdom
26 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds79
Victoria Park
Park · 0.5 mi
Park in Finchley, London Borough of Barnet, United Kingdom
Brent Park
Park · 1.3 mi
Park in London Borough of Barnet, United Kingdom
Lyttelton Playing Fields
Park · 1.4 mi
Public park in London, England
Princes Park
Park · 1.4 mi
Park in Temple Fortune, in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England
Arrandene Open Space and Featherstone Hill
Park · 1.7 mi
Local nature reserve in Barnet, London, England
Barfield Allotments Nature Park
Park · 2.4 mi
Parkland in London, England
67 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes163
Sushimania
Restaurant · Sushi, Japanese · 1.1 mi
650 High Road, London
Mo-Fr 12:00-15:00,18:00-23:00; Sa,Su 12:00-23:00
Ahir Lorenzo's
Bar and pub
298 Nether Street, London
Mo-Th 11:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-02:00; Su 11:00-24:00
Elephant Inn
Bar and pub · 1.0 mi
283 Ballards Lane, London
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-00:00; Su 12:00-22:30
Izgara Finchley
Restaurant · Turkish, Mediterranean, Kebab, Grill
No: 11 Hendon Lane, London
Mo-Su 12:00-23:00
King of Prussia
Bar and pub · Pizza, Burger
363 Regents Park Road, London
Mo-Th 12:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-24:00; Su 12:00-23:00
Taro
Restaurant · Japanese
356 Regent's Park Road, London
Mo-Fr 12:00-15:00,17:00-22:00; Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:30
151 more on the map.
History
Finchley probably means "Finch's clearing" or "finches' clearing" in late Anglo-Saxon; the name was first recorded in the early 13th century. 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.
Extensive cultivation began about the time of the Norman conquest. By the 15th and 16th centuries the woods on the eastern side of the parish had been cleared to form Finchley Common. The medieval Great North Road, which ran through the common, was notorious for highwaymen until the early 19th century.
St Mary-at-Finchley Church is first recorded in the 1270s. 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. 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.
It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, originally within the hundred of Ossulstone and later becoming its own urban district, which was then incorporated as a municipal borough in 1933. It has been part of Greater London since 1965.
Read more of the history
The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (later the Great Northern Railway) reached Finchley in 1867. It ran from Finsbury Park via Finchley to Edgware. The branch from Finchley to High Barnet opened in 1872. In 1905 tram services were established in Finchley, and extended shortly afterwards to Barnet. They were eventually replaced by trolleybuses.
In 1933, the Underground New Works Programme (1935–1940), to electrify the lines through Finchley, and connect the Northern line from Archway to 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 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, 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' project) was abandoned, although the line continued to be used by steam trains for goods traffic through Finchley, until 1964.
From the History section of Finchley on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Finchley
Geography
Finchley is on a plateau, 90 metres (300 ft) above sea level 11 km (6.8 mi) north of Charing Cross and 6 km (3.7 mi) south of Barnet. To the west is the Dollis valley formed by Dollis Brook the natural western boundary of Finchley. Mutton Brook forms the southern boundary, joining the Dollis Brook to become the River Brent.
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 corresponding to the three town centres in the area:
Church End, often known as "Finchley Central" (particularly since the station was renamed), the area north and west of the North Circular Road, centred on Ballards Lane and Finchley Central Underground station, and in postal area N3;
East Finchley, roughly between Highgate and the North Circular Road, and in postal area N2;
North Finchley, surrounding Tally-Ho corner, stretching west to the Northern line, in postcode district N12.
Education
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.
