History of Finchley

History of Finchley Including the Following Articles:
• East Finchley (History Of)
• North Finchley (History Of)
• Finchley Central (History Of)

There are no natural boundaries to Finchley and no record in the Doomsday Book (UK’s first consensus) back in 1086 as it was part of the Bishop of London’s land (part of his estate at Fulham) since AD700, part of an ancient parish covering around 2899 acres. Finchley has been a district of Greater London Borough of Barnet since 1965; previously it was part of the County of Middlesex, an Urban District Council of Finchley since 1895.

What we know as the three centers of Finchley, East, North and Central were once 3 small seperate settlements on available fertile land, the majority of the ground being made up of hard clay, with paths connecting the three.

The settlements were called Church End (now known as Finchley Central), East End (East Finchley) and North End (North Finchley & Whetstone). The area was woodlands, and fights between the Bishop and the men of Finchley were common - the wood was used as resources for the people and this was often objected by the Bishop. Conflict between the three settlements has also been noted in history.

By the C16th most of the woodland had cleared (the only bit remaining today is in Coppetts Wood) and Finchley Common was established. The area is referred to as a common by Thomas Culpepper in 1652, but Finchley Wood in 1596 by John Gerard. The earliest use of the term common for the area refers to London’s Plague refugees in 1603.

It was a village outside of London. In 1625 a Londoner moved to Finchley to escape the Plague, creating fear amongst the locals. Villagers’ would threaten to set fire to a man travelling from London (who mostly died of the plague on their travels) to stop them from resting in the area. Its geographical positioning into the city especially after the introduction fo The Great North Road, and open unihabited space gave it a reputation for Highway Men.

In 1811 Parliament passed an Act of Enclosure (meaning the land Finchley Common was to be sectioned off and fenced, given to the Parish of Finchley) becoming the responsibility of the landowner leaving ‘fuel areas’ such as Coppett Wood and Cherry Tree Woods. Before this from the mid C17th the area was often used as a military encampment.

Most of the building took place in the C17th, and by 1920 Church End, North End and East End were joined by buildings. The buildings in the area suggest the Victorian and Edwardian period, and was integrated into London along with a lot of other areas and focused around the available transport links.

The name Finchley itself is an Anglo-Saxon one, the ‘ley’ on the end suggests an ‘opening of woodland’, and ‘finch’ being clearing wood. It was not an area developed by the Romans, much more Anglo Saxon as there is little evidence of the straight roads. Romans did however, visit the area as there has been evidence of pottery and coins, the area was hilly though and so the straight roads were built either side of the area, Ermine Street in the East and Watling Street to the West.

It lies (although not all so visible anymore) in between the River Brent and Brent Brook, which has tributaries such as Strawberry Vale Brook, Dollis Brook (Dollis coming from the Anglo Saxon word Dwllice meaning erratic) and Mutton Brook (called so due to the high quantity of sheep washing). It has a distinctive triangle shape, like that of the leg of a mutton lamb with East Finchley South narrow at the bottom, widening, going north to North Finchley and North West to Finchley Central. The North Circular Road was constructed in the 1920’s following the line of Brent and Strawberry Vale Brooks.

MAPS OF LOCAL AREA & FINCHLEY COMMON:

1786

1800

1814

LOCAL LINKS

Finchley Past & Present Photograph Book

Book on Finchley's Suspicious Death's

House Clearance Finchley, London

London Skyline

London’s Modern Skyline

London’s skyline was historically dominated by the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, where buildings even up to the 1960’s were not to exceed that height. London’s skyline compromised of church tops (now almost completing engulfed), Cathedrals, the Tower of London, Power Stations, Westminster Palace and Regal residences. The last 20-30 years have shown an attitude where developers are told to aim for the sky, beginning with Center Point in 1966, followed by the Natwest Tower in 1980.

Canary Wharf is a familiar skyline for any Londoner. The Red light flashing on the point of One Canada Square, completed in 1991, and is the centre piece of Canary Wharf in the Isle of Dogs. It stands proud alongside 25 & 8 Canada Square, 25 & 40 Bank Street, 10 Upper Bank Street and 1 Churchill Square. North Quay and Canary Riverside South will be new additions currently under construction to the Docklands area.

Until the mid 1960’s canary wharf was a busy cargo warehouse at the centre of West India Docks which closed in 1980. East India Docks and St Katherine’s Docks had already been closed from the technological advancements by The Port of London Authority in 1968.

