Potters Bar Society

Potters Bar and the Society

Potters Bar is a pleasant place in which to live. It is fresh and clean, and the surrounding countryside is beautiful. Little Heath adjoins the town to the north and South Mimms and Ridge are self contained villages to the west. The area is well served by road and rail.

Originally a hamlet on the old Great North Road, Potters Bar began to grow with the coming of the London to Peterborough railway in 1850, and the erection of a station a mile to the south-west of the town. However, it retained its village atmosphere until the 1930s when residential development around the station brought a change in its focus, a dramatic rise in the number of inhabitants, and some light industry.

Wyllyotts Theatre and Cinema, off Darkes Lane, Potters Bar

The old war memorial site at the junction of Hatfield Road and The Causeway, was planted by the Potters Bar Society

Consequently the present town, on high ground within the Green Belt, is a mixture of old and new, and of residential and commercial areas. The Wyllyotts Theatre and Cinema, near Darkes Lane, is the town's major entertainment venue, and additionally houses the Potters Bar Museum.

The Potters Bar Society was formed in 1961 by a small group of residents, to maintain and improve the amenities and character of the town. It is non-political, with membership open to anyone who is interested in the town and surrounding countryside.
The Society includes a number of Groups, whose activities are overseen by the Executive Committee, the members of which are all volunteers elected at the Annual General Meeting in May of each year.

The Society is active in making its views known to local and national official departments on such issues as developments proposed in the Hertsmere District Plan and the Hertfordshire County Structure Plan, the effects of roads and traffic, parking schemes, rural footpaths, and the protection of the Green Belt.
But the Society also acts to make the town more attractive and over the years has planted many trees, shrubs and bulbs, as well as providing three seats in Darkes Lane. Most of the daffodils and crocuses seen on open spaces in Potters Bar were planted by the Society. The Society has grown steadily - however, the more members it has, the more its voice is heard.

Help us to maintain high standards for the town and countryside by giving us your support, active or otherwise. Details of membership are available on the Join Us page.