Barnfield Road was the location of the Watling Estate market.
In 1924, the London County Council (LCC) purchased 390 acres, including Goldbeaters farm, for their Watling estate.
The first residents arrived in 1927 and the estate was complete by 1931. By that year there were 4021 houses and flats. Its population was drawn mainly from Islington and St Pancras.
The Watling Estate was designed by G. Topham Forrest, architect to the LCC, who was inspired by the design of earlier garden suburbs - houses of tarred weatherboarding, roughcast or brick. Many houses were sheltered by older trees and formed winding streets and closes, interspersed with small parks.
Watling Avenue, leading to Burnt Oak station, became the chief shopping centre, and a market was built off Barnfield Road.
