Dollis Brook - Henley's Corner
River
Brent
The Dollis Brook flows south and is met by the Mutton Brook from the east. From the point of the confluence it is called the River Brent
Post to the east East Finchley
Post to the north Church End
Post to the south Temple Fortune
Brent Park
This is the area of the confluence of the Mutton and Dollis Brooks and the start of the River Brent.
The park is on the site of Brent Bridge House and there are some mature evergreen trees close to the site of the house, which was demolished in 1935. Barnet Council purchased 25 acres of what was Fox Hole Wood, in 1930 and Brent Park opened to the public in 1934. The path in the northern part runs on the east side of the river and the area is a scrubby with much rosebay willow herb, blackberries, nettles etc. but also some very large mature trees.
Mutton Brook Bridge – the stretch of lake is traversed at its northern tip by a bridge of rustic stonework, balustraded. There is a pendant silver lime tree beyond it.
Pond – said to be ancient. The lake was created as a duck decoy, possibly as long as 1,000 years ago by Abbots of Westminster, and the farmland surrounding it was owned by Decoy Farm.
Bridge Lane
Said to be an ancient route
Decoy Farm. This was farmed in the 19th for hay and for cattle for export, demolished in 1935
Temple Fortune Club. This opened as a tennis club in 1922 with games on a tennis court behind The Royal Oak Public House at the end of Bridge Lane. Finance was raised by ex- officers from the 1914-1918 war. In 1932 The Home Guard used the pavilion as its Headquarters and it is they helped the club to pay its way. Squash courts were added in 1970 and the clubhouse in 1977 using the maple floor from the old building.
Creswick Walk
Designed by architect G.L. Sutcliffe as his first commission from the Co-partnership Tenants
Crooked Usage
This was a part of Hendon Lane and dates from the straightening of the lane in 1911-12.
Finchley Road
Set up following an Act of Parliament in 1827 as a turnpike road.
Bridge over the Mutton Brook.
860-864 estate office designed by by C.S. Soutar's office in 1935. It continues the style and material of Central Square and was the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust offices
1287 This was Morris House. Now Kwik Fit
Fitzalan Road
College Farm. Express Dairy’s 'pioneering model dairy, 1883 by Frederick Chancellor. George Barham, founder of the Express Dairy Company.
College Farm was first mentioned in 1302 as Sheephouse Farm. Express Dairy Company bought it in the
1860's and rebuilt it as a model to the dairy industry
to promote hygiene. The farm was stocked with Guernsey
cows, plus 4 Shire horses and roundsmens' horses. It was opened to the public daily as a public relations exercise. It
became one of the sights of London both as
a centre for family outings and for dairy trade experts. Barham travelled around the world demonstrate
the working of the farm .In 1884 they pioneered bottled milk and in 1921 it
became the first Tuberculin tested dairy. After the
Second World War the Express Dairy disposed of most of their farms in
the London area and it became a museum and show farm for rare breeds. In 1974,
the Department of the Environment bought the farm and it became derelict. It was then leased by a young local farmer who ran it as a
livery stables and a shop.
. It now belongs to the college farm trust. It has a
picturesque five-gabled front and there is a Foreman's house at the end in
similar style. Behind is a double courtyard with brick buildings built to house
cows and dairy functions.
Hendon Lane
Post box with a V.R. cypher. 1887 - 1899
Kinloss Gardens
Finchley United Reformed Synagogue. This is a constituent member of the United Synagogue, and began in 1930 in a house in Crescent Road. A synagogue for 500 people opened in here in 1935 and was replaced in 1967 by one nearby for 1,350. It was built by Dowton and Hurst in reinforced concrete with Portland stone cladding on the front elevation.
North Circular
Henleys Corner. This complicated interchange is named after a motor dealer which once had their showrooms there. The A1 and the North Circular cross here along with other roads
The Mutton Brook flows beneath it in a tunnel
Regents Park Road
In 1826 the turnpike road from Marylebone crossed the Mutton Brook and was named Regent's Park Road, replacing the older name of Ducksetter's Lane.
Holiday Inn Express – it seems to have replaced the Golden Eagle pub
Naked lady is ‘La Deliverance’ sculpted by Guillame. This was erected to celebrate the battle of the Maine and given to the borough by Viscount Rothermere. It was unveiled by Lloyd George in 1927 and shows a bronze nude girl on tiptoe.
