Friends of

Market Place

Playground

History

Market Place Open Space is the historic centre of East Finchley and once densely populated by buildings. Many thanks to May who shared with us this ordnance survey map of East Finchley from 1894.

Market Place takes its name from the hog market (once the largest in the country) which took place in the area from the 1660s until the 20th century. In fact pigs were still being kept at Prospect Place until the 1950s.

Hendon and District Archaeological Society (HADAS) excavated several test pits over the weekend of the 17 and 18 July 2021. Find out more at: https://festival.archaeologyuk.org/

Market Place Open Space and The Walks in the late 19th Century
The view from Market Place green space in the mid-1980s. The Duke of Cambridge pub is now the site of McFadden House.

Groups have been campaigning to update the playground since the 1980s! Here we see Market Place without a fence and with a lot more (official and unofficial) climbing opportunities.