Whetstone

It is thought that Whetstone was named after the stone used to sharpen knives and other tools, a chunk of which is located on the High Road, on the pavement outside the Griffin pub.

Legend has it that stone was used by soldiers about to fight in the Battle of Barnet.

Whetstone was an important staging post for stagecoaches going north from London. There has been an inn on the site of the present Griffin pub for centuries, though the present building dates from 1928.

When frequently combined with its neighbour, this combined area is the 63rd richest area in the UK (2008) - an acclamation which can be credited to Totteridge Lane, a long road home to many multi-millionaires.

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LATEST LONDON-WIDE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROJECT

Wendy The Polygon Added: 22 Mar 2024 15:33 GMT	Polygon Buildings Following the demolition of the Polygon, and prior to the construction of Oakshott Court in 1974, 4 tenement type blocks of flats were built on the site at Clarendon Sq/Phoenix Rd called Polygon Buildings. These were primarily for people working for the Midland Railway and subsequently British Rail. My family lived for 5 years in Block C in the 1950s. It seems that very few photos exist of these buildings. Reply
Steve Charleville Circus, SE26 Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:42 GMT	Road construction and houses completed New Charleville Circus road layout shown on Stanford’s Library Map Of London And Its Suburbs 1879 with access via West Hill only. Plans showing street numbering were recorded in 1888 so we can concluded the houses in Charleville Circus were built by this date. Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London Reply
Steve Charleville Circus, SE26 Added: 19 Mar 2024 08:04 GMT	Charleville Circus, Sydenham: One Place Study (OPS) One Place Study’s (OPS) are a recent innovation to research and record historical facts/events/people focused on a single place �’ building, street, town etc. I have created an open access OPS of Charleville Circus on WikiTree that has over a million members across the globe working on a single family tree for everyone to enjoy, for free, forever. Source: Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London Reply
Charles Hornsey Rise, N19 Added: 8 Mar 2024 20:45 GMT	My House I want to know who lived in my house in the 1860’s. Reply
NH Woodgrange Road, E7 Added: 7 Mar 2024 11:41 GMT	Telephone House Donald Hunter House, formerly Telephone House, was the BT Offices closed in 2000 Reply
Paul Cox Aldine Street, W12 Added: 5 Mar 2024 22:18 GMT	War damage reinstatement plans of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street Whilst clearing my elderly Mothers house of general detritus, I’ve come across original plans (one on acetate) of No’s 11 & 13 Aldine Street. Might they be of interest or should I just dispose of them? There are 4 copies seemingly from the one single acetate example. Seems a shame to just junk them as the level of detail is exquisite. No worries if of no interest, but thought I’d put it out there. Reply
Diana New Inn Yard, E1 Added: 28 Feb 2024 13:52 GMT	New Inn Yard, E1 My great grandparents x 6 lived in New Inn Yard. On this date, their son was baptised in nearby St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch Source: BDM London, Cripplegate and Shoreditch registers written by church clerk. Reply
Vic Stanley Peckham High Street, SE1 Added: 24 Feb 2024 17:38 GMT	Postcose The postcode is SE15, NOT SE1 Reply

NEARBY LOCATIONS OF NOTE

Alma Primary Alma Primary School is a Jewish school (capacity 210) which accepts students between the ages of 4 and 11.

Alma Primary

Dollis Valley Green Walk The Dollis Valley Green Walk was developed and implemented by the London Borough of Barnet in 1992.

Dollis Valley Green Walk

Oakleigh Park Farm Oakleigh Park Farm was immediately south of where Chandos Avenue is now.

Oakleigh Park Farm

Totteridge And Whetstone Before becoming part of the London Borough of Barnet in 1965, Totteridge was in Hertfordshire and Whetstone in Middlesex.

Totteridge And Whetstone

Whetstone Stray Whetstone Stray is parkland created during the twentieth century from former farmland.

