Arkley
| Arkley | |
|---|---|
 Arkley
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| Arkley shown within Greater London | |
| OS grid reference | TQ225955 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BARNET |
| Postcode district | EN5 |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | NW7 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
Arkley is a village in the London Borough of Barnet. It consists of a long village strung out between Barnet and Stirling Corner, roughly centred on the "Gate" pub, and composed of the ancient hamlets of Barnet Gate, Rowley Green and Arkley. It is located 10.6 miles (17.1 km) north north-west of Charing Cross, and at 482 feet (147 m) above sea level is one of the highest points in London.
The origins of the name Arkley are unclear; it is first recorded as Arkleyslond in 1332. The first element of the name appears to come from the Old English word (e)arc (or ark, meaning a chest, bin or other wooden receptacle), while the second element is from leāh, a woodland clearing or glade. –lond in the earlier name means "cultivated ground". The name Arkley would thus mean "woodland clearing by the ark or by the place where arks are made".
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 later referred to in medieval documents as 'Southhaw', and may have predated the settlement at Chipping Barnet. Certainly, Barnet manorial court was held here in the 13th century. 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 [1] 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 population statistics for Arkley. Between 1901 and 1971, Arkley's population rose from 483 to 16,832. It was transferred from Hertfordshire to Greater London in 1965.
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Wikipedia