This neighbourhood, nestled in the Oakleigh section of Barnet, is a leafy green oasis that’s only a 30-minute tube ride from central London. Residents have been drawn to the area for years for its wonderful schools, expansive green spaces like the North Middlesex Golf Course, and large suburban houses. Since most locals are families or elderly Londoners, the neighbourhood definitely has a friendly but quiet feel. Still, that doesn’t mean that there’s any shortage of wonderful eateries, cafes and boutiques for visitors to frequent. Local families especially love going to eat on the high street, and enjoying Argentine BBQ at El Vaquero, or Italian food at Angelo’s. If you’re looking for an idyllic enclave with plenty of space that doesn’t compromise accessibility to the city, Whetstone is the place for you.

This area, known as Whetstone, was likely named after a stone that stands outside of Griffin Public House. Urban legend has it that soldiers sharpened their swords on this stone before the Battle of Barnet in 1471. Later on, in the beginning of the 18th century, the main road running through Whetstone was turnpiked, leading the population to grow with workers servicing stage coaches. However, by 1872, the tolls came down and were replaced with railways. This led to further development of the area and transformed it into the residential suburban enclave that it is today.

This area was once home to an extensive plant nursery equipped with large greenhouses run by Mr. J Sweet. He was dubbed the “father of modern nursery gardening.” By the Second World War though, these greenhouses were repurposed by the army in order to hold captured German officers.

The area unfortunately ranks higher than the rest of the borough when it comes to burglary crime rates. This could potentially be due to the large proportion of elderly and wealthy residents. Regardless, residents report that they feel safe in this friendly tight knit community.

Singled out in Barnet’s core strategy for its residential character, Whetstone and the nearby Oakleigh Park are relatively quiet areas for new development compared to other areas of North London. Nonetheless, there are a couple of projects currently underway in this postcode. The Rubric development, between 10 and 20 Oakleigh Road North, comprises 41 new flats with prices starting at £450,000. Similarly the recently completed scheme at 117 Sweets Way contains 75 one and two bedroom apartments. The building will be named after Octavia Hill, the Victorian social reformer and co-founder of the National Trust.