Tuesday 28 May 2019

Guest Blog - A tour around my Mill Hill Part 1 by Richard Wilkinson

Arrendene
By Richard Wilkinson.

Hi, I'm Richard. I've been a resident of Mill Hill for a few decades now. I retired last year and I recently put together a website to help residents and visitors find their way around. It has a directory of businesses, listings for our local restaurants and details of local sports clubs. You can find it by clicking this website https://millhillbroadway.org/


I spoke to Roger, who runs the Barnet Eye recently and he suggested that I put together a series of blogs for him, detailing some of my favourite walks around our neighbourhood. I often see Roger around and about in Mill Hill walking with his wife and dogs, and we compare notes on the best routes. There are several excellent walks around the Totteridge Valley, however, we start with the route on which I take visitors from abroad to introduce them to Mill Hill.

Angel Pond
When they visit London, most think of the Tower, Buckingham Palace and St Pauls. On arrival in Mill Hill, they are often pleasantly surprised to find a whole new side of London, one that isn't in the guidebooks.

Friends emerge from the Thameslink trains, to the dirty, polluted undercroft of the M1, where buses engines idle, and litter abounds, with scant expectations of a pleasant stay in our leafy hamlet. I well remember the construction of the M1. For a couple of years in the Mid 1960's, the centre of our town was transformed.





Once any baggage has been dropped off, we usually embark on a walking tour of the town. I always start the walk by the Library. I love the architecture of the fire station, a classic London Municiple building. If we are lucky, one of our impressive engines emerges. The road next to the fire station, Hartley Close, was originally built to house the families of firemen, in the days when we looked after our public workers. As a long time Mill Hill resident, it is sad to note that this road became known as widows alley. The exposure of our brave firemen to asbestos meant few made old bones. It seems I'm not alone in my appreciation of the building!


Next on our tour, we venture under the A41 through the subway. This gives a hint as to what is around the corner.




 We walk up with Mill Hill park on pour left. On our right is the University of London Observatory. This fine building is one of the few world class institutions left in Mill Hill. There are regular opportunities to visit, although these have to be pre booked. A new supernova was discovered at the observatory in 2014, keeping Mill Hill at the heart of the word of celestial research.



We then enter the park, often stopping for a nice cup of tea at the excellent cafe in the park. Autumn is perhaps the finest time to visit. Roger, who writes the Barnet Eye has caught some lovely autumnal images on his travels. This is my favourite.


We then cross Wise Lane to Arrendene Open space. By now, my visitors have realised that the brutalist architecture of the station is not the real Mill Hill!  If you are lucky, you'll spy one of the green parakeets that have taken residence.


You then emerge onto Wills Grove. A walk up the hill leads to the Ridgeway and Mill Hill High Street.  American friends are usually fascinated to learn that the Ridgeway was one of the haunts of famous Highwayman Dick Turpin!



If you head West, you can see the impressive frontage of Mill Hill School


If you head East, you can see Angel pond and the old Methodist Church, now an active bustle of activity on a Sunday for the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. On a Sunday, you will see the amazing multi national congregation descend!






A stroll down the Ridgeway reveals Littleberries, the centre of the Daughters of Charity, a Roman Catholic Religious order. This is an impressive building with an interesting history. Continuing down the Ridgeway, on the left, is the Daughters old chapel, now converted into luxury flats. On the right is St Vincents School. At the gates, there used to be an impressive view of London, where on a clear day you could see the Post Office Tower! Sadly, due to child protection concerns, this has now got a large wooden fence. Continuing down, on the right is the former site of the National Institute for Medical Research. This was demolished in 2018.


Continuing down the road, we arrive at The Adam and Eve Pub. The Adam and Eve pub is popular with families and walkers. The food is of a reasonable quality, dogs are welcome and there are a couple of decent ales on tap. I have been having a pint in the pub since the late 1960's and it has undergone many incarnations. As a proud Mill Hillian, I am pleased to say that it is well used and well loved. Even the local Real Ale buffs appreciate it.


At this point we will stop for something to eat. Keep an eye out for the next instalment. Thanks to Roger for helping me with the Twitter pictures to illustrate the story.

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Guest Blogs are always welcome at the Barnet Eye. Richard Wilkinson is a long time Mill Hill resident. Click here to email your blog. We publish Barnet related material and do not take paid content. We aim to keep any editorial input to a minimum, but will not publish racists or inciteful material.


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