Sources
British History. Hendon, web site
Clunn. The Face of London
College Farm. Web site
Field. Place names of London
Heathfield. Finchley and Whetstone Past.
London Gardens Online. Web site
Middlesex Churches
Middlesex County Council. A history of Middlesex
Miller. Hampstead Garden Suburb
Pevsner and Cherry. London North
Stevenson, Middlesex
Temple Fortune Club web site
The Dollis Brook flows south and is met by the Mutton Brook from the east. From the point of the confluence it is called the River Brent
Post to the east East Finchley
Post to the north Church End
Post to the south Temple Fortune
Brent Park
This is the area of the confluence of the Mutton and Dollis Brooks and the start of the River Brent.
The park is on the site of Brent Bridge House and there are some mature evergreen trees close to the site of the house, which was demolished in 1935. Barnet Council purchased 25 acres of what was Fox Hole Wood, in 1930 and Brent Park opened to the public in 1934. The path in the northern part runs on the east side of the river and the area is a scrubby with much rosebay willow herb, blackberries, nettles etc. but also some very large mature trees.
Mutton Brook Bridge – the stretch of lake is traversed at its northern tip by a bridge of rustic stonework, balustraded. There is a pendant silver lime tree beyond it.
Pond – said to be ancient. The lake was created as a duck decoy, possibly as long as 1,000 years ago by Abbots of Westminster, and the farmland surrounding it was owned by Decoy Farm.
Bridge Lane
Said to be an ancient route
Decoy Farm. This was farmed in the 19th for hay and for cattle for export, demolished in 1935
Temple Fortune Club. This opened as a tennis club in 1922 with games on a tennis court behind The Royal Oak Public House at the end of Bridge Lane. Finance was raised by ex- officers from the 1914-1918 war. In 1932 The Home Guard used the pavilion as its Headquarters and it is they helped the club to pay its way. Squash courts were added in 1970 and the clubhouse in 1977 using the maple floor from the old building.
Creswick Walk
Designed by architect G.L. Sutcliffe as his first commission from the Co-partnership Tenants
Crooked Usage
This was a part of Hendon Lane and dates from the straightening of the lane in 1911-12.
Finchley Road
Set up following an Act of Parliament in 1827 as a turnpike road.
Bridge over the Mutton Brook.
860-864 estate office designed by by C.S. Soutar's office in 1935. It continues the style and material of Central Square and was the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust offices
1287 This was Morris House. Now Kwik Fit
Fitzalan Road
College Farm. Express Dairy’s 'pioneering model dairy, 1883 by Frederick Chancellor. George Barham, founder of the Express Dairy Company.
Hendon Lane
Post box with a V.R. cypher. 1887 - 1899
Kinloss Gardens
Finchley United Reformed Synagogue. This is a constituent member of the United Synagogue, and began in 1930 in a house in Crescent Road. A synagogue for 500 people opened in here in 1935 and was replaced in 1967 by one nearby for 1,350. It was built by Dowton and Hurst in reinforced concrete with Portland stone cladding on the front elevation.
North Circular
Henleys Corner. This complicated interchange is named after a motor dealer which once had their showrooms there. The A1 and the North Circular cross here along with other roads
The Mutton Brook flows beneath it in a tunnel
Regents Park Road
In 1826 the turnpike road from Marylebone crossed the Mutton Brook and was named Regent's Park Road, replacing the older name of Ducksetter's Lane.
Holiday Inn Express – it seems to have replaced the Golden Eagle pub
Naked lady is ‘La Deliverance’ sculpted by Guillame. This was erected to celebrate the battle of the Maine and given to the borough by Viscount Rothermere. It was unveiled by Lloyd George in 1927 and shows a bronze nude girl on tiptoe.
Sources
British History. Hendon, web site
Clunn. The Face of London
College Farm. Web site
Field. Place names of London
Heathfield. Finchley and Whetstone Past.
London Gardens Online. Web site
Middlesex Churches
Middlesex County Council. A history of Middlesex
Miller. Hampstead Garden Suburb
Pevsner and Cherry. London North
Stevenson, Middlesex
Temple Fortune Club web site
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