New Southgate is a residential suburb straddling three Outer London Boroughs: a small part of the east of Barnet, a south-west corner of Enfield and in loosest definitions, based on nearest railway stations, a small northern corner of Haringey in North London, England where estates merge into Bounds Green. Its first church, founded in 1873, was among organisations opting for the newer name, New Southgate, rather than the older hamlet name Colney Hatch which from 1851 became more use-specific. The gradual demise of the former place name use is shown by New Southgate railway station, renamed five times. Changes in this terminology reflect social stigma to a large residential institution, in this case the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum, built in 1851, which co-provided for Middlesex and as such continued to serve much of London after London County Council was founded in 1889. The later mental health hospital closed in 1993 and has been redeveloped into two housing estates, Princess Park Manor and Friern Village in New Southgate. Overview The low-rise residential area with some mid-rise pockets and many small parks, recreation grounds, schools and playgrounds is characterised by housing estates with rear gardens, resulting in its relatively low population density. The district traverses three boroughs: Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. Much is a sub area of Southgate and part of an electoral ward which has usually included 'Southgate' in successive names, including Southgate Grove, and the current Southgate Green. Postal system The postcode area N11 takes in New Southgate. It skirts significantly into Arnos Grove, Bounds Green and Friern Barnet. It is numbered eleventh (N11) due to its main post distribution centre being in New Southgate and the numbering on that basis was alphabetical (aside from N1). History The first reference to New Southgate is in the 1850s. Much of New Southgate was once the hamlet of Betstile centred on a crossroads at which stood Betstile House and Betstile Lodge; Betstyle has been perpetuated since the early 20th century with Betstyle Road and Betstyle Circus. North and east parts were known as Betstyle and as a natural progression fell into the Municipal Borough of Southgate (1881-1965); Southgate had recently grown from a broad hamlet of South Street and others in the parish of Edmonton. From 1851 Southgate constituted a district chapelry under Edmonton which replaced the semi-private Ward Chapel at Arnos Grove built in the 17th century — immediately north-east of