Arkley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arkley |
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 Arkley War Memorial |
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 Arkley
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| OS grid reference | TQ225955 |
| • Charing Cross | 10.6 mi (17.1 km) SSE |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BARNET |
| Postcode district | EN5 |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | NW7 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament |
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| London Assembly |
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Arkley is a small village in Greater London, England. It's part of the London Borough of Barnet. You can find it about 17 kilometres (10.6 miles) north-northwest of Charing Cross, a famous spot in central London.
Arkley is a long village stretching between Barnet and Stirling Corner. It includes older areas like Barnet Gate, Rowley Green, and Arkley itself. At about 147 metres (482 feet) above sea level, Arkley is one of the highest places in London!
Contents
Arkley's Past
What's in a Name?
The name Arkley has a bit of a mystery around it. It was first written down as Arkleyslond in 1332. The first part, (e)arc, might mean a wooden box or chest. The second part, leāh, means a clearing in a forest. So, Arkley could mean "a forest clearing near a place where wooden chests were made."
A Look Back in Time
Some people think Hendon Wood Lane was once a small Roman road. The name "Grendel's Gate," now called Barnet Gate, is linked to a monster from the old Saxon story, Beowulf. This suggests the area was important as far back as 1005. It might have been a small community that relied on the nearby woodlands.
Later, in the Middle Ages, the area was known as "Southhaw." It might even be older than the settlement at Chipping Barnet. In the 1200s, local court meetings were held here. For a long time, until the late 1800s, Arkley was often called "Barnet Common" or "West Barnet."
In 1894, Arkley became its own official area, called a civil parish. Before that, it was part of Chipping Barnet. This change meant Arkley had its own local council. Arkley was then absorbed into Barnet Urban District in 1905. It officially became part of the London Borough of Barnet in Greater London in 1965.
Secret Listening Station in World War II
During World War II, Arkley played a secret role! From October 1940, a large house called Arkley View became home to the Radio Security Service. This was a secret listening station. Other big houses nearby were used to house staff and for sending and receiving radio messages.
They listened in on messages from German spy networks. These messages were then sent to Bletchley Park to be decoded. Many local people worked at this secret station before some were moved to Bletchley Park.
Famous Buildings
St Peter's Church was built in 1840. It was first a private chapel. The church has a special tablet for its founder, Enoch Durant. More parts were added to the church later, like the chancel in 1898.
The Arkley Windmill was working by 1806. It was used to grind corn. By the 1890s, it only had two of its original sails. It stopped working during World War I. It was repaired in 1930, but not to work as a mill again.
The Gate Inn is an old pub with some original features. Its sign is a hanging five-bar gate with a poem:
- and hinders none;
- refresh and pay,
- and travel on
It's said that the famous dancer Anna Pavlova once visited the Gate Inn. Until the 1960s, a large tree actually grew up through the floor of the pub and out through its roof!
Nature in Arkley
Arkley has many important nature spots for its size. These are called Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation:
- Arkley Lane and Pastures
- Arkley South Fields
- Barnet Gate Wood
- Glebe Lane Pastures
- Rowley Green Common
- Rowley Lodge Field
- Totteridge Fields and Highwood Hill
Also, two streams, Dollis Brook and Folly Brook, start in Arkley. These are also important nature sites.
Where is Arkley?
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Borehamwood | South Mimms | High Barnet | |
| Elstree |  |
Chipping Barnet | ||
 Arkley  |
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| Edgware | Mill Hill | Totteridge |
Getting Around Arkley
Tube Station
The closest underground station is:
- High Barnet – on the Northern line
Bus Routes
You can catch several buses in Arkley:
- 107 – travels from New Barnet Station to Edgware Station, passing through Borehamwood.
- 307 – goes from Barnet General Hospital to Brimsdown, via Barnet and Enfield.
- 614 – runs from Queensbury Station to Hatfield Business Park, via Barnet (Monday to Saturday).
- 384 – connects Edgware to Cockfosters Station, via Barnet (Quinta Drive).
Local Businesses
For centuries, people in Arkley have used the local clay to make bricks and pottery. In the 1950s, an old 13th-century kiln (a type of oven for pottery) was found at Dyke Cottage. Old maps from the 1800s even show a "Tile Works" here. St Peter’s Church was built using bricks made from local clay.
In the 1970s, a small racing car called the "Arkley" was built in the area by John Britten.
Sports in Arkley
Arkley Golf Club started in 1909. The golf course was designed by famous golfers James Braid and Harry Vardon. Sadly, in 1975, a plane crashed on the golf course, and six people died, including the famous racing driver Graham Hill.
Famous People from Arkley
Many well-known people have lived in or near Arkley:
- Cyril Brine (1918–1988) – a speedway rider who competed internationally.
- Tony Blackburn – a popular radio disc jockey.
- Graham Hill – a F1 racing driver and two-time World Champion. He lived nearby and died when his private plane crashed on Arkley Golf Course in 1975.
- Mark Heap – an actor.
- Trevor Howard (1913–1988) – an actor who lived in Arkley for many years with his actress wife Helen Cherry. His ashes are buried at St Peter’s Church.
- Humphrey Lyttelton – a famous musician.
- W. E. Shewell-Cooper – an organic gardener who used Arkley Manor as his home and a show garden.
- Norman Wisdom – a well-loved comedian.
- Jermaine Jenas – a footballer.
- Bacary Sagna – a footballer.
- Marouane Chamakh – a footballer.
- Zayn Malik – a musician, formerly from the band One Direction.
- Perrie Edwards – a musician, part of the girl band Little Mix.
- Theresa Villiers – the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chipping Barnet.
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