Hotel in Cockfosters, London

Right on the northern fringes of Greater London, Cockfosters is the last stop on the Piccadilly Line (Zone 5), and after this quiet residential area, it’s all fields.

Cockfosters is halfway between the boroughs of Enfield and Barnet, and a bus or taxi to Barnet itself is probably your best bet for eating and drinking establishments nearby – there’s a great number of bars, restaurants and chain stores clustered around the High Street.

Cockfosters is very residential, with two campuses of Middlesex University adding a bit of spark to the area and Chase Side stadium is home to rugby league giants Saracens’s B team, as well as the training ground for the first team.

Chicken Shed Theatre Company (290 Chase Side, 020 8292 9222, www.chickenshed.org.uk) are probably Cockfosters’ most famous residents, with their admirably inclusive, youth-based performance work creating some excellent productions, and their permanent theatre is close to the tube.

Further out, Trent Country Park (Cockfosters Road, 020 8449 8706) is a 400-acre country manor with woodlands, meadows and a Wildlife Rescue Centre with some very cute inhabitants.

It’s a 30 minute Underground journey to King’s Cross, and Wood Green – with its multiplex cinemas and Shopping City mall – is just a 15 minute ride away.

Cockfosters: Tube (underground)

Cockfosters: Rail (overground)