The UK’s capital city has a rich history, witnessing a mind-bogglingly amount of drama and landmark occurances since the Romans called it Londinium nearly 2,000 years ago. Walking around London, it’s hard to imagine that some of its busiest sections were once in the countryside, and you today have to go much further out to reach greener pastures. Monken Hadley is in the borough of Barnet on the border with Hertfordshire, and is incredibly important in the nation’s history.
The village stands on the site of a major skirmish, the Battle of Barnet, fought on April 14, 1471, during the War of the Roses between the Yorkist troops of King Edward IV and the Lancastrian forces of the Earl of Warwick. Edward’s army won out. Historic England’s Register of Historic Battlefields identifies 47 “important” scenes of conflict. Its purpose, the City Hall says, is to “offer them protection through the planning system”.
The authority’s planning data map lists the site of the battle that took place in modern-day north London as an example of these safeguarded areas.
It is the only one in the city, The Express sister site MyLondon writes.
Historic England notes: “Much of the area over which the battle had ranged was common pasture and heathland with some hedged enclosures.
“With the golf course retaining the open character of the landscape, the events of the battle are readily understandable on the ground.”
All of the battlefield area also lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt and is part of a Conservation Area.
Earlier this year, the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, announced that City Hall will “actively explore releasing parts of London’s green belt to help end the housing crisis”.
This could include new towns, officials said.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said at the time: “We are doing all we can in London to help deliver the homes that are so desperately needed.
“The Mayor wants to work with the UK Government and New Towns Taskforce to make sure that any work on new towns goes hand in hand with the development of his next London Plan to deliver high quality and affordable homes.”
The site of the Battle of Barnet is protected from development by law so as to “promote a better understanding of their significance and public enjoyment”, the reasoning Historic England gives for the safeguarding of all registered battlefields.