Whetstone Stray

NEARBY STREETS

54865, N20 Park Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

54865, N20

Acton Walk, N20 Acton Walk is a location in London

Acton Walk, N20

Ainsworth Close, NW2 Ainsworth Close is a location in London (Whetstone)

Ainsworth Close, NW2

Allum Way, N20 Allum Way is a service road running east of the tracks of the Northern Line (Totteridge And Whetstone)

Allum Way, N20

Applewood Close, N20 Applewood Close is a road in the N20 postcode area

Applewood Close, N20

Athenaeum Road, N20 Athenaeum Road was named after the Athenaeum Institute

Athenaeum Road, N20

Attfield Close, N20 Attfield Close is a location in London (Whetstone)

Attfield Close, N20

Balfour Grove, N20 Balfour Grove seems to date from 1903 (Whetstone)

Balfour Grove, N20

Barfield Avenue, N20 Barfield Avenue runs between Oakleigh Road North and Russell Lane (Whetstone)

Barfield Avenue, N20

Bawtry Road, N20 Bawtry Road was built in the 1880s (Whetstone)

Bawtry Road, N20

Baxendale, N20 Baxendale was named for Joseph Baxendale who lived locally in the 19th century (Whetstone)

Baxendale, N20

Bedford Hill, N20 Barnet House is a block in Whetstone (Whetstone)

Bedford Hill, N20

Beech Avenue, N20 Beech Avenue is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Beech Avenue, N20

Beresford Avenue, N20 Beresford Avenue is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Beresford Avenue, N20

Birley Road, N20 Birley Road is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Birley Road, N20

Blakeney Close, N20 Blakeney Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Blakeney Close, N20

Bookbinders Cottages, N20 Bookbinders Cottages is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Bookbinders Cottages, N20

Brookmead Court, N20 Brookmead Court is a block on Totteridge Lane (Totteridge And Whetstone)

Brookmead Court, N20

Buckingham Avenue, N20 Buckingham Avenue was originally a private road being made up in 1933

Buckingham Avenue, N20

Cadbury Close, N20 Cadbury Close is a location in London

Cadbury Close, N20

Cameron Close, N20 Cameron Close is a location in London (Whetstone)

Cameron Close, N20

Capel Close, N20 Capel Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Capel Close, N20

Chandos Avenue, N20 Chandos Avenue dates from just after the First World War

Chandos Avenue, N20

Charnwood Place, N20 Charnwood Place is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Charnwood Place, N20

Chiltern Court, N20 A street within the N20 postcode (Whetstone)

Chiltern Court, N20

Church Close, N20 Church Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Church Close, N20

Church Crescent, N20 Church Crescent dates from the interwar period (Whetstone)

Church Crescent, N20

Church Way, N20 Chuch Way was one of the initial roads of the Bethune estate (Whetstone)

Church Way, N20

Coniston Close, N20 Coniston Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Coniston Close, N20

Darcy Close, N20 Darcy Close was named after D’Arcy Bacon, a younger son of John Bacon of Friary Park (Whetstone)

Darcy Close, N20

Denham Road, N20 Denham Road is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Denham Road, N20

Deodora Close, N20 Deodora Close was named for a large house called Deodora (Whetstone)

Deodora Close, N20

Domville Close, N20 Domville Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Domville Close, N20

Downland Close, N20 Downland Close is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area

Downland Close, N20

Edelman House, N20 Edelman House is a block on High Road (Whetstone)

Edelman House, N20

Elkanette Mews, N20 Elkanette Mews is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Elkanette Mews, N20

Euro House, N20 Euro House is a block on High Road

Euro House, N20

Farnham Close, N20 Farnham Close was originally to be called Walfield Close

Farnham Close, N20

Fernwood Crescent, N20 Fernwood Crescent was built as part of the Woodvilla Estate (Whetstone)

Fernwood Crescent, N20

Franklin Close, N20 Franklin Close is a road in the N20 postcode area

Franklin Close, N20

Friars Avenue, N20 Friars Avenue was built around the turn of the 1930s (Whetstone)

