Did you know that...
New Southgate is a suburban district that spans three Outer London areas – a small corner of Barnet’s east side; a portion of Enfield in the southwest; and a tiny northern part of Haringey where estates connect into Bounds Green.
Its neighboring areas include Osidge to the north, Arnos Grove to the east, Bounds Green to the south, and Friern Barnet to the west. North Finchley and Brunswick Park are also near New Southgate.
Jerome K Jerome, who penned the book Three Men in a Boat, lived in the area, on Springfield Road. To commemorate the famous writer, the town built a mosaic of a dog and a sculpture of a boat on Station Road’s New Southgate Millennium Green.
Colney Hatch was the old name of New Southgate N11 until mid 19th century. The first recording of the name comes from the 15th century. It may derive from the hitch-gates that were used to prevent cattle from wandering into the forest.
Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum was a mental hospital that opened in 1849 and closed in 1993. It has the longest corridor in the UK. One would spend at least two hours to walk the wards. Notable patients include Aaron Kosminski, a suspect for Jack the Ripper, and Maria de Miramar, one of Aleister Crowley’s wives.
There are two stations that serve the area – London Underground Arnos Grove station (on the Piccadilly line, in Travelcard Zone 4) and London Overground New Southgate station. A number of buses, coming from the A406 North Circular Road and all other directions, serve New Southgate as well.
The New Southgate railway station that serves the area changed names five times. The current name is used since 1976.