East Finchley is an area in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, and situated 5.4 miles (8.7 km) north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.
History
The land on which most of East Finchley now stands was once part of the Bishop of London's hunting ground, named Finchley Common, first recorded around 1400. The Bishop of London built a road through his land which weaved through what is now Market Place, The Walks, King Street and Oak Lane up to the north. As a result pubs and amongst other buildings such as the The White Lion, The Bald Faced Stag and The Five Bells (on East End Road) sprung up to provide rest for the people using the road, all of the pubs listed survive today. The area of 'East Finchley Village' around Church Lane was west of the common and Bulls Lane (now Church Lane) dates back to at least 17th Century. With the coming of the Great Northern Railway in 1868 the area began emerge, and property was built gradually between the 1870s and the 1930s however it wasn't until 1914 that a more recognisable East Finchley High Road and surrounding area was visible.