Coppetts Wood was once part of a vast woodland known as Finchley Wood. By 1504, this woodland had strunk in size and become known as a common. The 17th and 18th centures saw Finchley Common used for such diverse pursuits as bare-knuckle boxing, horse racing and pigeon shooting. It also had a reputation as the haunt of highwaymen at this time.

After the area had suffered an outbreak of typhoid in 1872, both Coppetts Wood and Scrublands saw the installation of a sewerage works. After a period of private ownership, the wood was puchased by the Council in 1900.

During the Second World War, the wood was used by the military and several tank traps remain. The sewage works were closed in 1963 and the sludge digester demolished in 1988.

The area was designated a Local Nature Reserve by the London Borough of Barnet in 1997, giving it greater protection and visitors better opportunities to explore this magnificent relic of the countryside of Finchley.