Dollis Brook - Pricklers Hill
Dollis Brook
The Dollis Brook flows south eastwards
Post to the west Underhill
Post to the south Dollis Brook Valley
Barnet Hill
From the Old Red Lion up to High Barnet the original road was rather south main of the present line. In the 1820s the road was rebuilt and the gradient lessened. This was according to plans of Mr. Telford and the effects of these improvements may be seen in the embanked approach to Barnet.
Old road – the line of the pre-Telford hill can be seen in the green area on west side of the road. It was possible to make out vestiges of the former road until the 1950s.
The Michaelmas Horse Fair was held on both sides of the long embankment; once described as 'three days of pandemonium' it is now a quieter affair, banished to a less busy area.
Railway Bridge. The railway is now the Northern Line to High Barnet. At the point where the railway crosses the road, the embankment is at its most spectacular.
Barnet Lane
Barnet Playing Fields laid out in 1926
Underhill Stadium. The ground was opened in September 1907 and is the home of Barnet Football Club and also used for Arsenal Football Club reserve games. When it was opened, it was the ground of Barnet Alston and after the Great War they used the name Barnet Football Club
Fairfield Way
Barnet Fair moved to this area in the late 1920s
Gloucester Road
Barnet Lawn Tennis club. With eight courts. This was previously Gloucester Road Lawn Tennis Club
Grasvenor Avenue
This was part of a piece of land called Sherrard’s, possibly after an early owner. In 1602 when the Leathersellers’ Company purchased 66 acres of land here. Half of the money came from Elizabeth Grasvenor, and the other half came from Richard Rogers. They made up the Rogers and Grasvenor Trust, which is still administered by the Leathersellers Company. The Leathersellers’ Company used money from the sale of Elizabeth Grasvenor's property to buy the land so the rents could be used for charitable purposes connected with the company. The Trust’s income was used for a variety of charitable causes, which continues today
Grasvenor Avenue Infant School. The school was built in 1938 on land loaned by the Leathersellers Livery Company to the then Hertfordshire Local Authority,
Ravenscroft Cottages. The Jesus Hospital Charity was founded in 1679 by James and Mary Ravenscroft. The original endowment, provided six almshouses for “poor and ancient women” and the Charity now has 54 almshouses in the Chipping Barnet area.
Greenhill Park
The road covers the area of some of Greenhill Park, which was an estate here, originally Pricklers, but known as Greenhill Gardens from the 16th. The estate was sold for development in 1926 after the death of Emma Hasluck.
Telford’s work on the Great North Road included embankments on this stretch to smooth out the slope towards Underhill. The embankment is evident here and particularly in the houses on the eastern side of the road.
Ivere Drive
Holbein Terrace. Built on site of railway electricity sub station.
Leicester Road
Highland Gardens, This was the gardens of Highlands House – now the site of flats in Abbotts Road. It was owned by Bevan Braithwaite who designed the gardens and it was left to the people of Barnet in the 1930s. It had 19th water features, and rare trees were planted. There is now a wild flower meadow in the flat grass area above the source of a stream and local people have developed a tree trail.
Greenhill New Church. Swedenborgian church. This was set up by the North Finchley Society of the New Church which began in 1787 in Eastcheap. They later moved to Cross Street, where a stone was laid in 1796. A plaque from this is displayed in the church.
Potters Lane
The clay in the area was good for pottery and the lane is called after this industry and has had the name since before 1240
Pricklers Hill - Great North Road
This stretch is Pricklers Hill – this was named for the Prittle family who lived nearby and owned land here. In the early 19th the road ran along the Whetstone ridge, descended near the county boundary and rose again near todays Western Parade. it dropped at Mays Lane and then it began a long ascent up to the town. Telford raised an embankment here to smooth out the slope down to Underhill. The land, on which houses are now built, falls away on both sides of the road along this stretch and the embankment itself is quite clear.
A stream which flowed from the Greenhill House lakes into Dollis Brook and was diverted into a drain during Telford’s work on the road.
Greenhill Gardens is a small public park which is the part of an estate known as Pricklers, named for the Prittle family. The estate was renamed Greenhill Gardens in the 16th developed for housing in the 20th. In 1926 the area was bought by East Barnet Council as a public park. There is an ornamental lake which attracts many birds, and it also has a grassed area with scattered mature trees. It is also a nature reserve.
Queens Arms. Old pub site although the building is clearly more recent.
Weavers Bar. Pub in shop premises on the parade
Meadow Works. Trading estate and light industry on what was the site of Whelm Cottage or Elm Farm.
Lodge to Greenhill House was on the corner of Lyonsdown
Railway line
The line was built in 1872 and goes up the side of the Dollis Valley. It crosses the site of the old horse race track from Barnet Fair
Station Road
Fire Station. this fire station was built in 1992, replacing one built in 1901. There is a drill tower and a facility for the ambulance service
Underhill
Old Red Lion. Opened at some time in the 1720s. because of the steepness of the hill the pub Red Lion would provide coaches with an extra pair of horses - called a Hercules pair.
Western Parade
The Odeon Theatre. This opened in 1935 designed by architect Edgar Simmons. It was originally built for the County Cinemas circuit and was taken over by Odeon during construction. It is still in use as a cinema and is now a listed building. It is a brick clad Steel frame building with a sheet metal roof. It’s ‘Moorish-style' front is flanked by brick towers . Inside is an Art Deco auditorium,
Sources
British Listed buildings
Bygone Barnet web site
Cinema Theatre Association Newsletter
Cinema Treasures web site
Field. London Place Names
Grasvenor Avenue Infants School web site
Jesus Charity web site
Pevsner and Cherry, London North
Underhill Stadium Wikipedia web site
Walford. Village London
Webster. Great North Road
The Dollis Brook flows south eastwards
Post to the west Underhill
Post to the south Dollis Brook Valley
Barnet Hill
From the Old Red Lion up to High Barnet the original road was rather south main of the present line. In the 1820s the road was rebuilt and the gradient lessened. This was according to plans of Mr. Telford and the effects of these improvements may be seen in the embanked approach to Barnet.
