Car Hire Finchley

One of the nicest drives we’ve had started just outside Hampstead, heading north through the early quiet, ending in Finchley just as the first bakeries were opening. Set back from the pace of inner London, Finchley is easy to reach by car, especially along the A406 or A1, after witch the town with its 65,000 residents awaits you. We usually bring comfortable shoes, a fold-up umbrella in the bag and ideally, time to explore without too many plans. Early autumn or late spring works best—when the light stretches and the gardens still feel fresh.

Attractions In Finchley

Having a car makes exploring Finchley feel effortless. The highlights are spread out—some hidden behind leafy lanes, others near the edges of parks or just beyond the main roads. You’ll find parking without much hassle and most places are only a few minutes apart.

Stephens House & Gardens

Set just off East End Road, Stephens House feels like a pause button in the middle of Finchley. Its gardens are spacious but never sparse. Every hedge is shaped with care and every corner is home to birdsong and shade.

We used to stop in on Sunday afternoons when we needed to think—the pergola was always quiet and there’s a particular bench near the pond that seems to catch the last sun. One afternoon, we joined an impromptu tour and ended up learning about Henry Stephens, ink magnate turned philanthropist, who left the house to the people of Finchley. It’s open from 8am to 4pm and never feels rushed.

Victoria Park

Victoria Park has a quiet rhythm. Familiar paths lead past a duck pond and the playground offers enough to keep things lively without crowding the space.

We often pass through after errands, coffee in hand, taking the long way home just for the shade. One summer, we watched a dad teach his daughter to ride a bike—she fell twice, cried once and cycled by the third loop around. There’s a life to the park that doesn’t need music or events.

Arts Depot

Arts Depot sits just off the High Road and manages to be many things at once: community theatre, gallery, rehearsal space, nursery, café.

We’ve been coming here since our niece was old enough for puppet shows. One December we squeezed into the back row of a nearly sold-out pantomime and laughed through the whole thing. Afterwards, we sat in the café with hot chocolate while the cast wandered through in costume, still buzzing. It’s open from 8:30am on weekdays and 10am at weekends.

Flip Out Brent Cross

Coming in from Muswell Hill, we pulled into the retail park mid-afternoon. Flip Out is all energy, with bouncing walls, foam pits and padded floors.

We’ve lost count of how many birthday parties we’ve done here—but the kids always leave sweaty and smiling. While they bounce, we usually find a corner table and nurse a lukewarm coffee, occasionally scanning for flying socks or someone’s dropped wristband. Time disappears in there.

Hollywood Bowl Finchley

Hollywood Bowl on Leisure Way offers exactly what you’d expect: dimmed lights, retro screens and plastic shoes that never quite fit right.

We once went after dinner during a power cut at home, hoping for warm lights and something to do. Ended up bowling three rounds and winning a glow-in-the-dark keyring at the arcade.It’s a dependable fallback, especially after a wet afternoon around Golders Green.

Dollis Valley Greenwalk

No ticket, no gates, just a path through the trees. We walk the Greenwalk when we need quiet. Entering from Nether Street, we usually turn left at the first footbridge and follow the path past the community gardens. Once we spotted a fox curled in the undergrowth, completely unbothered by the passing strollers. The mix of suburban back fences and proper woodland makes it feel oddly private.

Sunny Hill Park

An easy detour on the way to Hendon, this hilltop park offers space and air in equal measure.

We come here for the open view at the top. You can see far across rooftops toward Wembley on a clear day. There’s a man who plays guitar near the café most weekends. One Sunday in June, we stayed longer than planned just listening to his slow version of “Here Comes the Sun” while kids rolled down the hill.

Frith Grange Scout Campsite

We’d started our morning in Mill Hill and found ourselves drawn to Frith Grange. While it’s a functioning scout site, the quiet of the woodland and the smell of campfire lent it a different kind of welcome.

One of us used to come here as a child for scout weekends. That first night with torches and marshmallows never quite leaves your head. These days, it’s the flicker of tents and faint voices that makes us slow down when passing by.

Brent Park

Brent Park isn’t large but sometimes that’s the point. We’d passed through Colindale earlier that day and this made an easy spot to pause. We stopped here once after a long drive just to eat a sandwich on the bench by the water. The road noise fades a little near the pond and the ducks don’t care if you sit a while.

Burgh House

Before heading back to Highgate, we made one last stop.

Burgh House is small but the kind of small that invites you in. A few quiet rooms, a short exhibit and a tearoom that smells like warm fruit cake and old timber. We sat in the garden one Sunday morning with a scone and black tea, watching bees move from pot to pot. It’s open Wednesday to Friday and on Sundays.

Where To Eat, Pause And Stay

Spending time in Finchley has a natural rhythm. You find things gradually—independent cafés like Tintico, low-key Japanese diners such as Ai Sushi or casual takeaways like Tootoomoo. We’ve spent plenty of slow afternoons here—newspaper in one hand, coffee in the other—watching neighbours greet each other outside the grocer’s.

If you’re staying the night, the Glenlyn Hotel keeps things simple and central. After a day tracing the parks, galleries and cafés, we took the long way home toward Bounds Green, letting the traffic ebb while Finchley settled back into its usual quiet.