From the Wikipedia article Finchley, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Finchley
Anthony AndrewsBritish actorPhoto: Allan warren, CC BY-SA 3.0
Terry-ThomasBritish comedian and actor (1911-1990)Photo: Employee(s) of United Artists, Public domain
Helen GardnerEnglish literary critic and academic (1908–1986)Photo: Jburlinson, CC BY-SA 3.0
William LawsonEnglish born Australian explorer and politician (1774-1850)Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
William Johnstone HopeBritish Royal Navy admiral and politician (1766-1831)Photo: James Ramsay, Public domain
Ralph FreemanBritish civil engineer (1911–1998)Photo: Sam at English Wikipedia, Public domain- Emma BuntonBritish singer (born 1976)
- Claire BloomBritish actress (born 1931)
- Dora BoothbyEnglish badminton and tennis player (1881–1970)
- Godfrey Evanscricketer (1920-1999)
- Harold B. MattinglyBritish historian of graeco-roman history, numismatist and university teacher (1923-2015)
- David Young, Baron Young of GraffhamBritish politician, cabinet minister and businessman (1932–2022)
Born in Finchley, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay5
Holiday Inn Express Golders Green
Motel and hotel · 0.8 mi
58 Regents Park Road, London
Churches and places of worship67
Church of St Cyril of Turau and All the Patron Saints of the Belarusian People
Church · Greek Catholic · 1.2 mi
Holden Avenue, London
Shopping37
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries48
Healthcare21
Map of Finchley
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
RAF Northolt (NHT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 10 miles away.
- Golders Green 2 mi south, about 3 min by car
- Friern Barnet 2 mi northeast, about 3 min by car
- Totteridge 2 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Muswell Hill 2 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Highgate 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Wood Green 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Barnet 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Hornsey 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- New Barnet 3 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Archway 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Finchley
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Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Ballards lane, Grim23 ( talk )., CC BY-SA 3.0
- 363 Regents Park Road Dignity, Finchley, N3, Ewan Munro, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 363 Regents Park Road Dignity, Finchley, N3 - 4782065507, Ewan Munro, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Dignity, Finchley, N3 (6811508329), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 363 Regents Park Road Dignity, Finchley, N3 - 9917156965, Ewan Munro, CC BY-SA 2.0
- APalace 1, Jack Rose, CC BY-SA 4.0
- New End Theatre, Hampstead, London, England-27June2008, Andy Roberts, CC BY 2.0
- 1-3 Willow Road, Steve Cadman from London, U.K., CC BY-SA 2.0
- Church Farmhouse Museum, Grim23, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fenton House Hampstead front February 2006, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- War memorial at Golders Green (12465422183), Ian Wright, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Hampstead War Memorial, Heath Street, Gareth E. Kegg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Keats House, Cj1340 ( talk ), Public domain
- River Brent in Brent Park, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lyttelton Playing Fields 1, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Princes Park tree, Dudley Miles, CC0
- Sunny Hill Park, Dudley Miles, Public domain
- Barfield Allotments Nature Park, Dudley Miles, CC0
- Childs Hill Park, Dudley Miles, CC0
- East Finchley Baptist Church Sept 2016, Philafrenzy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- All Saints' Church, East Finchley 05, Philafrenzy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Jude Hampstead Garden Suburb, Steve Cadman from London, U.K., CC BY-SA 2.0
- Artsdepot, Grim23, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CCF Panorama, Djharwood, CC0
- Free Church, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Steve Cadman from London, U.K., CC BY-SA 2.0
- St Mary's Church Hendon exterior, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Finchley Methodist Church (2), Philafrenzy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of St Cyril of Turau and All the Patron Saints of the Belarusian People (2016-11-24), Nieszczarda2, CC BY-SA 4.0
- East Finchley Library 01, Philafrenzy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Finchley Memorial Hospital, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Jude's, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Steve Cadman (stevecadman), CC BY-SA 2.0
- Victoria park finchley entrance, User:Grim23, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Islington Chapel, Mark Kobayashi-Hillary, CC BY 2.0
- Pentameters Theatre front, July 2021 (02), Isochrone, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Artsdepot, North Finchley 02, Philafrenzy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hornbeam Barnet Gate Wood 3, Dudley Miles, Public domain
- Burtonhole Lane, Dudley Miles, Public domain
- Arrandene Open Space, Dudley Miles, Public domain
- Arkley South Field, Dudley Miles, Public domain
- Ashley Lane, Dudley Miles, Public domain
- Everyman Cinema Club, Hampstead, NW3 (2487183245), Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Golders Green Hippodrome North End Road London NW11 7RP, Spudgun67, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kenwood House King Charles I by unknown Artist, Ricardalovesmonuments, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 298 Nether Street Ahir Lorenzo's, Finchley, N3, Ewan Munro, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, gness, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, erias, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, erias, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, erias, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, zymurgic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, Semir_Mapillary, CC BY-SA 4.0
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