Golders Green history

Golders Green means the village green o the Golders, a somewhat distorted version of the name of the Godyere family who owned land in the area. It was a wooded area in the Middle Ages, but it was cleared in the 18th century to make way for farmers. It was still a secluded area protected from the wholesale residential development of neighbouring areas until 1905 when a tunnel was dug under Hampstead Heath which allowed the Northern Line to reach Golders Green. This led to immediate development of the area into residential housing. The Golders Hill Park remained as a recreational area. Before and after the Second World War it became a particular enclave for refugees from Central Europe.