Barnet

Barnet (Derivation: OE; land cleared by burning), these days, is a borough in north-west Greater London. Settlements containing that name date back to the Anglo-Saxon times. It was granted a charter in 1199 to hold a market and was known throughout the Middle Ages for its annual fair. Its growth was assisted by its position on the Great North Road from London, and it became a staging post for travellers.

Nearby, at Hedley Green, is the site of a major battle in the Wars of the Roses. The Battle of Barnet (14th April 1471) in which forces led by Edward IV defeated a Lancastrian army and killed Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, ended Henry VI’s brief recovery of fortune and consolidated Edward’s control of the country.