Childs Hill

Coordinates: 51°33′47″N 0°11′49″W / 51.563°N 0.197°W / 51.563; -0.197

Childs Hill, now the southernmost ward of the London Borough of Barnet, although of historic origin, is a late-19th-century suburban development situated 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Charing Cross bordered by the A41 (Hendon Way) and Dunstan Road, and centred on the junction of Cricklewood Lane and Finchley Road. It is adjacent to a part of Hampstead Heath known as the West Heath.

It is the most densely populated ward in the borough. It is represented on Barnet Council by two Conservatives, Shimon Ryde and Peter Zinkin, and one Liberal Democrat, Jack Cohen. As part of the Finchley & Golders Green constituency, its Member of Parliament is the Conservative Mike Freer. The area has a thriving Residents' Association, called CLAN (current chairman: Andrew Sanger), representing three residential streets at the heart of the neighbourhood - Crewys, Llanvanor and Nant roads.

History

The earliest known use of the place name 'Child's Hill' is in 1593. (Today, the apostrophe in the name is optional.) In the 18th century, Childs Hill was a centre for brick and tile making, supplying material for building Hampstead. The Castle Inn dates from this period: the first record of it is in 1751.