From Finchley Facts to Harry Potter Magic!

Eight GoodGym explorers, a little local history, hidden woodland, famous faces, competitive Poohsticks and a few surprises along the way!

At 11am, eight curious GoodGymers gathered at Finchley Central station for another of our social discovery walks. The idea? Get outdoors, have a chat, enjoy a few games and discover some of the extraordinary stories hiding in our own neighbourhood.

As is traditional, we gathered round, numbered up and shared our favourite Finchley facts. Margaret Thatcher, former MP for Finchley; Harry Beck, the genius behind the iconic Tube map; and Amie Winehouse, who grew up locally.

We headed along the high street, stopping at various buildings, including the former St Mary’s Primary School, where yours truly was once a six-year-old pupil! The school has since moved near the Dollis Brook Viaduct, and much of the old site is now occupied by a courthouse.

Next was St Mary’s Church, whose history stretches back to the 12th century, with fragments of Norman stonework still surviving. A wonderfully welcoming place, with plenty of stories to tell, including memories of local people helping to raise funds for the church organ.

Then on to Stephens House & Gardens, where we joined Spike Milligan on his bench for a few stories about this much-loved comedian, who lived in Finchley for nearly 20 years. Sadly, Spike wasn’t contributing much to the conversation!

Winding through Finchley’s attractive back streets, we came across the rather extraordinary Beechwood Mews development. I researched this later..

Designed by award-winning architect Peter Barber, this clever scheme squeezes 97 homes, half of them affordable, onto a narrow strip alongside the busy North Circular.

Its striking brick frontage acts as a noise barrier, protecting a pedestrianised residential street behind it. Special acoustic glazing and ventilation measures help tackle the challenges of living beside one of London’s busiest roads.

Then time for the Tiny Forests... Crossing the North Circular, we entered a very different world: the four Tiny Forests at Mutton Brook.

GoodGym has helped Earthwatch, Barnet Council, local schools and residents plant and care for these little forests.

What makes them particularly interesting is that the three newer plots use different soil preparation methods, allowing us to compare how the trees grow and survive.

It’s a fantastic outdoor science classroom where families can discover trees, wildlife, biodiversity and climate resilience while contributing to real scientific research.

The great Mutton Brook Poohsticks Championship then started...

Just beyond the Tiny Forests, we gathered on the bridge for a fiercely contested game of Poohsticks. Stick selection proved crucial, and with an actual cash prize at stake, the pressure was on! Congratulations to Louise, whose superior stick selection and remarkable understanding of stream dynamics secured a famous victory.

From there, we ventured into Little Wood, an ancient woodland with its own remarkable open-air amphitheatre, built in 1920 and still used for summer performances.

Through Big Wood, we emerged into the beautiful Central Square of Hampstead Garden Suburb, with its two magnificent churches designed by Edwin Lutyens.

Here we heard about Henrietta Barnett, the remarkable woman whose vision helped create the Garden Suburb in the early 20th century: a place where people from different backgrounds could live among beautiful buildings, gardens and green spaces.

Our next stop caused quite a stir among the Harry Potter fans.. if I could find them! We passed the house used in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, where Hermione casts a spell to erase her parents’ memories of her, hoping to protect them from Voldemort. ( researched later )

For some of our explorers, seeing the actual filming location was a magical moment. Others were rather less impressed and took the opportunity to enjoy the views across Hampstead Heath Extension instead.

Our final stretch took us through the lovely open spaces of the Heath Extension and onwards to Golders Hill Park, where a café and refreshments provided a very welcome finish.

What a lovely way to spend a few hours! Good company, a few laughs, fascinating local stories, a bit of friendly competition and some beautiful green spaces, Magic!

Fancy joining our next GoodGym discovery walk?

Keep an eye out for our next walk on the GoodGym listings. Everyone welcome!

Brook, look and a biscuit!

Everyone seemed to appear at once at Finchley Central at 11am perhaps they’d all caught the same Tube! A great turnout for our GoodGym Barnet walk, with Gus and Amanda’s dog joining the company. A couple of brief showers came and went, leaving us with a lovely mix of cloud and sunshine. This initial Walk also supported Move10 https://www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/movefor10

Our introductions had a local twist: name, number and a fact about Finchley — or your favourite biscuit if you were stuck. Surprisingly, Finchley knowledge comfortably held its own against biscuits! Margaret Thatcher and famous residents featured, along with Harry Beck, creator of the familiar Tube map, whose local station was Finchley Central. More about Beck’s connection⁠. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/sep/21/harry-beck-tube-map-london-transport-archive-sale

Our first stops included Finchley Way Open Space, where GoodGym helped clear scrub and create paths a few years ago. It’s always satisfying to return and enjoy somewhere you’ve helped look after.

Once the grounds of Brent Lodge, this little green space has quite a story. In the 1910s, Alice Melville established a communal living scheme here, with shared cooking, laundry and dining facilities. Later, owner Augustus Cooper left the house and gardens to the people of Finchley for public enjoyment. A rather lovely legacy, still being cared for by local volunteers. Local history⁠. https://www.fofwos.org/history-of-fofwos

We then followed Dollis Brook before turning towards Darlands Nature Reserve. Woodland paths, tree views and plenty of conversation made it easy to forget we were still in London. The lake was originally ornamental, created for a nearby country house; today it provides a valuable refuge for wildlife. Darlands’ history⁠. https://www.barnet.gov.uk/directories/parks/darlands-lake

Recent desilting work has helped restore the lake. With the nearby stream looking dry, it was encouraging to see water remaining in the lake and birds making use of it. Among them was what appeared to be a great cormorant. A seaside visitor? Apparently not — cormorants are quite at home fishing on inland lakes and rivers too. Another thing learnt along the way!.

Lunch at Finchley Nurseries gave us another chance to chat before the final stretch to Mill Hill East station. Good company, a bit of movement and a few discoveries on our doorstep — thank you to everyone who came along. I think we did about 6 miles.

Fancy helping care for these places too? We could organise a litter pick as a GoodGym community mission. Let me know if you’re interested, when you’re free, or if you have another local idea.

We’ll aim for another walk in a month or two, this time heading the other way along Dollis Brook and onwards towards Hampstead Heath. Look out for the listing, and bring a friend — and perhaps a four-legged one too!

welcome Victoria & Lucy on their first outing with GoodGym Barnet. Hope to see you again soon