
Woodside Park is a suburban residential area in the
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet () is a suburban London boroughs, London borough in north London, England. Forming part of Outer London, the borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the ceremonial counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. It is the ...
, in the
North Finchley
North Finchley is a suburb of London in the London Borough of Barnet, situated northwest of Charing Cross. North Finchley is centred on Tally Ho Corner, the junction of the roads to East Finchley, Church End, Friern Barnet and Whetstone. ...
postal district
A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal ...
of N12.
Description
The area to the east of the
tube station consists predominantly of large
Victorian and
Edwardian
In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
houses, many of which have been converted into
flats. It also contains Woodside Park Synagogue and a Jewish school operating from the synagogue.
The western and north-western part of the area, which can also be regarded as the part of
Totteridge
Totteridge is a residential area and former village in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is a mixture of suburban development and open land (including some farmland) situated 8 miles (13 km) north north-west of Charing Cross. It ...
in N12 rather than
N20, is sometimes called Woodside Park Garden Suburb and consists of semi-detached or detached 3 to 4 bedroom houses built in the 1950s. It includes the Woodside Park Club. The eastern boundary of the Garden Suburb is the
Dollis Brook and the southern boundary is the
Folly Brook
Folly Brook is a long Stream, brook in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a tributary of Dollis Brook, which is a tributary of the River Brent, which is a tributary of the River Thames. Folly Brook is lined for most of its length by narrow str ...
. To the south of this suburb is Woodside Park Garden Suburb proper, an area of 1920s and 1930s houses, where all but one of the roads (Linkside) are named after places in
Sussex
Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
, where the developer, one Fred Ingram, came from.
Between the Garden Suburb and the
Northern line
The Northern line is a London Underground line that runs between North London and South London. It is printed in black on the Tube map. It carries more passengers per year than any other Underground linearound 340million in 2019making it the bu ...
is an area originally of Victorian housing. Many of the houses, including the former residence of
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and actor. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Raj, British India, where he spent his ...
(now marked by a blue plaque placed in 2004 - see picture in this article), have been replaced by modern housing or flats. The
estate where
Emma Bunton
Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the Pop music, pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the ...
grew up is also located in the area.
Sussex Ring is a small commercial area situated around the mini roundabout at Chanctonbury Way, formerly the primary shopping hub of Woodside Park in North London. Initially, it provided essential services, including a post office, butcher, and ironmonger, catering to the needs of the local community.
Following the development of the North Finchley shopping parade, many of Sussex Ring's original shops closed and were replaced by more specialized businesses. Despite this shift, Sussex Ring remains a focal point for the local community. It hosts a selection of cafes, hair salons, and beauty services, maintaining its role as a social gathering spot.
Community events, such as traditional Christmas carol singing, are frequently held at Sussex Ring, reinforcing its significance as a local meeting place.
History
A house of special interest is Woodside Grange built in the late 19th century.
Pevsner describes it as: "Battlemented, with an irregular E entrance front of 3-2-2 bays, with stair tower rising behind."
[ It was built by James Turle as a home and consultancy and later owned by Sir Arthur Douglas Derry the owner of Derry and Toms Store. In 1927 it was acquired by the Finchley Catholic Grammar School.][A P Baggs, Diane K Bolton, M A Hicks and R B Pugh]
"Finchley: Education,"
in A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6, Friern Barnet, Finchley, Hornsey With Highgate, ed. T F T Baker and C R Elrington (London: Victoria County History, 1980), 91-97. British History Online, accessed February 19, 2021.
Geography
See also
* Woodside Park tube station
References
External links
Woodside Park Residents' Association
{{LB Barnet
Districts of the London Borough of Barnet
Areas of London