Where to Stay in Finchley 

There are numerous places to stay in and around Finchley including Aerodrome Road, Colindale, Mill Hill, Golders Green, Whetstone, Friern Barnet and Hendon. The major town centres are Finchley Church End, North Finchley and East Finchley. 

Facts About Finchley 

Finchley had its name derived from possibly Finches clearing or Finch’s clearing as per Anglo-Saxon records. The first recording of the name was seen in the early 13th century. The name is not seen in the Domesday Book and by the 11th century, the lands were under the holdings of the Bishop of London. Cultivation commenced after the Norman Conquest. Here are more interesting facts: 

• The woods to the eastern parish side were cleared by the 15th and 16th centuries to create Finchley Common. 
• The Medieval-era Great North Road, that went through Finchley Common, was known for its notorious highwaymen till the early 19th century. 
• The 1270s had the first recording of St Mary-at-Finchley Church and by 1365, the East End hamlet started developing. 
• Finchley was known for its superior quality of hay by the 18th century. 
• It made up a historic parish in the Middlesex County and has been included in Greater London from 1965 onwards. 
• The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway arrived here in 1867, going to Edgware from Finsbury Park through Finchley. The Finchley to High Barnet stretch opened in 1872. 
• The Underground New Works Programme came up in 1933 for electrification of the line via Finchley and linking the Archway Northern Line to East Finchley through a new tunnel. 
• College Farm is the last one in the area and a major attraction for visitors. The Phoenix Cinema is one of the oldest cinemas in the country and has an art deco façade dating to the 1930s. 
• The Sternberg Centre for Judaism is housed at the old Manor House in Finchley. 

Weather in Finchley 

The summers are semi-cloudy and short while the winters are cold and windy. The best time to visit is between late June and early September.