Barnet is a place of contrasts, where modern developments and historic buildings give way to wide expanses of countryside. It’s London’s second largest borough and enjoys a scenic location along the Metropolitan Green Belt. While residents can make use of the city’s vibrant attractions, the area still retains a rural appeal thanks to the surrounding countryside and nature reserves.
Barnet Countryside
These wide open spaces are made even more impressive given the short commute to central London – only 35 minutes via the Overground. As such, Barnet has become a desirable location for families and young professionals looking to leave behind the chaos of the city centre in favour of a more relaxed setting.
With that being said, the area is still home to all the contemporary luxuries associated with city living. At The Spires Shopping Centre, major high street retailers sit alongside local businesses and boutiques. Alternatively, Barnet Market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday, with stalls selling everything from locally sourced produce to clothing and antiques.
Everyman Cinema in Barnet
Other attractions include the nearby golf courses and sports centres, as well as the cultural hub known as the Arts Depot. This award-winning centre hosts an exciting line-up of theatre productions and music events.
As added incentive for newcomers, the local schools are considered some of the best in the country. With so much to offer for both young and old, it’s no surprise that Barnet is fast becoming one of the capital’s most attractive boroughs.
Transportation in Barnet
Barnet links to the rest of the capital thanks to several Underground stations as well as an Overground station. The latter is New Barnet, which offers services to Liverpool Street in just 35 minutes. King’s Cross is also accessible in 30 minutes via frequent trains from Hadley Wood station.
Alternatively, High Barnet Underground station sits on the Northern Line, providing convenience for those travelling as far as Tottenham Court Road. For the Piccadilly line, Cockfosters tube station offers a 35-minute commute to Covent Garden.
Finally, Barnet’s close proximity to the A1 provides ease of access for those travelling by car to the M1 and M25 motorways. Both Heathrow and London Luton airports can be reached in under 50 minutes.
Things to do in Barnet
Barnet is a cultural melting pot, home to an exciting mix of attractions, from museums to family-friendly activities and sports complexes. Some of the highlights include:
- Royal Airforce Museum London
- Barnet Copthall
- Dollis Brook
- Avenue House
- Golders Green Hippodrome
- Everyman Cinema
- Hollywood Bowl Finchley
- Dinosaur Safari Adventure Golf
- Belmont Farm
- Hadley Wood
- Jack’s Lake
- The Arts Depot
What is Barnet Like?
There’s so much within Barnet that it defies pigeon-holing. The vibrant city incorporates modern developments, historic buildings, and vast expanses of beautiful countryside and nature reserves.
This makes Barnet perfect for anyone who wants to take a step back from central London (which remains just 30 minutes away via Underground) without giving up the perks of city living. Barnet is a place with something for everyone; you’ll never get bored here.
So you’ll appreciate Spires Shopping Centre and its large selection of familiar high street names. But you’ll also wander the stalls of Barnet Market, which is held every Wednesday and Saturday, browsing local produce, clothing, and antiques. When it’s time for entertainment, you can watch the latest releases at Everyman Cinema, or turn to the artsdepot for theatre productions and music events.
Of a weekend, you might explore the local history by visiting Royal Airforce Museum London or Barnet Museum. Or perhaps you’ll take a trip to the wonderful Belmont Farm.
With so much to find within Barnet, it’s hard to pick just a few highlights, but we recommend:
- Visit the Royal Airforce Museum London for a stunning history of the RAF with aircraft such as Phantoms and Sopwith Camels on display, and take the chance to sit in a real Spitfire.
- Belmont Farm is the only public farm of its size within London. Its mission of teaching Londoners about farming and the countryside means you can handle and feed the animals or even ride the tractors.
- Take a walk through Hadley’s Woods and end up at Jack’s Lake. You’ll forget you’re in London at all. Both are lovingly maintained by volunteers, and there’s even fishing at the lake.
