Friern Barnet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Friern Barnet
Friern Barnet Town Hall
Friern Barnet
Population	17,250 Coppetts ward (2011 census)
OS grid reference	TQ276920
London borough	Barnet
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	N10, N11, N12, N20
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Chipping Barnet
London Assembly	Barnet and Camden
List of places UK England London 51°36′45″N 0°09′30″W / 51.6126°N 0.1584°W / 51.6126; -0.1584

Friern Barnet is a suburban area in the London Borough of Barnet. It's about 7.4 miles (11.9 km) north of Charing Cross, which is a famous spot in central London. The heart of Friern Barnet is a busy crossroads where Colney Hatch Lane, Woodhouse Road, and Friern Barnet Road meet.

History of Friern Barnet

Friern Barnet was once an old parish in the county of Middlesex. A "parish" is like a local area or district.

Friern Barnet within Middlesex in 1961

This area was originally part of Chipping Barnet. By the 1200s, the part of Barnet in Middlesex was called Little Barnet. Later, it became Frerenbarnet, and then Friern Barnet. The word "Friern" comes from the French word for "brother." It refers to the Knights Hospitaller, a group of knights from the Middle Ages.

For a long time, Friern Barnet was mostly countryside. But things started to change in the 1800s. A large hospital for people with mental health issues, called Colney Hatch Asylum, opened in 1851. Also, new train stations opened around the same time. These changes helped Friern Barnet grow into a suburb, which is an area just outside a city. Electric trams arrived in the early 1900s, making it even easier for people to live there and travel to London.

Local decisions were first made by a group called the parish vestry. Later, in 1883, the area formed a "local board of health" to manage local services. In 1894, this board became the Friern Barnet Urban District. This district covered about 1,304 acres (5.28 km²) in 1911 and had a population of 14,924 people. By 1961, its population had grown to 28,813. In 1965, Friern Barnet became part of the London Borough of Barnet.

Famous People from Friern Barnet

Many interesting people have connections to Friern Barnet:

• Lawrence Campe (died 1613) was a businessman from London. He helped pay for the building of almshouses (homes for poor people) in the area.
• Charlotte Maria Tucker (1821–1893), also known as A.L.O.E. (A Lady of England), was born in Friern Hatch. She wrote many books and poems for children and adults.
• Wilfred Kitching (1893–1977) was the 7th General of the Salvation Army. He went to Friern Barnet Grammar School.
• Dorothy Lawrence (1896–1964) was a reporter who pretended to be a man so she could join the army during World War I. She later lived at the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum (which became Friern Hospital).
• Jack Cohen, who started the Tesco supermarket chain, helped fund a Jewish care home in Friern Barnet called Lady Sarah Cohen House.
• Hazel Alden Reason (1901–1976) was a chemist and writer who made science easy to understand. She was born in Friern Barnet.
• H. G. H. Kearns (1902–1986) was an expert on insects who also knew a lot about engineering. He was born in Friern Barnet.
• Cyril Fletcher (1913–2005) was a comedian and actor. He went to Woodhouse Grammar School.
• Colin Pearson (1923–2007) was an artist who made pottery and taught art. He was born in Friern Barnet.
• Edgar Mann (1926–2013) was a politician who led the government of the Isle of Man. He went to Woodhouse Barnet Grammar School.
• John Williams (born 1941) is a famous classical guitarist. He went to Friern Barnet Grammar School.
• Václav Jelínek (born 1944) was a spy from the Czech Republic. He was caught in his flat in Friern Barnet in 1988 while getting secret messages.
• Neil 'Roberto' Williams (born 1978) is a radio and TV presenter. He went to Friern Barnet Grammar School.
• The pop group Girls Aloud used to live at Princess Park Manor in Friern Barnet.

Homes in Friern Barnet

The houses in Friern Barnet are often from the late Victorian and early Edwardian periods. These are large, older homes. There are also many smaller semi-detached and terraced houses. Most people own their homes here. However, some of the bigger houses have been divided into smaller flats or rooms. There are also newer housing areas, like Princess Park Manor. This is a fancy new development built where the old Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum (later Friern Hospital) used to be.

Friern Village

Next to Princess Park Manor is a new housing area called Friern Village. This land used to be farmed by the residents of the Colney Hatch Hospital. In 1998, the people who lived in this new area voted on a name for their community, and they chose Friern Village. There's also a new public park in front of Princess Park Manor called Friern Village Park.

Shopping and Businesses

Friern Barnet retail park

The Friern Barnet Retail Park is close to the North Circular Road. It has several big shops, including Currys PC World, B&Q, and Furniture Village.

Where is Friern Barnet?

Neighbouring areas

	Whetstone	Oakleigh Park	Brunswick Park
	North Finchley		New Southgate
		Friern Barnet
	East Finchley	Muswell Hill	Bounds Green

Parks and Green Spaces

Friern Barnet is a green suburb with many private gardens and trees. It also has Friary Park. The area is home to the North Middlesex Golf Club and Coppetts Wood nature reserve. Coppetts Wood is a medium-sized green area with rare plants and wildlife. You might even find small bats and Great Crested Newts there!

Buildings and Design

The Church of England parish church of St John The Evangelist on Friern Barnet Road is a very important building. It's listed as "Grade II* listed," which means it's a particularly important building of special interest.

Friern Barnet Town Hall was built between 1939 and 1941. It was designed by Sir John Brown and A. E. Henson. This building is considered a great example of modern design from its time. It shows a strong sense of local pride.

Schools and Colleges

Some of the local schools and colleges include Coppetts Wood Primary School, Friern Barnet School, Dwight School London (which used to be Friern Barnet Grammar School), The Compton School, Woodhouse College, St John's CE Primary School, Holly Park Primary School, and the Wren Academy.

Getting Around

The North Circular Road cuts through the southern part of Friern Barnet. The closest London Underground stations are Arnos Grove and Finchley Central. The nearest train station is New Southgate. Many London Buses routes serve the area, including routes 34, 43, 134, 221, 232, 234, 382, 634, 683, and SL1.