The town as the site of the Battle of Barnet in 1471, where Edward IV was killed.
The town lies at the northern end of the Northern Line, and the association football team Barnet F.C play there. It was formerly the site of a well-known fair, hence the cockney rhyming slang "Barnet" for "hair".
See also
East Barnet, Friern Barnet, New Barnet