Friars Avenue, N20

Friern Barnet Lane, N20 Friern Barnet Lane is one of the oldest roads in the area (Whetstone)

Friern Barnet Lane, N20

Friern Mount Drive, N20 Friern Mount Drive was built by a builder called Scott

Friern Mount Drive, N20

Golfside Close, N20 Golfside Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Golfside Close, N20

Grangeview Road, N20 Grangeview Road was built just before the Second World War

Grangeview Road, N20

Great Bushey Drive, N20 Great Bushey Drive is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Totteridge)

Great Bushey Drive, N20

Green Road, N20 Green Road is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Green Road, N20

Greenoak Close, SW19 Greenoak Close is a location in London (Whetstone)

Greenoak Close, SW19

Greenside Close, N20 Greenside Close is a location in London (Whetstone)

Greenside Close, N20

Gresham Avenue, N20 Gresham Avenue is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Gresham Avenue, N20

Harrison Close, N20 Harrison Close is a road in the N20 postcode area

Harrison Close, N20

Hayward Road, N20 Hayward Road is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Hayward Road, N20

High Road, N20 High Road Whetstone is otherwise known as the Great North Road (Whetstone)

High Road, N20

High Trees, N20 High Trees is a location in London (Whetstone)

High Trees, N20

Hyde Court, N20 Hyde Court is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Hyde Court, N20

Kingswood Close, N20 Kingswood Close is a road in the N20 postcode area

Kingswood Close, N20

Langton Avenue, N20 Langton Avenue is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area

Langton Avenue, N20

Lawrence Campe Close, N20 Lawrence Campe Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Lawrence Campe Close, N20

Links Court, N20 Links Court is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Links Court, N20

Loring Road, N20 Loring Road was built over Chapel Field - also covered by All Saints’ Church (Whetstone)

Loring Road, N20

Loring Road, N20 A street within the N20 postcode (Whetstone)

Loring Road, N20

Lovegrove Way, N20 Lovegrove Way is a location in London (Whetstone)

Lovegrove Way, N20

Macaret Close, N20 Macaret Close is a road in the N20 postcode area

Macaret Close, N20

Manor Court, N20 Manor Court is a location in London (Whetstone)

Manor Court, N20

Manor Drive, N20 In 1929, Friern Barnet Council altered the name of the road from Main Drive to Manor Road (Whetstone)

Manor Drive, N20

Marlborough Gardens, N20 Marlborough Gardens was at first to be called Jubilee Gardens (Whetstone)

Marlborough Gardens, N20

Maryrose Way, N20 Maryrose Way is a road in the N20 postcode area

Maryrose Way, N20

Maxfield Close, N20 Maxfield Close is a road in the N20 postcode area

Maxfield Close, N20

Mcready Road, N20 Mcready Road is a location in London (Whetstone)

Mcready Road, N20

Mellish Close, E14 Mellish Close is a location in London (Whetstone)

Mellish Close, E14

Miles Way, N20 Miles Way was built in the 1920s (Whetstone)

Miles Way, N20

Millson Close, N20 Millson Close is a location in London (Whetstone)

Millson Close, N20

Monkhams Drive, N20 A street within the N20 postcode

Monkhams Drive, N20

Mountview Court, N20 Mountview Court is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Mountview Court, N20

Myddelton Park, N20 Myddelton Park was built by John Miles before 1882 when he erected All Saints’ Church and vicarage nearby (Whetstone)

Myddelton Park, N20

Naylor Road, N20 Naylor Road is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Naylor Road, N20

Nina Walk, N20 Nina Walk is a location in London (Whetstone)

Nina Walk, N20

Northway House, N20 Northway House is a block on High Road

Northway House, N20

Oakleigh Avenue, N20 Oakleigh Avenue was laid out as All Saints’ Road in 1905

Oakleigh Avenue, N20

Oakleigh Close, N20 Oakleigh Close is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Oakleigh Close, N20

