New Barnet


New Barnet is a neighbourhood on the north east side of the London Borough of Barnet. It is a largely residential North London suburb located east of Chipping Barnet, west of Cockfosters, the village of Monken Hadley and north of Oakleigh Park.
Residential properties include a mix of late victorian villas & terraces, edwardian detached housing, 1950 - 1960s council housing and the redevelopment of land to low storey flats in the 1980s and 1990s. The north edge of New Barnet borders Monken Hadley Common, a Common mostly made up of woods and cut by walking paths.
The main commercial area in New Barnet is East of New Barnet railway station on East Barnet Road. The high street is dominated by a medium sized Sainsbury's supermarket with parking on top and is surrounded by a cluster of shops and facilities including Fayers, Just Add Water, PureGym, Tesco Express, Majestic Wine, The Party Shop, Bikestrobe, Ink n Toner and . Several independent Cafes also exist on the High Street.
A number of office blocks were built in Station Road to the West of the Station in the 1960s & 70s however many have now been converted to flats. In the past Station Approach in New Barnet was the home of CompShop which produced the pioneering UK101 kit microcomputer.
Public Houses in New Barnet include The Railway Tavern, The Railway Bell The Builders Arms and The Lord Kitchener whilst is a bar-restaurant with Caribbean themed menu.

History

New Barnet owes its conception to the building of the Great Northern Railway in 1850, when a station serving High Barnet was built, but located about a mile away from the town centre of High Barnet, so that this 'new' area quickly saw development:

In 1876, Handbook to the Environs of London by James Thorne describe New Barnet as one of those new half-finished railway villages that we have come to look on as almost a necessary adjunct of every station within a moderate distance of London.
New Barnet's growth accelerated at the turn of the 19th Century aided by the speculative developer, E. Fergusson Taylor, who became known as the creator of New Barnet.
In 1892 a town hall was built for the local board and from 1894 New Barnet formed part of the East Barnet Urban District of Hertfordshire until 1965 when it was transferred from Hertfordshire to Greater London to become part of the newly created London Borough of Barnet. The War Memorial was built opposite the Town Hall in 1921 to remember the 278 men of East Barnet who died in World War 1
The Town Hall still stands in Station Road but Local government use ended in the early 1990s and the property was sold off for use as a restaurant. In 2006 the building was converted into flats.
In 2019 a new Leisure Centre in New Barnet was completed by Barnet council including a 25m pool and gym. The Leisure Centre is run by the not-for-profit provider Better.

Transport

Trains

The main serving Rail Station in the area is New Barnet Station.
Regular Trains run south into London Moorgate via Finsbury Park and North to Welwyn Garden City via Potters Bar.
The closest Tube Stations are High Barnet tube station to the West and Cockfosters tube station to the East.

Buses

Buses serving New Barnet are:
RouteStartEndOperator
84
not a London bus route		New Barnet railway stationSt AlbansMetroline
107New Barnet railway stationEdgwareMetroline
184Ducks Island, BarnetTurnpike Lane StationArriva London
307Barnet HospitalBrimsdownArriva London
326The Spires Shopping Centre, BarnetBrent CrossLondon Sovereign
383The Spires Shopping Centre, BarnetWoodside ParkUno
384ArkleyCockfosters tube stationMetroline
714New BarnetLuton via Luton AirportMetroline

Places of Worship

Churches include: Anglican St James's, St Mark's, Holy Trinity ; Catholic Mary Immaculate & St Peter ; United Reformed Church ; Quaker Friends' Meeting.
There is a United on Eversleigh Road. is a Buddhist Temple on Henry Road.

Schools and Education

Primary

is a performing arts school for the under-19s with premises on East Barnet Road including dance studios. Course Qualifications are recognised by Trinity College.

Green Spaces & Environment

New Barnet is bounded by Monken Hadley Common to the North, which is largely a wooded area, with paths and a fishing lake. King George's Field bounds the West side of New Barnet and is one of many King George's Fields all over the country, established as memorials to King George V. Other Green Spaces include Victoria Recreation Ground, Highland Gardens and Ludgrove Playing Fields.

Governance

are held every four years to elect Councillors to Barnet London Borough Council. New Barnet is covered by three wards:
New Barnet is in the Chipping Barnet and is represented by the Conservative Party MP Theresa Villiers.