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The History of Finchley
(London borough of North London N2/N3/N12, Greater London)

Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about out 11 km (7 miles) north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965. It is predominantly a residential suburb, with three town centres.

Finchley probably means Finch's clearing or finches' clearing in late Anglo-Saxon; the name was first recorded in the early 13th century. Finchley is not recorded in the Domesday book, but by the 11th century its lands were already included in those of the Bishop of London. In early medieval period the area was sparsely populated woodland. During the 12th and 13th century proper farming began, and by the 15th and 16th century the woods on the eastern side of the parish were cleared to form Finchley Common. The medieval Great North Road, which ran through the common, was notorious for Highwaymen until the early 19th century.