88 High Street

&
The Barnet Squeeze
 A photograph from before the
1871 reconstruction of St John
the Baptist Church by William
Butterfield shows the old gam-
brel or ‘Dutch gabled’ timber
building with its distinctive Oriel
window and open yard to the
left. This is the earliest picture
that we currently have.

The building was thought to be a fine ex-

ample mid-seventeenth century domestic
architecture and a possible influence on
early American dwellings: The Homes of
the Pilgrim Fathers in England and Ameri-
ca (1620-1685) by Martin S. Briggs
The church in this picture dates from
about 1400 when it was rebuilt by John
de la Moote, abbot of St Albans.

The 1871 restoration by William

Butterfield followed his poly-
chromic treatment of Keble Col-
lege, Oxford and Rugby School,
with the characteristic cheq-
uered facings that can be seen
today.
In this etching, left, of 1876 the
prominent oriel window has
been used by the artist to frame
the view.
 This photograph, from before
1880, of the Kings Head pub-
lic house shows how promi-
nent number 88 was. Indeed,
it must have been the most
prominent building in The
Squeeze or Bottleneck at the
time.
The oriel window features in
many pictures of the view up
Barnet hill and was some-
thing of a landmark. At this
time 88 was occupied by
Warren & Co. Coal and Coke
Merchants. They had a col-
lection depot down Barnet
hill by the station. The tiny
office still stands, occupied
by a van hire business.

By the 1883 the new Kings

Head building had been
erected. To the left of 88 an
open yard can just be seen
The old timber buildings
present in an etching dated
1805 can be seen in this
photograph.
By 1886 the shop was occupied by Nickolds Bros. selling musical instruments sheet music
and with a piano showroom. Also present at the time was JL Thomas , cycle dealer and re-
pairer. Judging by the signwriting, the adjacent yard would appear to have been used as a
builders yard, although the vertical poles might indicate the immanent construction 88a,
although the 1896 OS map still shows the yard to be vacant. The plan of the old building
matches that of the current shop.
Just visible behind one of the poles at roof level can be seen an attic or dormer window.
When 88a was built a niche or slot was created in
the flank so as not to obscure the window. A

squint was also formed in the brickwork

at the rear flank to allow for the soffit
and guttering at the rear.
Harry Nicholds bought the freehold of his shop in 1921 only to sell it on to the McMullen
Brewery in 1924. By at least 1931 the shop had become a confectioners and the slot be-
tween 88 and 88a had become an attached kiosk. At some point this slot was disposed of
and it became part of 88a’s demise.
By 1933 the old building had gone. It was replaced by the current single storey building.
Still owned by McMullen’s, it was leased to Loraine & Co Ltd, Confectioners.

1933

Circa 1931 before demolition

1946
Known Occupants
1889 Warren & Co.
Coal and Coke Merchants.
1890 Nickolds Bros.
Piano showroom & sheet music.
1950s Lovells' Sweet Shop
1950/60 Lorain’s Sweet Shop
1965 Maynards Sweet Shop
1970s Bistro
Knocked through to what became
the Spice Carriage next door.
1976 Help the Aged
Charity Shop
1995 Turbo
Computer Games

2009 Hopscotch
Confectionery, loose tea and
baking supplies
The Barnet Squeeze
88 High Street stands in the
old Great North Road at a
section once known as The
Squeeze, which used to be
longer when there were
shops forming an island in
the middle of the road in
front of the college. These
shops were called Middle
Row and were the original
location of the Barnet mar-
ket which received it’s char-
ter from King John in 1199. Middle Row was demolished after a fire in 1889.
Over the last 800 years this small medieval gap has witnessed a stunning parade of
historical figures and events, from Kings and Queens to great armies .
14th April 1471 saw King Edward IV and his 11,000 strong army pass through to reclaim the
throne, beating the Earl of Warwick’s army of 15,000 in the Battle of Barnet.
In August 1555, during the catholic rule of Bloody Mary,
Bishop Bonner had the martyr William Hale burnt at the
stake as a heretic. The pyre was lit just over the road in
Church Passage.
Three years later the protestant monarchy was restored
when in November 1558 the new Queen Elizabeth left
Hatfield for London.
Riding on horseback dressed in purple velvet, she passed
through the Squeeze with an escort of 1,000 men.
In 1660 General Monck marched some 5,800 soldiers
through The Squeeze, to spend the night in Barnet before
marching on to London to restore Charles II to the throne.
Samuel Pepys was no stranger to The Squeeze and wrote of
eating the finest cheese-cake in the Great Room above
Umi’s Pizza & Chicken shop.
Hopscotch is in a designated Area of Archaeological Significance on the site of an old tim-
ber building which survived until 1933. Notable for it’s gabled facade and an oriel window,
which appears in many old illustrations, the site included a yard to the left and stables at
the back with the rear extending at least to what is now Moxon Street.
This was part of a medieval burgage plot that comprised a market shop, dwelling and a tiny
smallholding for vegetables and little animals such as pigs. That there are no parallel lines
in the layout of the property is testament to the shop’s medieval heritage, where there
has been give and take during repeated construction over the last 900 years.
In the 1890s the shop sold pianos and sheet music, later it was a confectioners named
Lorraine’s, then a trendy restaurant (knocked through to the curry house), then a charity
shop and finally a computer game shop.
A church has stood over the road since the 11th century. Rebuilt in the 15th century and in
1875 that church was largely rebuilt to designs by William Butterfield. The north aisle just
over the road is all that remains of the 15th century church. It has been said that the tower
is the highest point between itself and the Ural Mountains 3,600km to the east and York to
the north.

© 2019 Michael Kentish, Hopscotch Trading Ltd.