- The artsdepot serves as the heart of artistic Barnet, putting on comedy, dance, tribute acts, children’s theatre, and more. There’s plenty to be entertained by at the artsdepot.
Transport Links
High Barnet Underground station sits on the Northern Line and will get you to central London stations like Leicester Square in half an hour. New Barnet station connects to London Liverpool Street in as little as 30 minutes, to Moorgate in the same time, and to Welwyn Garden City in less than 20 minutes, which offers further services to cities like Cambridge. Nearby Cockfosters Underground station sits on the Piccadilly line, connecting you to Covent Garden in just under 35 minutes or directly to Heathrow terminals.
Barnet is serviced by Transport for London bus services, with six routes serving Barnet High Street alone connecting you to places like Highgate, Finchley, Brent Cross, and Edgware.
Drivers will appreciate the proximity of the M1, the M25, and the A1, all of which put you within striking distance of Knebworth, Maidenhead, and Luton. Speaking of Luton, both Luton Airport and Heathrow airport can both be reached in under 50 minutes.
Schools in the Area
The schools in Barnet are considered some of the best in the world, so it’s no surprise that Barnet is a popular place for families to make their homes. With over 80 primary schools and 22 secondary schools to choose from, you’ll find the right school for your child.
Parents are attracted to Coldfall Primary School and Trent Church of England Primary School, both of which enjoy an ‘outstanding’ rating from Ofsted. Coldfall benefits from an extensive outdoor area, including a pond garden, woodlands, playing fields, a nature trail, and an all-weather sports pitch. Trent places as much value on the moral development of their students as they do on their academic progress.
For parents of children 11+, there’s plenty of choice in school, but two in particular will turn heads.
Founded in 1573, Queen Elizabeth’s School has been educating boys aged 11+ for centuries, with excellent results. The school sends a high proportion of its students to the prestigious Russell Group of universities, and even prepares them for study at the ultra-competitive Ivy League universities in the United States including Harvard, Stanford and UCLA.
Not quite as established, but no less prestigious is Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School. Founded in 1888 with just 40 pupils, today it enjoys a ‘good’ rating from Ofsted and provides exemplary education for girls aged 11-18.
For post-18 education, students have the Barnet Southgate College on their doorstep. With three campuses and two other learning centres, the college offers a mix of AS and A Levels, vocational studies such as City and Guilds courses and BTEC diplomas, as well as a selection of Foundation degrees.
Attractions in Barnet
Despite being the second-largest London borough, there are plenty of green spaces to escape to within Barnet. Belmont Farm is perhaps the most remarkable. The only public farm of its size within London, the farm is dedicated to teaching residents more about farming and the countryside. Consequently, visitors don’t just look at the animals; they get involved. You can handle and feed cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, and even deer. For the more mechanically minded, you can jump on the tractor and trailer ride. If you want to get a hands-on experience of a real working farm, take a trip to Belmont Farm.
Hadley’s Woods is another beautiful example of green spaces in Barnet. More properly known as Monken Hadley Common, Hadley’s Woods have been a feature of Barnet since at least 1777. Originally created to provide pasture for animals owned by locals, it’s now a stunning place for a walk. A haven for local wildlife, you might spot anything from woodpeckers to deer, dragonflies to wild flowers. It neighbours Jack’s Lake, which is a beautiful spot for fishing.
History lovers will find plenty to love in Barnet, including Barnet itself. The town played a pivotal role in the War of the Roses, as you’ll learn when you visit the Barnet Museum. Run by passionate volunteers, the museum puts on a programme of lectures as well as displaying hundreds of artefacts reflecting Barnet’s history all the way back to the Bronze Age!
The Royal Airforce Museum London celebrates and commemorates the story of the Royal Air Force. Three innovative galleries tell the story of the RAF, from its first days to imagining its future. A huge variety of classic and modern aircraft are on display, as well as interactive experiences such as sitting inside an authentic Spitfire. Anyone with even the slightest interest in aircraft will love a visit to the Royal Airforce Museum London.