Oakleigh Crescent, N20 Oakleigh Crescent is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Oakleigh Crescent, N20

Oakleigh Gardens, N20 Oakleigh Gardens was started in 1907

Oakleigh Gardens, N20

Oakleigh Mews, N20 Oakleigh Mews is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Oakleigh Mews, N20

Oakleigh Park North, N20 Oakleigh Park North was the location of derring-do

Oakleigh Park North, N20

Oakleigh Park South, N20 Like nearby Oakleigh Road, Oakleigh Park is split between north and south sections

Oakleigh Park South, N20

Oakleigh Road North, N20 Oakleigh Road runs north-west from New Southgate parallel with Friern Barnet Lane to Whetstone High Road. (Whetstone)

Oakleigh Road North, N20

Orchard Avenue, N20 Orchard Avenue is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Orchard Avenue, N20

Oxford Gardens, N20 Oxford Gardens, off Athenaeum Road, a cul-de-sac of town houses was partly finished by 1968

Oxford Gardens, N20

Park Way, N20 Park Way is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Park Way, N20

Pollard Road, N20 Pollard Road was a project of the National Land Corporation (Whetstone)

Pollard Road, N20

Porch Way, N20 Porch Way was built on the site of Porch House (Whetstone)

Porch Way, N20

Quayle Crescent, N20 Quayle Crescent is a location in London (Whetstone)

Quayle Crescent, N20

Queens Avenue, N20 Queens Avenue was laid out in 1905 (Whetstone)

Queens Avenue, N20

Queens Well Avenue, N20 Queens Well Avenue was originally to be called Barratts Avenue (Whetstone)

Queens Well Avenue, N20

Raleigh Drive, N20 Raleigh Drive is named after Sir Walter Raleigh (Whetstone)

Raleigh Drive, N20

Rasper Road, N20 Rasper Road dates from the 1870s (Whetstone)

Rasper Road, N20

Ridgeview Road, N20 Ridgeview Road is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

Ridgeview Road, N20

Russell Gardens, N20 Houses were built along Russell Gardens in 1925 (Whetstone)

Russell Gardens, N20

Russell Road, N20 Russell Road was a council scheme after World War I (Whetstone)

Russell Road, N20

Sherwood Street, N20 Sherwood Street may date from the 1860s (Whetstone)

Sherwood Street, N20

Sherwood Terrace, N20 Sherwood Terrace is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Sherwood Terrace, N20

Simmons Close, N20 Simmons Close was named after Sydney Simmons who put up the money for the building of Friary Park (Whetstone)

Simmons Close, N20

Simmons Way, N20 Simmons Way was a development built in the 1920s (Whetstone)

Simmons Way, N20

South Mount, N20 South Mount is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

South Mount, N20

St James Avenue, N20 St James Avenue first appears in the 1932 Kelly’s Directory of Finchley although no houses are shown (Whetstone)

St James Avenue, N20

St James Close, N20 St James Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

St James Close, N20

St John’s Close, N20 St John’s Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

St John’s Close, N20

St Margarets Avenue, N20 St Margarets Avenue is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area (Whetstone)

St Margarets Avenue, N20

St Ninian’s Court, N20 St Ninian’s Court is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

St Ninian’s Court, N20

St. James Close, N20 St. James Close is a location in London (Whetstone)

St. James Close, N20

St. Margaret’s Avenue, N20 St. Margaret’s Avenue is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

St. Margaret’s Avenue, N20

St. Margarets Avenue, N20 St. Margarets Avenue is a location in London (Whetstone)

St. Margarets Avenue, N20

Swan Court, N20 Swan Court can be found on High Road (Whetstone)

Swan Court, N20

Swan Lane, N20 Swan Lane is one of the roads built on the edge of the original Finchley Common (Whetstone)

