Chipping Barnet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chipping Barnet |
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 High Street |
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 Chipping Barnet
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| Population | 47,359 (2011 Census |
| OS grid reference | TQ245955 |
| • Charing Cross | 10 mi (16 km) SSE |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BARNET |
| Postcode district | EN5 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament |
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| London Assembly |
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Chipping Barnet (also called High Barnet) is a busy suburban market town in north London, England. It's part of the London Borough of Barnet. This town grew around a settlement that started way back in the 12th century!
Barnet is about 17 kilometres (10.5 miles) north-northwest of Charing Cross in central London. It's also about 5 kilometres (3 miles) east of Borehamwood and 8 kilometres (5.2 miles) west of Enfield. In 2011, the population of Barnet and its nearby areas like East Barnet and New Barnet was 47,359 people.
People often just call it Barnet. This is also the name of the larger area (borough) it belongs to. Barnet became part of Greater London in 1965. The word "Chipping" in its name means it has a market. This market started in the late 1100s and is still going strong today! Chipping Barnet is one of the highest towns in London, with its centre being about 130 metres (427 feet) above sea level.
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History
The name of the town, Barneto, was first written down around the year 1070. It comes from an old English word, bærnet, which means "land cleared by burning". This tells us that the area was once a thick forest that was burned to make space for people to live.
Long ago, in Saxon times, this area was part of a big wood called Southaw. It belonged to the Abbey of St Albans. Barnet is known for being high up, which is why it's also called "High Barnet". This high position made it a popular stopping place for travellers on the old Great North Road. This road connected the City of London to places like York and Edinburgh.
A very important event happened near Barnet in 1471: the Battle of Barnet. This battle was part of the Wars of the Roses, a series of fights for the English throne. In this battle, King Edward IV and his Yorkist army defeated and killed a powerful leader called Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.
Barnet is also famous for its Barnet Fair, a well-known horse fair that started in 1588. Queen Elizabeth I gave permission for this fair to happen twice a year. The fair is even mentioned in rhyming slang: "Barnet Fair" or just "barnet" means "hair"!
The famous Barnet Market is almost 825 years old! On 23 August 1199, King John gave a special document (a charter) for a market to be held in Barnet.
Chipping Barnet was once a small local area (called a civil parish) in Hertfordshire. In 1965, things changed. Barnet became part of Greater London and the new London Borough of Barnet.
Churches and Religious Sites
St John the Baptist Church is a very old and important church in Barnet. It was built around 1400 and can be seen from far away. It's often called "Barnet Church" because of its long history. However, it's actually the main church for just the Chipping Barnet area. There are other churches in nearby areas like High Barnet and New Barnet.
Geography
Chipping Barnet is an important local centre in London. The tower of St John the Baptist Church, at the top of Barnet Hill, is said to be the highest point for a very long distance to the east!
Barnet is quite high up for a London town. The High Street is about 130 metres (427 feet) above sea level. The land around it to the south is also quite high, at about 90 metres (295 feet).
Demographics
The area around Chipping Barnet town centre is called the High Barnet ward. In 2011, about 82% of the people living there were white. About 4% were Indian, and 3% were from black ethnic groups.
Transport
Barnet Hill is a big hill on the old Great North Road. In the past, many horse-drawn coaches travelled through Barnet every day. Today, the main road, the A1, goes around the west side of the town.
Tube and Train
You can get to Barnet using the London Underground (Tube) or by train. High Barnet Underground station is on the Northern line. New Barnet railway station has trains that go to King's Cross and Moorgate. There are also other stations nearby like Totteridge and Whetstone and Oakleigh Park railway station.
Public Services
Barnet has its own hospital, Barnet Hospital, which is part of the NHS. There's also a local NHS clinic. The London Ambulance Service helps with medical emergencies. The police force for Barnet is the Metropolitan Police Service. The London Fire Brigade has a fire station on Station Road.
Sport and Recreation
Barnet FC is the local football team. They play in the Vanarama National League, which is the fifth level of English football. They used to play at Underhill Stadium but now play at The Hive Stadium in Stanmore. There are also other local football clubs for amateur players.
Barnet has cricket clubs and rugby clubs, which have joined together to form bigger clubs. There's a park called King George's Field and another called Old Court House Recreation Ground, which are great for outdoor activities.
High Barnet has an Everyman cinema where you can watch movies. There's also the Barnet Museum, the All Saints Art Centre, and two local parks: Ravenscroft and Barnet recreational park. You can find many restaurants and public houses (pubs) in the area. Local events include the traditional annual Barnet Fair and the Barnet Medieval Festival.
Local News
The main local newspapers are The Barnet and Potters Bar Times and The Barnet Post. The Barnet Society also shares local news and publishes a newsletter.
Notable People
Many interesting people were born or grew up in Barnet, including:
- Peter Banks (1947–2013), a rock guitarist from the band Yes.
- Stephanie Beacham (born 1947), an actress and businesswoman.
- Paul Freeman (born 1943), an actor.
- Mark Kermode (born 1963), a well-known film critic.
- Nicko McBrain (born 1952), the drummer for the band Iron Maiden.
- Elaine Paige (born 1948), a famous theatre actress and singer.
- Mike Skinner (born 1979), a rapper and musician.
Neighbouring Areas
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South Mimms | Monken Hadley | Hadley Wood | |
| Arkley |  |
Oakwood | ||
 Barnet  |
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| Totteridge | Whetstone | Southgate |