In 1982 under London’s Docklands Development Corporation the area became an enterprise zone, attracting commerce and creating the Dockland’s Light Railway Network (jubilee station part of the expansion in 1993) aided by City Airport opening in 1987. The area is still being developed.

The IRA’s bombing of the Dockland’s and South Quay lead to further redevelopment of London’s current skyline. The two tall residential buildings of 1 Millharbour otherwise known as Pan Peninsula were constructed on the site of derelict office buildings involved in an explosion in 1996.

The City of London’s skyline is engulfed by skyscrapers such as Tower 42 (Natwest Building), recently completed (2009) Broadgate Tower, Shakespeare Tower and 99 Bishopsgate amongst others.

London’s architectural masterpiece The Gherkin, otherwise known as 30 St Mary’s Axe, is an influential and powerful addition to London City’s skyline. Lord Norman Foster (and his firm Foster and Partners) created this office block for financial insurance giants Swiss Re in the heart of the city, highlighting the evolution in London architecture within the last couple of decades.

London watched during the three years as the spiral of The Gherkin rose up into the city skyline 180m tall, can be easily distinguished from the other skyscrapers. Built on the previous site the Baltic Exchange which was near an IRA explosion in April 1992 it did not pose any threat to certain viewpoints of St Paul’s and was in need of redevelopment. Plans for Millenium Tower were rejected as it was too tall, but in 2003 the Gherkin was given the go ahead.

Environmentally friendly in its approach maximizing daylight, The Gherkin has gaps in the floor creating six shafts providing natural ventilation for the whole building. It was completed in December 2003 and opened in March 2004 and succeeds in utilizing London’s small amount of space, reflecting it at all angles, neatly disappearing in the shadow of other buildings until you are right underneath it.

London Eye added a modern landmark over Westminster (Houses of Parliament) and Big Ben, the Old City Hall (now London Aquarium and other businesses) and Guy Tower and hospital. On a walk from Cheapside, Southwark along the Thames the wheel peers around the Oxo Tower (once part of the power station for post office, bought as a cold store by Oxo then rebuilt Art Deco in the late 1920’s) once you have passed the Tate Modern (former Bankside power station)and Globe theatre.


Walking from the City along The Thames is a highly recommended walk (with the potential of local buses should it become too tiring or start raining). Not only does it offer the potential of seeing London’s present skyline but also the historic one.

This year (2010) will see the completion of 22 Marsh Wall otherwise known as The Landmark. In 2009 the go ahead was given to ‘The Shard of Glass’ or ‘Shard London Bridge’ to be completed by 2010. Upon completion this will be the largest building in London, making up of 71 floors and 66 storeys.

Other Blogosphere articles that you may find useful:
Article One
Article Two
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Article Four

LondonLife: Guide to London: Monument

The Monument, full name - The Monument to The Great Fire of London, was once the world’s tallest freestanding column, in the heart of London’s City, EC3. Standing tall, and at a slight angle, on the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, at the north end of London Bridge. It commemorates the Great Fire of London in 1666, the destruction of medieval wood built London (as well as thousands of rats who had plagued the city before) and the change and hope of London being rebuilt.

The column is 61.57 meters high, the exact distance between its location and the actual site in Pudding Lane where the fire began. The height makes a fantastic destination to get a panoramic view of London City (especially on a clear day). The top is reached by climbing the 311 steps of the narrow (especially at the top) stairwell. The cage, now mesh added at the top is to prevent people killing themselves by jumping off back in the mid 19th century.

It dates back to 1671 and was completed in 1677 by King Charles II’s Surveyor General Sir Christopher Wren, helped by his colleague Dr Robert Hooke. They originally planned it for dual use; Heritage and Scientific, conducting various experiment on gravity at the top and at the room at the bottom. However, traffic noise and vibrations disrupted this and soon after was designated sole use as being historic.

The Doric column is built of Portland Stone and the copper drum and gilded copper urn with flames coming out represent the Great Fire give the London landmark its height. The subscriptions (mostly in Latin) on the bottom describe the actions taken by King Charles II after the fire, how the monument was built, and one stating how the fire started as well as how it was extinguished (generally blaming the Roman Catholics and so was chiseled out in 1831).

During the £4.5million refurbishments, when Monument closed for 18 months (June 2007 to February 2009) a 360 degree panoramic camera was installed, another part of London’s Big Brother society. This refurbishment was so well done, preserving London’s living history. The damage to the iron railings around the base are a legacy from the raids of the Second World War.