Swan Lane, N20

Sweets Way, N20 In 1969 Sweets Way replaced the former nursery at Whetstone (Whetstone)

Sweets Way, N20

Temple Avenue, N20 Temple Avenue is one of the streets of London in the N20 postal area

Temple Avenue, N20

Thatcham Gardens, N20 Thatcham Gardens is a road in the N20 postcode area

Thatcham Gardens, N20

The Firs, N20 The Firs is a road in the N20 postcode area

The Firs, N20

Thorneycroft Road, N20 Thorneycroft Road is a location in London (Whetstone)

Thorneycroft Road, N20

Toye Avenue, N20 Toye Avenue is a location in London (Whetstone)

Toye Avenue, N20

Tulett Avenue, N20 Tulett Avenue is a location in London (Whetstone)

Tulett Avenue, N20

Turnberry House, N20 Turnberry House can be found on High Road

Turnberry House, N20

Turners Close, N20 Turners Close is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

Turners Close, N20

Warden’s House, N20 Warden’s House is a block on Baxendale (Whetstone)

Warden’s House, N20

Well Grove, N20 Well Grove is a road in the N20 postcode area

Well Grove, N20

Wessex Court, N20 Wessex Court is located on High Road

Wessex Court, N20

Whetstone Close, N20 Whetstone Close is a small cul-de-sac leading off of Oakleigh Road North

Whetstone Close, N20

Whetstone House, N20 Whetstone House is sited on Oakleigh Road North (Whetstone)

Whetstone House, N20

Woodside House, N20 Woodside House is a block on Baxendale (Whetstone)

Woodside House, N20

York Way, N20 York Way is a road in the N20 postcode area (Whetstone)

York Way, N20

NEARBY PUBS

Friary Park Bowling Club

North Middlesex Golf Club

The Griffin

The York Arms

Three Horseshoes Public House

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LOCAL PHOTOS

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Finchley Catholic Grammar School was founded in 1926 by the Monsignor Canon Clement Henry Parsons (1892–1980), parish priest of St Alban’s Catholic Church, Nether Street, North Finchley. He founded the Challoner School (a fee-paying grammar school for boys who had not passed their 11+); as well as St Alban’s Catholic Preparatory School as a feeder primary for the Grammar and Challoner schools. 1971 saw its two institutional forebears, Finchley Catholic Grammar School ("Finchley Grammar") and the Challoner School, merge to become Finchley Catholic High School). It was the sister school of the all-girls St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School during the grammar school era. The school started as a private initiative and parents were able to consider allowing their children to remain at school for longer. In a short time demand outgrew accommodation, the school had to extend. An appeal from the pulpit by Canon Parsons began the collection that by Christmas 1928 had produced enough money to purchase a building. Woodside Grange seemed an ideal site for the new school but it took the intervention of the Anglican Bishop of London to complete the purchase. The deal was finalised and the building taken over in September 1929.
Credit: Finchley Catholic High School
TUM image id: 1526478168
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The Swan and Pyramids (1960)
Credit: Friern Barnet & District Local History Society
TUM image id: 1527516358
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Manor Farm Dairy at Oakleigh Park Farm (c.1905)
TUM image id: 1527674249
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Solomon's Terrace was a little alley in Whetstone with eight little cottages
Credit: Andrew Forsyth Collection
TUM image id: 1527675774
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Totteridge & Whetstone station in its pre-London Underground Great Northern days (1937) Along with High Barnet, it became part of the Northern line in April 1940. A walk from High Barnet to Totteridge & Whetstone: https://wp.me/p5AqcL-1Lz
Credit: Topical Press
TUM image id: 1656150751
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In the neighbourhood...

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Manor Farm Dairy at Oakleigh Park Farm (c.1905)
Licence: CC BY 2.0

Solomon's Terrace was a little alley in Whetstone with eight little cottages
Credit: Andrew Forsyth Collection
Licence: CC BY 2.0

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