Take a short walk from Barnet High Street and you might wander down a road where London suddenly stops.
On one side, red buses rush down Wood Street from Barnet Hospital towards the nearby Tube station. But the buzz of hectic North London practically grinds to a halt when you turn down an unassuming side street.
The downward hill of Cavendish Road then comes into view moments later, before it ends suddenly and becomes stunning Hertfordshire countryside. Architect Barry Hall found this quiet oasis 10 years ago when he was considering a move to rural Northamptonshire.
“Me and my wife were living in Coney Hatch Lane,” he told MyLondon. “It was a lovely, quiet tree-lined street, but then a Tesco Extra got built at the end of the road and there were heavy duty lorries driving by 24 hours of the day. It was a nightmare, it ruined it.”
Barry and his late wife couldn’t decide between Northamptonshire and remaining in the city. But one day they found the perfect compromise when curiosity led them to turn right along Cavendish Road while en route to the M1.
He continued: “We drove down and my wife suddenly said ‘Look at that, it’s the countryside. How is that possible?’
“We parked the car, went for a walk. We saw the lovely school here with kids playing in the field. It was at that moment we both knew we had to live here.
“The people are so friendly here and relaxed, stress levels are so low. You see families going to school with their bikes every morning. It’s a completely different existence.”
The countryside element is Barry’s favourite thing about living on the North London road. Just a 20-minute walk into the green belt and you’ll stumble across Lewes of London, a local ice cream business which also has a coffee stall and kids’ play area.
Other nearby fields along Galley Lane have facilities for horse riding, while nearby you’ll also find the Poor Clare Monastery.
It’s this balance of city and countryside which makes it the best place Barry has ever lived in. Three days a week he travels by Tube to Central London for work, while on other days he can work from his home overlooking open fields.
‘My wife made the right choice, it’s just a shame she’s not here to share it with me now’
“My wife made the right choice, it’s just a shame she’s not here to share it with me now,” Barry concluded.
Gillian Garvie, who has lived on Cavendish Road for 32 years, agrees the mix of city and countryside makes for the perfect lifestyle.
She said: “It is lovely because you’re only 12 miles from Charing Cross. I like that we’re close to Hadley Highstone and there’s quite a lot of lovely houses up there. We’re very lucky in this little area with the nice neighbours.
“There’s lots of wonderful paths around here, while the roads are also very quiet because there’s no through traffic. Overall it’s just a joy to live here.”
Like other parts of North London, houses are becoming increasingly unaffordable in the area. Rightmove data puts the average house price in Cavendish Road at £1.04m.
Some residents say this means fewer families now live in the area as it’s mostly only affordable for older people.
Sally Halt, who lived on nearby Old Fold View for 20 years, said: “Although the property prices have gone up I think the area has gone downhill. It used to be more communal, but now everyone has their separate lives.
“When we moved here the transport was amazing. There were buses and all sorts of connections. But one by one they’re cutting them off. It makes a big difference.”
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