Church End, Barnet

Not to be confused with Church End, Brent.

Coordinates: 51°36′08″N 0°11′34″W / 51.6021°N 0.1927°W / 51.6021; -0.1927

Church End
Ballards Lane
Church End  Church End shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ255905
- Charing Cross	7 mi (11.3 km)  SSE
London borough	Barnet
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	N3
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Finchley and Golders Green
London Assembly	Barnet and Camden
List of places: UK • England • London

Church End is a locality within Finchley in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. It is the location of Finchley Central tube station. It is a suburban development situated 7 miles (11 km) north-northwest of Charing Cross.

Toponymy

Church End was named in 1683. The name is formed from Middle English 'churche' and 'ende' and means 'district by the church'.^[1] The name refers to the parish church of Finchley, St Mary. Finchley Church End is the name of a ward in Barnet.^[2]

Geography

The entrance to St Mary's church

The main road runs on a north-south axis, and is called Regents Park Road from the North Circular Road until it reaches the station, where the name changes to Ballards Lane. Its heart is the ancient district around St Mary’s Church,^[3] where the imposing tower of Pardes House School (formerly Christ’s College Finchley), is a landmark. There is a public library in Hendon Lane. Along Ballards Lane, close to the station, is a retail district with some Victorian and Edwardian shopping parade as well as modern shops including Tesco.

To the southeast, along East End Road are two institutions of note: Avenue House home to the Finchley Society, and a Jewish cultural centre the Sternberg Centre. Avenue House was the home of Henry 'Inky' Stephens, son of Henry Stephens (1796-1864) who founded the Stephens' Ink Company, the first producers of "Blue-Black Writing Fluid" in 1832. A small museum open three afternoons a week commemorates this invention and the Stephens family, along with the history of writing materials including many photographs and artefacts.

'Inky' Stephens, a former local MP, left Avenue House to "the people of Finchley" on his death in 1918. South, along Regents Park Road, is College Farm, the last farm in Finchley, and a statue, referred to locally as “The Naked Lady”, but more properly named La Delivrance. Victoria Park is the home of the Finchley Carnival, a large fun fair held every year in July, dating back to 1905.^[4]

History

Main article: History of Church End, Barnet

References

1. ^ Mills, D. (2000). Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names. Oxford. 
2. ^ http://committeepapers.barnet.gov.uk/democracy/council/ward.asp?intsectionid=9&wardid=9
3. ^ http://www.stmaryatfinchley.org.uk
4. ^ http://www.finchleycarnival.co.uk/

Coordinates: 51°36′08″N 0°11′34″W / 51.6021°N 0.1927°W / 51.6021; -0.1927