South Barnet

South Barnet, Barnet

An infrequently used name for the far south-eastern corner of Barnet, bordering Southgate’s Osidge

Hidden London: South Barnet - Pymmes Brook and West Walk

South Barnet was formerly also known as Sans or Sarnes Barnet – that is, ‘without (meaning ‘outside’) Barnet’. Sarnets Barnet was a delightful alter­na­tive version.

During the 12th century the Bishop of London gave South Barnet to the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, as part of their holdings at Friern Barnet. The endowment was confirmed by King John in a charter of 1199.

When suburban devel­op­ment began here at the end of the 19th century South Barnet gained its own church, St Michael’s, on the Brunswick Park estate. The St Albans diocese decided not to fund the proposed church’s proposed enlarge­ment in 1936 and the matter went no further. In 1972 the parish was broken up and incor­po­rated into the four neigh­bouring parishes. The church was demol­ished and in 1977 the Church Commis­sioners cleared the site and sold the land for housing. Thus ended the inde­pen­dent history of South Barnet; most locals now consider their homes to be in East Barnet or Brunswick Park.

The area is rela­tively pros­perous and a high propor­tion of house­holds has access to a car or two. When Parkside Gardens and Brookside South were made part of the new No. 382 bus route in 2003, more than 200 residents signed a petition (vainly) opposing the service.

Postcode area: Barnet EN4