The land on which East Finchley now stands was once part of the Bishop of London’s hunting ground. More recently, it was home to some grand ’country’ estates of wealthy Londoners, from which several roads take their names (e.g. Summerlee Avenue, Park Hall Road). At one time East Finchley was referred to as ’East End’.

East Finchley underground station, first opened in 1863 by the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway, is topped by a famous statue of an archer, created in the Art Deco style, and pointing his arrow towards the other end of the tunnel which starts south of the station and runs all the way to the end of the Northern Line at Morden. This 27.8 km tunnel was for many years the longest in the world. There was originally an arrow at Morden Station to match the archer at East Finchley, but this was stolen not long after the station was opened.