New Southgate is a peaceful residential area tucked between East Barnet and Enfield, offering a quiet, village-like atmosphere within North London. While it only became an official ward in 2022, the history of New Southgate stretches back much further — through royal woodlands, notorious asylums, and a train station that changed its name six times. To uncover the real story, we have to start with its original name: Colney Hatch.
The Strange & Striking History of New Southgate
Before the name ‘New Southgate’ came into use, the area was widely known as Colney Hatch — a small hamlet near the historic woodland of Hollick Wood. In 1623, King James I reportedly ordered the installation of a new gate, or “hatch,” into the forest and even requested a personal key. The name stuck, and the area became closely associated with royal land and woodland management.
Hollick Wood once covered roughly 160 acres, but that landscape changed dramatically in the 19th century with the construction of one of the largest Victorian asylums in Europe.
The Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum, opened in 1851, was an enormous facility with space for over 1,000 patients. It featured six miles of corridors across a 14-acre site. Initially, the asylum was seen as progressive, encouraging patients to take part in maintaining the buildings and gardens. But rapid population growth across Middlesex soon forced the asylum to expand — and conditions quickly declined.
On 27 January 1903, tragedy struck when a fire broke out in the attic of the asylum’s women’s wing. Though the site was rebuilt, public trust never recovered. ‘Colney Hatch’ had become a byword for institutional failure, and the community began searching for a new name — and a fresh start.
From Colney Hatch to New Southgate: History of New Southgate Station
One of the clearest examples of this transformation is found in the history of New Southgate station. The station has gone through six different names, gradually moving away from the Colney Hatch label:
- 1850–1855: Colney Hatch
- 1855–1876: Southgate & Colney Hatch
- 1876–1883: New Southgate and Colney Hatch
- 1883–1923: New Southgate for Colney Hatch
- 1923–1976: New Southgate & Friern Barnet
- 1976–present: New Southgate
This renaming process reflected a wider shift across the neighbourhood. Local businesses and residents distanced themselves from the asylum’s legacy, gradually building a new identity rooted in neighbouring areas like East Barnet and Friern Barnet.
Modern New Southgate: A Community Reborn
Fast-forward to today, and New Southgate has moved on from its past. The site of the former asylum is now Princess Park Manor, a private residential development surrounded by green space. It’s an area that balances history with modern comfort, offering family homes, parks, and its own rail station that connects locals to the city.
If you’re looking for local amenities, you’ll also find one of our self storage locations nearby — ideal for managing moves, creating extra space at home, or making the most of your modern-day New Southgate lifestyle.
Whether you’re exploring the facts about East Barnet, digging into the history of New Southgate, or just curious about the area’s past, it’s clear this corner of North London has more stories than meets the eye.
Posted on 13th August 2025 by Shanaiqua Desa
