Arkley

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type = Greater London
region= London
population=
official_name= Arkley
london_borough= Barnet
constituency_westminster= Chipping Barnet
post_town= BARNET
post_town1= LONDON
postcode_area = EN
postcode_district = EN5
postcode_area1 = NW
postcode_district1 = NW7
dial_code= 020
os_grid_reference= TQ225955
latitude= 51.6477
longitude= -0.2311

Arkley is a village in the London Borough of Barnet. It is located convert|10.6|mi|km|1 north north-west of Charing Cross, and at convert|482|ft|m|0 above sea level is one of the highest points in London.

It consists of a long village strung out between Barnet and Stirling Corner roughly centred around the "Gate" pub and is composed of the ancient hamlets of Barnet Gate, Rowley Green and Arkley hamlet. It is also home to one of the oldest windmills in southern England.

History

Historical background

It is thought by some that Hendon Wood Lane was originally a minor Roman road. Certainly the name, 'Grendel's Gate' (now Barnet Gate, and formally known as 'Grims Gate'), is associated with the monster from the Saxon epic, Beowulf. This implies that the place was of modest importance as early as 1005. It may have been a centre of a small but significant community, founded on a woodland economy.

The area is latter referred to in medieval documents as 'Southhaw', and may have pre-dated the settlement at Chipping Barnet. Certainly, Barnet manorial court was held here in the 13th century. Nobody is sure what the 'Ark', part of Arkley means but the 'ley' means a "clearing of some sort". Its earliest appearance is about 1330. By the 16th century, these woods had been cleared, and the subsequent clearing formed common.

From at least the early 19th century until the 1890s, Arkley was commonly known as 'Barnet Common' or 'West Barnet'. The establishment of the civil parish [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10170758] of 830 acres (3.4 km²) in 1894 confused matters further, as it was defined by the rural area around 'Barnet Town', and included places as far east as Duck Island and Underhill. It is from the civil parish, and the later ward of Barnet Urban District (from 1905) that we have our population statistics for Arkley. Between 1901 and 1971, Arkley's rose from 483 to 16,832.

Important buildings

Important buildings in the area include St Peter's Church [http://www.barnetlep.org.uk/st_peter.htm] , designed by George Beckett. Built in 1840 at a cost of £5,000, it contains the monument of its benefactor, Enoch Durant (died 1848), and a bell cast by Thomas Mears.

St Peter's can be found opposite the War Memorial on Barnet Road in Arkley.

Arkley, as an ecclesiastical district was established in the same year, and as a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1905. Arkley Windmill [http://www.windmillworld.com/uk/hertfordshire.htm] was in use by 1806. It is marked as "corn" windmill on the Ordnance Survey of the 1860s . From photographs, it appears to have had only two of its original sails by the 1890s, by which time it may have been powered by steam. It ceased to be a functioning mill during World War I, and was restored in 1930, but not as a working mill. The Gate Inn retains some of its original features. The sign, in the form of a hanging five bar gate, has an inscription which reads:

This gate hangs high,: and hinders none;: refresh and pay,: and travel on

Local industry

Local clay has been exploited for brick-making and pottery over the centuries. During the 1950s, a 13th century kiln at Dyke Cottage was excavated, revealing a large cooking pot, and 19th century Ordnance Survey maps mark a "Tile Works". In the 1970s, John Britten produced a small racing car named the "Arkley" in the area. A War Memorial was erected in 1920. During World War II, a listening post for German messages was maintained in the area. [http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=413&ArticleID=769516]

People from and residents of Arkley

*Tony Blackburn - DJ, is a current resident
*Graham Hill - racing driver, who lived locally between Borehamwood and Shenley. Killed when his private plane crashed on to Arkley Golf Course on a foggy night in November 1975.
*Trevor Howard (1913-1988) - actor, lived for many years in Arkley and also died here.
*Humphrey Littleton lived here
*Dr W.E. Shewell-Cooper - the organic gardener, used Arkley Manor for many years as a home and show garden
*Norman Wisdom lived here

Transport links

Buses

*107 - New Barnet Station to Edgware Station via Borehamwood
*307 - Arkley Hotel to Brimsdown via Barnet and Enfield
*614 - Queensbury Station to Hatfield Business Park via Barnet (Monday to Saturday)

Nearby:
*384 - Barnet (Quinta Drive) to Cockfosters Station

Tube stations

Nearby:
* High Barnet - Northern Line
* Totteridge & Whetstone - Northern Line

Nearest places

* Barnet
* Barnet Gate
* Borehamwood
* Edgware
* Elstree

Directories

Early directories use the Victorian name, "Barnet Common" or "West Barnet", for 'Arkley'.
* [http://www.historicaldirectories.org/exe/tiff2png.exe?-i+-r+85+-g+15+-h+61,53,6,61,60,6,66,13,6,66,20,6+E%3A%5CZYIMAGE%5CDATA%5CHISTDIR%5CTIF%5CWSC900%7E2%5C0000CYFT.TIF 1855]
* [http://www.historicaldirectories.org/exe/tiff2png.exe?-i+-r+150+-g+3+-h+77,118,6,86,40,3+E%3A%5CZYIMAGE%5CDATA%5CHISTDIR%5CTIF%5CBC7EB8%7E1%5C0000A0IU.TIF 1890]
* [http://www.historicaldirectories.org/exe/tiff2png.exe?-i+-r+105+-g+15+-h+75,54,6,87,39,8+E%3A%5CZYIMAGE%5CDATA%5CHISTDIR%5CTIF%5CBCB322%7E1%5C0000A0R0.TIF 1899]
* [http://www.historicaldirectories.org/exe/tiff2png.exe?-i+-r+150+-g+3+E%3A%5CZYIMAGE%5CDATA%5CHISTDIR%5CTIF%5CBC76C8%7E1%5C00009Z7S.TIF 1895]
* [http://www.historicaldirectories.org/exe/tiff2png.exe?-i+-r+150+-g+3+-h+61,96,8+E%3A%5CZYIMAGE%5CDATA%5CHISTDIR%5CTIF%5CLUL401%7E3%5C00005KMT.TIF 1902]
* [http://www.historicaldirectories.org/exe/tiff2png.exe?-i+-r+150+-g+3+-h+2,15,6,4,51,8,9,83,7,76,27,8+E%3A%5CZYIMAGE%5CDATA%5CHISTDIR%5CTIF%5CLUL501%7E4%5C00005QVJ.TIF 1908]
* [http://www.historicaldirectories.org/exe/tiff2png.exe?-i+-r+150+-g+3+-h+15,20,6,33,98,6,33,109,6,51,46,6+E%3A%5CZYIMAGE%5CDATA%5CHISTDIR%5CTIF%5CBC75CC%7E1%5C000037GU.TIF 1914]

"Source": http://www.historicaldirectories.org

Research articles

* [http://www.barnet.gov.uk/cultural_services/local_studies/index.php3/ Barnet Archives and Local Studies]
* [http://www.barnetmuseum.co.uk/ Barnet Museum]
* [http://www.barnet.gov.uk/cultural_services/libraries/chipping_barnet.php3 Chipping Barnet Library]
* [http://www.hertsdirect.org/libsleisure/heritage1/HALS/ Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies (HALS)]
* [http://www.hadas.org.uk/wiki/index.php/Category:Newsletter_Archive HADAS Archived Newsletters] ( [http://www.hadas.org.uk The Hendon & District Archaeological Society] )