Bars, Restaurants and Nightlife
Whether you’re looking for a drink, a meal, or a great night out, there’s plenty of fantastic destinations in Barnet.
Savoro’s premises have been an inn, a boat house, a bakery, a traditional tea shop, and today is a restaurant dedicated to imaginative cooking with the best ingredients, including Aberdeenshire beef, Peterhead cod, and Covent Garden vegetables. This is a meal destined to impress your dinner guests.
For a dining experience that evokes sunny holiday vibes, try Melange. It serves dishes inspired by cuisines from Southern France, Italy and Spain alongside wines sourced from small independent wineries. You’ll love the cosy, holiday-like atmosphere, and the fresh ingredients combined with fresh ideas.
If you’re looking for somewhere to have a relaxing drink, visit The Green Dragon. A country-style British pub, it proclaims a love for dogs, children, and muddy boots. More importantly, it serves a huge variety of craft beers, a rotating offering of local ales, an extensive wine list and a great range of gins.
There’s been a pub on the site of Ye Olde Mitre Inne since 1553. Maintaining an authentic vibe with exposed brickwork, wooden beams, and open fires, this promises to be a “proper” pub by focusing on real ale, winning local CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year multiple times.
Showcasing contemporary dance, comedy, drama and more, there’s something for everyone at the artsdepot. Audience members can choose from a variety of performances from Shakespeare to tribute acts, family musicals to powerful contemporary drama. The cultural hub of the artsdepot has something for everyone.
Leisure Centres and Outdoor Activities
If you’re looking to get active, there’s no better place to do it than Barnet.
Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre boasts a gym with 70+ cardio and resistance stations, two 25m swimming pools as well as a learner pool for swimming lessons. There’s also a 5-court sports hall that accommodates badminton, basketball, gymnastics, football, and toddler’s soft play. You’ll also find Anytime Fitness within the Spires Shopping Centre, which is open 24 hours a day and offers a range of cardio equipment, a large selection of fixed resistance machines, and a comprehensive free weights section.
Barnet offers golfers a wealth of choice when it comes to courses. The Old Ford Manor Golf Club was founded in 1910, designed by Harry Colt, one of the greatest golf course architects. In that time, it hosted national championships and entertained royalty. It’s thought that the Battle of Barnet of the War of the Roses was fought on the same land. So the club is steeped in history, all of which you can feel as you play across the 18-hole course.
The Shire London is the only golf course in the UK designed by Seve Ballesteros, the Spanish golfer who is credited with bringing a new generation of fans to professional golf. Just like Seve, the club prioritises inclusivity over any traditional barriers that might put people off. So whether you’re enjoying the 18-hole Seve Masters Course, or the 9-hole Academy Course, you won’t need to adhere to a strict dress code.
If these clubs haven’t enough history for you, how about some prehistory? Dinosaur Safari Adventure Golf features 18 holes nestled within cascading waterfalls, lagoons, lush greenery and tropical palm trees. But watch out: the course is patrolled by 9 dinosaurs from the Jurassic period! Where else can you try to sink a hole in one under the shadow of a life-sized diplodocus?
History of Barnet
Barnet’s rich and fascinating heritage is present on every street corner. Visitors are often surprised by the abundance of historic sights, from its impressive grade II-listed Tower Mill to the famed Barnet Physic Well – a medicinal spa once frequented by Samuel Pepys. Most of these treasures date back to Barnet’s days as a rural town, when the area was best-known for its weekly market.
Despite its sleepy village past, Barnet did play a pivotal role in The War of The Roses. It was here that Edward IV defeated the Earl of Warwick in the Battle of Barnet. Although civil unrest was to follow in the Tudor period, the town still prospered as a trading hub. Queen Elizabeth I issued another market charter and Barnet became home to London’s largest meat market.
After the development of Barnet station in 1850, the population soared and neighbouring New Barnet was born. As infrastructure improved in the early 20th century, the town left behind its rural image and became a vibrant borough of London.
