East Finchley

 

This is the 46th station on the Northern line and the 225th station on the Underground  that I have visited. I am now almost 7 miles away from Central London so I am never sure if there will be much of interest to write about. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line. A station was opened here in August 1867 on the Great Northern Railway line between Finsbury Park and Edgware stations. It was completely rebuilt in the late 1930s with additional tracks added. Northern Line trains started serving the station in 1939 and the main line trains ceased in 1941.

The new station was designed by Charles Holden in an art deco style.

A feature of the station is the stairwell flooded with light from the glazed exterior. 

You can also see the station offices which are built over the tracks.

Large windows giving much light into the ticket hall. Always a feature of a Charles Holden station.

A much larger station than I thought it would be with one very unusual feature. 

Above the entrance is a sculpture of an archer. 

The sculpture is by Eric Aumonier and dates from 1940. Its aim is to link East Finchley station to its historic surroundings as an ancient hunting area with the archer's bow pointing in the direction of Central London. The sculpture was part of a wider initiative to link stations to their local area. Unfortunately this was cut short by the outbreak of WW2 and consequently this is the only completed work.

As I was taking the photos of the station, I noticed the building next to the station car park.

There is no mistaking this sign. I then realised I had been here in 2012. This is the McDonald University where they teach serving and management skills. I came here on a course in 2012 as I had been recruited as an interviewer for those candidates who wanted to volunteer as a Games Maker for the 2012 London Olympics. I had completely forgotten that it was here in North Finchley. One thing I do remember is that I was offered a very healthy lunch that did not include a hamburger and fries.

On the other side of the station is the Old White Lion pub. This pub had to be moved from its original site because of the arrival of the railway. Prior to the Old White Lion, this was the site of the 'Dirthouse', a coaching inn for waggoners and travellers. In the 17th and 18th centuries trade between settlements in Finchley and London increased. Hay and livestock would be taken to London by cart or wagon and would return from the city loaded with soot or manure, which gave rise to the name 'Dirthouse'.

Across the road from the station is Cherry Tree Wood. This was part of a huge hunting area developed by the church in the 13th cent. In 1915 The Wood was bought by Finchley Urban District Council from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and opened to the public.

I came out of the park to continue my walk down the long High Street.

The Phoenix Cinema was built by Premier Electric Theatres in 1910 but didn't open as the company went bankrupt. But in 1912 it opened as the Picturedrome with a film about the Titanic. At that time there was an orchestra pit as music was played to accompany the silent movies. Its name changed to the Coliseum in 1924 and began to show 'talkies' from 1929 onwards. Over the years it changed to the Gaumont and then The Rex. In 1975 the new owners changed the name once again and it became The Pheonix. But with declining audiences it was going to be demolished until the local community stepped in and with numerous petitions and protests, a new Phoenix Cinema Trust was formed with the help of a grant from the Greater London Council in 1985. The cinema is still functioning today having been refurbished in 2010. 

This pub on the High Street started life in the 1700s as a forge with the blacksmith illicitly selling beer. It became known as The Jolly Blacksmith. It was licensed in 1790 and the name changed to The Bald Faced Stag. It is said that the name arose as this was a meeting point for public deer hunts. It has also been suggested that the name might have come from a white faced stag that was known to roam Finchley Common.

In this digital world in which we live, police stations with public access to report crimes are rare.  So this Metropolitan Police office on the High Street was unusual. I couldn't find the times of opening though just a sign with a QR code and website details for you to report non emergency crimes.

I turned off the High Street onto East End Road.  Holy Trinity School was founded here by the parish church in 1847. The building originally provided for 80 boys, 80 girls and 80 infants. Each department having its own head. Accommodation for the Headmaster and the Headmistress was provided at both ends of the school.

Over time the school expanded. Following WW2 there were over 500 pupils on roll. Some classes were held at the Congregational church opposite. In 1975 a new school was built a short distance away. The school was opened by the Bishop of London and Margaret Thatcher who was the MP for Finchley.

Pupils remained at the school until they reached the age of 14. They had to pay for their tuition: two (old) pence a week in the infants; sixpence for the first child in the Boys' and Girls' schools and three pence for any additional children. Fees were paid until 1903. In 1991 the school was purchased by the Bobath Centre and is used as a centre to help improve the lives of children with cerebral palsy.

Lots of green areas alongside East End Road.

I walked on to find The Holy Trinity Church. The church was designed by Anthony Salvin, the same person who designed the school. Both buildings are Grade II listed.

It looked a beuatiful church and dates back to 1846. It wasn't open so I couldn't go inside where I believe the stained glass windows are worth a visit. I thought the bell tower was unusual.

I thought this hall belonged to the church but I was wrong. It is the Hindu organisation, Shree Aden Depala Mitra Mandal. The hall is used by Local members of the Hindu community for celebrations and other events.

These are the gates to the St Pancras and Islington cemeteries. This is the third largest cemetery in the UK and is the largest in terms of burial numbers with over one million interments and cremations. Following the Metropolitan Burials Act 1852 outer London cemeteries were created to alleviate the overcrowding which was happening in parish churhyard which were badly managed. The cemetery was established in 1854 as the first municiplally owned cemetery in London when St Pancras Burial Board bought 88 acres of former farm land on Finchley Common, A further 94 acres were bought in 1877 and the total area divided between Islington and Camden.

Walking back towards the station I found yet more interesting shops on the High Street.

This is the Baptist Church hall. Built in 1902 by George Baines the Art Nouveau Gothic church is faced in knapped flint. This is where the flint is split showing its dark centre which are then set into the wall.

I would loved to have gone inside for a look round but there was an event taking place and I didn't think gatecrashing was appropriate. I have enjoyed my walk around East Finchley today. It has so much more to offer that I had anticipated. I hope the rest of the stations on the Northern Line are as interesting.