This neighbourhood area is a highly up market region of Greater London filled with large, detached houses that sport modern Tudor style architecture. Property owners can enjoy large amounts of private garden space in this sparsely populated area, but there are also a number of fantastic public green spaces like the Arkley Rise Estate Open Space and Whiting’s Hill. Barnet General Hospital is situated in the east, which is part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and is the biggest employer in the area. It was completely rebuilt between 1999 and 2002, and now operates a large number of outpatient services in addition to having an inpatient capacity of almost 500. The remainder of this neighbourhood area is, for the most part, filled with open countryside, making it an ideal location for inner city commuters who prefer the quiet rural life but can still hop on a train to work every day.

There has been a settlement in this neighbourhood area for around a millennium, with Barnet, Arkley and Hadley appearing in boundary descriptions back in 1005. Initially starting off as small settlements of farmers, these areas began to grow when King John granted a Charter to the Lord of the Manor on the 23rd of August in 1199, allowing a market to be held once per week. From here, the area began to attract increasing numbers of travelling merchants, and began to grow in order to accommodate this change through the construction of a number of coaching inns and stable yards. Many of these have since been converted into houses or demolished. However, The Mitre Inn to the east of this neighbourhood area is a surviving example.

Actor Trevor Howard once lived in this neighbourhood area, alongside his wife in Arkley Village. Howard was best known for his roles as Alec in Brief Encounter (1947) and Major Calloway in The Third Man (1949). Howard enjoyed a long and prosperous career as a film star, spanning four decades. Across these four decades, Howard insisted that every single contract he signed included a clause which excused him from work whenever a cricket test match was being played. You can’t get much more British than that.

The biggest problem with this neighbourhood is that housing prices are astronomically expensive, even for London. These prices show no sign of shifting any time soon, however, the amount of space afforded per house coupled with the excellent transport links makes this a fantastic location that many residents noted they were “more than happy to pay the price for”.

The character of this neighbourhood is defined by its greenery and rural character. Residents and visitors need not worry about changes to this anytime soon as, despite a number of new developments taking place over the next decade, the local council has pledged to preserve locally designated conservation areas. The only significant nearby current development is nearly 30 minutes walk west of Arkley, near the Dollis Valley Estate. The project aims to provide 600 new homes over multiple phases of construction. However, the next phase is not expected to begin until 2028 with some concerned about over development in this rural borough.