Potters Bar: A quintessential and historic town on the edge of London

At Net Lettings, we have written extensively about some of the great places to live in London. Well, Potters Bar is slightly different in that it is not technically in London.

It is in fact located in Hertfordshire, however, it is literally only a stone's throw away from the capital and is located 18 miles north of Charing Cross.

In Potters Bar, you get the best of both worlds: an idyllic country location, but all the benefits of living in London, which is very easy to get to by train.

It is a very picturesque and relatively small town with a rich heritage and historical tradition. It was built in the early 13th century, and is located within the London commuter belt.

There are many great reasons to move to this ancient little town, which is loved by visitors and residents alike.

History

The town is thought to have gained its name from evidence of a Roman pottery, which is believed to have been in the Parkfield recreation ground area.

Much of the growth seen in the area over the last century can be primarily attributed to the coming of the railways.

The railway station opened during the summer in 1850, with the London to Peterborough line passing between the villages of the locality.

This new development drew in more people, who came to live in the area, and helped to spark the construction of a number of residential homes.

In the 1930s, the population of Potters Bar trebled, leading to more industrial developments. After the arrival of the light industry following the second world war, two large council estates were built in the 1950s.

The area now has two shopping areas located near Darkes Lane and the High Street. One of the most historic areas near Potters Bar is a place called South Mimms.

This area was mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086 as 'one berewick which is called Mimes' and is one of the most ancient places in the region.

Potters Bar has a population of roughly 21,639, and covers an area of 6,129 acres. 

Transport

The railway station in Potters Bar is the highest on the line between London's King's Cross railway station and York.

It has excellent links to the capital and the nearest London Underground station is at Cockfosters.

The area also has a bus depot where consumers can travel locally as well one that goes into London.

Education

The area is well served by a number of schools and educational facilities, and contains a mix of primary and secondary schools.

This includes five secondary schools, a mixed grant maintained school, plus six primary and infant state schools.

The town is also home to many veterinary medicine students from the Royal Veterinary College.

Lifestyle

There are a number of recreational facilities in the area, including a swimming pool and leisure centre run by Hertsmere Council.

In addition, there are also a number of sports clubs in the area, as well as the Wyllyotts Centre which is home to a theatre, cinema, events menu and museum.

Green spaces

But perhaps one of the most attractive things about Potters Bar is the pace of life. The area is surrounded by woodlands, nature walks, and meadows.

Furzefield - King George V Field, for example, is a bit of an all-in-one which contains woodlands, meadows, football pitches and two play areas. Furzefield Wood is particularly beautiful and is an ancient woodland which has a long tradition of hazel coppicing.

Then you have award-winning parks such as Oakmere Park which has been recognised as a Green Flag park. Unusually, the park has three fitness stations, which comprise of seven apparatus - a sit-up bench two free runners, a cross trainer and a power bike.

Another attractive area of Potters Bar is Parkfield. This park has a variety of features including a Japanese Garden, lake and wildflower meadows.

It also contains a cycleway, which enables cyclists to get safely from one end of the town to the other.

Published 29th April, 2014

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