Old road – the line of the pre-Telford hill can be seen in the green area on west side of the road. It was possible to make out vestiges of the former road until the 1950s.
The Michaelmas Horse Fair was held on both sides of the long embankment; once described as 'three days of pandemonium' it is now a quieter affair, banished to a less busy area.
Railway Bridge. The railway is now the Northern Line to High Barnet. At the point where the railway crosses the road, the embankment is at its most spectacular.
Barnet Lane
Barnet Playing Fields laid out in 1926
Underhill Stadium. The ground was opened in September 1907 and is the home of Barnet Football Club and also used for Arsenal Football Club reserve games. When it was opened, it was the ground of Barnet Alston and after the Great War they used the name Barnet Football Club
Fairfield Way
Barnet Fair moved to this area in the late 1920s
Gloucester Road
Barnet Lawn Tennis club. With eight courts. This was previously Gloucester Road Lawn Tennis Club
Grasvenor Avenue
This was part of a piece of land called Sherrard’s, possibly after an early owner. In 1602 when the Leathersellers’ Company purchased 66 acres of land here. Half of the money came from Elizabeth Grasvenor, and the other half came from Richard Rogers. They made up the Rogers and Grasvenor Trust, which is still administered by the Leathersellers Company. The Leathersellers’ Company used money from the sale of Elizabeth Grasvenor's property to buy the land so the rents could be used for charitable purposes connected with the company. The Trust’s income was used for a variety of charitable causes, which continues today
Grasvenor Avenue Infant School. The school was built in 1938 on land loaned by the Leathersellers Livery Company to the then Hertfordshire Local Authority,
Ravenscroft Cottages. The Jesus Hospital Charity was founded in 1679 by James and Mary Ravenscroft. The original endowment, provided six almshouses for “poor and ancient women” and the Charity now has 54 almshouses in the Chipping Barnet area.
Greenhill Park
The road covers the area of some of Greenhill Park, which was an estate here, originally Pricklers, but known as Greenhill Gardens from the 16th. The estate was sold for development in 1926 after the death of Emma Hasluck.
Telford’s work on the Great North Road included embankments on this stretch to smooth out the slope towards Underhill. The embankment is evident here and particularly in the houses on the eastern side of the road.
Ivere Drive
Holbein Terrace. Built on site of railway electricity sub station.
Leicester Road
Highland Gardens, This was the gardens of Highlands House – now the site of flats in Abbotts Road. It was owned by Bevan Braithwaite who designed the gardens and it was left to the people of Barnet in the 1930s. It had 19th water features, and rare trees were planted. There is now a wild flower meadow in the flat grass area above the source of a stream and local people have developed a tree trail.
Greenhill New Church. Swedenborgian church. This was set up by the North Finchley Society of the New Church which began in 1787 in Eastcheap. They later moved to Cross Street, where a stone was laid in 1796. A plaque from this is displayed in the church.
Potters Lane
The clay in the area was good for pottery and the lane is called after this industry and has had the name since before 1240
Pricklers Hill - Great North Road
This stretch is Pricklers Hill – this was named for the Prittle family who lived nearby and owned land here. In the early 19th the road ran along the Whetstone ridge, descended near the county boundary and rose again near todays Western Parade. it dropped at Mays Lane and then it began a long ascent up to the town. Telford raised an embankment here to smooth out the slope down to Underhill. The land, on which houses are now built, falls away on both sides of the road along this stretch and the embankment itself is quite clear.
A stream which flowed from the Greenhill House lakes into Dollis Brook and was diverted into a drain during Telford’s work on the road.
Greenhill Gardens is a small public park which is the part of an estate known as Pricklers, named for the Prittle family. The estate was renamed Greenhill Gardens in the 16th developed for housing in the 20th. In 1926 the area was bought by East Barnet Council as a public park. There is an ornamental lake which attracts many birds, and it also has a grassed area with scattered mature trees. It is also a nature reserve.
Queens Arms. Old pub site although the building is clearly more recent.
Weavers Bar. Pub in shop premises on the parade
Meadow Works. Trading estate and light industry on what was the site of Whelm Cottage or Elm Farm.
Lodge to Greenhill House was on the corner of Lyonsdown
Railway line
The line was built in 1872 and goes up the side of the Dollis Valley. It crosses the site of the old horse race track from Barnet Fair
Station Road
Fire Station. this fire station was built in 1992, replacing one built in 1901. There is a drill tower and a facility for the ambulance service
Underhill
Old Red Lion. Opened at some time in the 1720s. because of the steepness of the hill the pub Red Lion would provide coaches with an extra pair of horses - called a Hercules pair.
Western Parade
The Odeon Theatre. This opened in 1935 designed by architect Edgar Simmons. It was originally built for the County Cinemas circuit and was taken over by Odeon during construction. It is still in use as a cinema and is now a listed building. It is a brick clad Steel frame building with a sheet metal roof. It’s ‘Moorish-style' front is flanked by brick towers . Inside is an Art Deco auditorium,
Sources
British Listed buildingsBygone Barnet web site
Cinema Theatre Association Newsletter
Cinema Treasures web site
Field. London Place Names
Grasvenor Avenue Infants School web site
Jesus Charity web site
Pevsner and Cherry, London North
Underhill Stadium Wikipedia web site
Walford. Village London
Webster. Great North Road
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