Remember bank holidays? Until the late 1920s The Hale was a popular countryside destination. Day-trippers came from Central London. Even Princess Alexandra once stopped for tea at The Green Man.
We’re standing in The Hale. It’s changed dramatically since Princess Alexandra’s visit. Today The Hale is an area and ward within the London Borough of Barnet. It sits where eastern Edgware meets western Mill Hill. The Hale centres on the small retail hub. This is at the junction of Deans Lane, Hale Lane, and Selvage Lane. Locals call this Upper Hale “Green Man”. The name comes from the pub that stood here since the early 18th century.
Let’s journey back. The Hale was once a rural area. That was well into the 20th century. Only the Green Man pub and the Railway Tavern stood here. Farms dotted Upper Hale and Lower Hale. The Green Man pub gained fame in the 19th century. It hosted sports like boxing. The pub was rebuilt in the late 1920s. It became Everglades a Tex-Mex restaurant in the 1980s. Now it’s a Harvester Inn named the Jolly Badger.
Think about it The Hale transformed rapidly in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Northern line’s arrival at Edgware station in 1924 spurred development. Omnibus services connected the station to The Hale and Mill Hill. Farms at Upper Hale and Lower Hale made way for housing. The Hale Estate emerged around Selvage Lane. Since the 1930s The Hale has been suburban. Private detached and semi-detached houses define the area.
Did you know The Hale has notable buildings? The church honoring John Keble is one. It is a Grade II-listed modernist building. It was completed in 1936. Maxwelton House is another significant structure. Renovations revealed it as one of the oldest buildings in the area. It is now a school building on Hale Lane. In 1932, John Groom’s Crippleage opened near Stoneyfields Lane. It closed in the 1980s and is now private housing.
Consider transport. The Hale once had its own railway station Mill Hill The Hale. It operated from 1906 until 1939. Mill Hill Broadway is the nearest station today. Several bus routes serve The Hale. These connect it to Edgware station. At one time Mill Hill Green Man was a bus terminal.
Reflect on The Hale’s history. It was once part of Hendon parish. It was known as Healh since about 1294. The Hale was divided into Upper Hale and Lower Hale. It was the smallest settlement in Hendon. The name likely comes from the Saxon word for corner. A ford once crossed Dean’s Brook at Hale Lane. A bridge replaced it in 1926.
Remember the social safety net? The Hale had a small poor house. It provided accommodation for the homeless. This included those from Mill Hill and Burnt Oak. Matilda Marks Kennedy school was once Maxwellton. Before that it was Shakerham farm. It is an 18th-century house and the oldest building left.
Picture this The Green Man was more than just a pub. Middlesex Farmers Drag Hounds and Colindale Farmers Drag Hounds had champagne lunches there. It was also a training ground for boxers. Eugene Corri a French boxer became the first referee to work inside the ring.
The Hale evolved from rural retreat to suburban community. It adapted to changing times. Its story is etched in its streets. Its buildings and its people. The Hale remains a testament to London’s ever-shifting landscape.