Potters Bar is a town of 22,000 people (in 2011) in Hertfordshire. It was founded in the 13th century. It borders the northern part of metropolitan London and is today very much in the city's commuter belt. The town is surrounded by Green Belt countryside.

Understand

Orientation

Wylliott's Manor, formerly a manor house and now a pub/restaurant

Potters Bar has 2 main parallel shopping streets: High Street (A1000) with the Bus Garage and Darkes Lane with the Railway Station - which are linked by The Walk.

History

Its name may refer to the fact that pottery was manufactured here in Roman times. The town, dating from the early 13th century, was small but on the coaching route between Barnet and Hatfield. The 'Bar' may refer to a toll gate on the Great North Road (now the A1000). It began growing when the Great Northern Railway was built through it in 1850.

Get in

By bus

1 Potters Bar Bus Garage The bus service also connects the town to London and other nearby towns.

By train

2 Potters Bar Railway Station the Great Northern Railway links Potters Bar to London Kings Cross and to many towns to the north: Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage.

By road

The M25 Motorway is at the southern limits of the town. A1000 runs from south to north through the High Street. A1005 links to A111, just on the town's south side, and becomes B556, which runs through the town centre and links Potters Bar to nearby London Colney.

Get around

Potters Bar is small enough that it can be traversed by foot but the PB1 bus will take you around the town. It is available at the majority of bus stops in the area.

See

• 1 Oakmere Park (The A1000 (High Street) runs along the west side of the park). Open during daylight hours. This park was once the private grounds of the Oakmere House, now a privately run restaurant and pub. It retains many of the features it had in the 19th century. The park contains two small lakes and numerous footpaths. Part of the Oakmere and Parkfield Tree Trail is located in Oakmere Park. This park has three outdoor fitness stations. The park has picnic tables and fishing is allowed by obtaining permission from the Potters Bar Angling Club. A large car park is on the park's southwest corner. In 1916 a German Zeppelin was passing over Oakmere Park and it was shot down and crashed, killing the pilot and crew. A marker in the park tells the story of this event. (updated Sep 2015)
• 2 Parkfield Open Space. The green cross roads between the Bus Garage in the High Street toward Darkes Lane with its railway station, with: a Roman tile kiln, Japanese garden, lake, World War II air raid shelter and a carved tree sculpture in a wild flower meadow. (updated Nov 2020)
• 3 WW2 Pillbox, Crossoaks Ln, EN6 3LH (Next to the Old Guinea Pub). This pillbox was constructed in 1940 as part of the Outer London Defence Ring. It is recognised by the Heremere Borough Council. (updated Oct 2020)

Do

Play Cricket at 1 Potters Bar Cricket Club, The Walk, Potters Bar EN6 1QE, ☏ +44 1707 654 801. (updated Jan 2022)

Buy

• 1 Sainsbury's, 7-8 Darkes Lane, Sainsbury Centre, EN6 1AU (directly east of the railway station), ☏ +44 1707 650814. M-F 7AM-8PM; Sa 8AM-8PM; Su 10AM-4PM. A Sainsbury's supermarket. (updated Sep 2015)
• 2 Darkes Lane. This is where a large grouping of businesses, pubs, eateries and large and small shops are located. It is one of the business centres of town; the railway station is roughly at its centre. (updated Sep 2015)

Eat

• 1 Harringtons Fish & Chips, 39 Darkes Lane, EN6 1BJ, ☏ +44 1707 657 060. M-Sa noon-9PM. (updated Nov 2020)
• 2 The Oakmere House (Harvesters Oakmere House), A1000 (High Street), EN6 5BT (at northeast corner of Oakmere Park), ☏ +44 1707 644035. Breakfast daily 9-11AM; restaurant daily 11:30AM-10PM. Oakmere House began as a country estate and the first building was built about 1800. It was destroyed by fire during an expansion and a new house was completed by the early 20th century. In the 1980s the Oakmere House was converted into a restaurant and today is run by Harvesters. The menus provide a variety of foods in the setting of an old estate house. Inexpensive. (updated Sep 2015)
• 3 The Old Manor, Wyllyott's Place, Darkes Lane, EN6 2JD (go on Darkes Lane west 1/2 block from the railway station and then north 1/2 block on Wylliott's Place), ☏ +44 1707 650674. M-F noon-3PM and 6-9PM; Sa Su noon-9PM. This is a restaurant and bar contained in part of an old manor house, Wylliott's (or Wyllyott's) Manor. The restaurant is in one part and the bar adjoins the restaurant. (updated Sep 2015)

Drink

See The Old Manor in the Eat section above. The bar serves a variety of beers, ales and liquors.

• 1 Admiral Byng (Pub with food), 186-192 Darkes Lane, EN6 1AF, ☏ +44 1707 645 484. 8AM-midnight. (updated Sep 2020)
• 2 Builders Arms (P), 47 Heath Rd, EN6 1LR, ☏ +44 1707 652 119. Pub with food. (updated Sep 2020)
• 3 Cask & Stillage, 19 High St, EN6 5AJ, ☏ +44 1707 656 725. Grade II listed (updated Oct 2020)
• 4 Strafford Arms (Pub with food), Cranborne Parade, Mutton Lane, EN6 3BA, ☏ +44 1707 655 883. M-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su noon-10:30PM. A lovely boozer with a good ledge. (updated Sep 2020)

To the west of Potters Bar taking Mutton Lane over the A1(M) are 3 more country pubs in South Mimms:

• 5 Black Horse (Pub with Food), 65 Blackhorse Ln, South Mimms, EN6 3PS, ☏ +44 1707 600 101. F-Su noon-11:30PM. Grade II listed pub with beer garden. (updated Oct 2020)
• 6 The Old Guinea (Pub with Pizza), Crossoaks Ln, EN6 3LH (turn left past the White Hart following signs to Ridge), ☏ +44 1707 660 894, info@theoldguinea.co.uk. Daily noon-10PM. Pub built in 1826, with a garden, that serves pizzas & other Italian fair. (updated Oct 2020)
• 7 The White Hart, St Albans Rd, South Mimms, EN6 3PJ, ☏ +44 1707 642 122. M-Sa noon-11PM, Su noon-10:30PM. Grade II listed McMullen Pub near the War Memorial. (updated Oct 2020)

Sleep

• 1 Lester Hotel, St Johns House, The Walk, EN6 1QQ (between the cricket club and High St.), ☏ +44 8456 884 001. (updated Jan 2022)
• 2 Premier Inn South Mimms Potters Bar, Swanland Rd, South Mimms, EN6 3NH, ☏ +44 871 527 8990. 
• 3 Ramada by Wyndham, Welcome Break Service Area J23 M25, EN6 3QQ, ☏ +44 1707 665 440. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. from £45. (updated Jan 2022)

Go next

• All roads and the railway line going south head into metropolitan London.
• The A1000 north connects to nearby Brookmans Park and Hatfield.

Routes through Potters Bar

West London ← London Colney ←	Anticlockwise  Clockwise	→ Epping → East London
Hatfield ← Brookmans Park ←	North  South	→ Barnet → North London