The Bishops Avenue is a prestigious road connecting East Finchley with the north side of Hampstead Heath at Kenwood (Hampstead Lane).
The Bishops Avenue straddles the boundary between the London Boroughs of Barnet and Haringey and is renowned as one of the wealthiest streets globally.
It is famous for its extreme wealth and opulent residences - it is considered one of the most expensive streets in the world. Property prices started surpassing £1 million in the late 1980s. The houses on this street are situated on 2-3 acre plots and some are valued at tens of millions of pounds.
The name derives from the bishops of London, who owned a large hunting park in the area in the late Middle Ages. Much of this land was sold privately in the early 20th century. Currently, only one house on the street is owned by the Church.
The avenue is home to 66 houses, each showcasing a variety of architectural styles. Alongside the parallel street, Winnington Road, it boasts an array of impressive and unique homes.
The street has seen several high-profile property sales. For instance, Turkish tycoon Halis Toprak’s Toprak Mansion, a massive 30,000 sq ft residence, sold for £50 million in January 2008 to Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of Kazakhstan, making it one of the world’s most expensive houses.
Despite its prestige, The Guardian reported in 2014 that a significant number of properties on the avenue, estimated to be worth £350 million in total, were derelict and had not been lived in for decades. Some properties in the most expensive section of the avenue were registered to companies in tax havens, allowing owners to avoid certain taxes and maintain their anonymity.
 | TIP: If you choose an historical map, an 'opacity' control will appear top right. Slide it to fade in the old map compared to a new map. |
The Bishops Avenue is a prestigious road connecting East Finchley with the north side of Hampstead Heath at Kenwood (Hampstead Lane).
