East Finchley's Religious Heritage
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
6 MARCH 2004 THE ARCHER - 08717 334465 HISTORY East Finchley’s Religious Heritage By Ann Bronkhorst In the late 1970s, the United Reform Church in Muswell Hill Broadway faced demolition. Local people cam- paigned to save the building as an arts centre or a library – and they were half successful. It wasn’t demolished; it became a pub. Since 1997 nearly 150 profited from the conversion London churches (of all of former churches into res- denominations) have been taurants or flats. Now church ‘secularised’. In Islington buildings that remain primarily the Union Chapel is now a places of worship can be partly rock music venue as well as a leased to commercial enter- church and the United Reform prises and the profits ploughed Church in Muswell Hill back for church funds. Broadway became a pub. In In East Finchley, our own Shaftesbury Avenue the Welsh churches, chapels, church Presbyterian Chapel became schools and halls have been the Limelight Club and is now through many changes of use a Walkabout pub. over the last century. Congrega- More reforms on the way tions have grown, sometimes dramatically, and later have At last month’s Church of The methodist centre on the corner of Park Road Photo by Alison Roberts England General Synod they dwindled; fire and wartime discussed selling off parts of bombs have played a part. church naves or crypts to coffee None (yet) has become a pub shops and bar chains, to raise or a nightclub but who knows what may happen in the 21st Non-conformist Beginnings funds. And once church law By Ann Bronkhorst changes, even nightclubs will century? This series of articles be possible. Until now, only a will chart the on-going course In the mid-nineteenth century East Finchley was still a patchwork of small settlements redundant church could have of those originally religious within the Parish of Finchley, bordering what remained of Finchley Common and all its use changed. Developers buildings. sharing Finchley’s parish church at Church End. One settlement had grown up around the northern tollgate of what had been the Bishop of London’s mediaeval hunt- ing park. There (just north of its modern successor, the Old White Lion), the Dirthouse was a coaching inn for wag- goners and travellers. Further north was Market Place, the real centre of East End, as the hamlet was known. Further north still were the cottages around Red Lion Hill, once called Cuckolds Haven. Rapidly the little settlements spread, joined up and filled the long V-shape between the Great North Road and East End Road. Methodist missions Through the second half of Gospel Hall, East End Road Photo by Tony Roberts the century East End was the poorest part of Finchley and LONDON BOROUGH OF BARNET the one with the highest birth PROPERTY SERVICES and VALUATION DEPARTMENT rate. Nonconformists were active in setting up mission Offers are invited for tender bids for the leasing of various chapels mostly to the west of park kiosks in the following locations: the Great North Road. By the 1890s there was a Childs Hill Park, London NW11 Wesleyan Methodist chapel Finchley Youth Theatre on a sunny day Photo by Alison Roberts Victoria Park, London N3 and Sunday School at Red Lion Cherry Tree Wood, London N2 Hill. The Primitive Methodists Finchley Youth Theatre – and centre for the community in the Edgwarebury Park, Edgware (theologians may understand a Polling Station. Meanwhile twentieth century. the distinction) built a small the Wesleyan Methodists were It has hosted many activi- The provision of quality food, confectionery and beverage services iron chapel on East End Road also on the move. In 1897 they ties: dance classes, playgroups, to park users is an important addition to Barnet's parks. in 1872 which is still a place built a large red-brick church Weight-Watchers. Now the The Council wishes to let properties to suitably experienced and of worship. On a 1911 map at the corner of Park Road and complex of buildings also enthusiastic service providers. Innovative proposals to improve it’s called a Gospel Hall, the the High Road quite near the houses a school of English and facilities and attract more people to the parks will be considered. st Primitive Methodists having Baptists’ and Salvationists’ a firm of chartered accountants. Sealed tenders must arrive no later than 1 April 2004. moved in 1905 to a prime buildings. The church has never ceased location on the now bustling For tender packs and further information please contact: At the western end of to be a place of worship, High Road. There they built a Howard Fertleman, Property Services and Valuation, Creighton Avenue on a Sunday however. chapel ‘roughcast in a Gothic Building 5, North London Business Park, in, say, 1905 the cheerful noise Part 2 will cover the Oakleigh Road South, London N11 1NP. style’. By the mid-twentieth being made unto the Lord must Baptists and Salvation- Tel: 020 8359 7360. Alternatively, by fax: 0870 889 7450 century it had become a secular have been splendid. The Wes- ists to the east of the High or by e-mail to [email protected] building, a Youth Hall; now it’s leyans’ new church became a Road.