Winchmore Hill
| Winchmore Hill | |
|---|---|
| OS Grid Reference: | TQ315945 |
| Administration | |
| Borough: | Enfield |
| County: | Greater London |
| Region: | Greater London |
| Nation: | England |
| Other | |
| Ceremonial County: | Greater London |
| Traditional County: | Middlesex |
| Post Office and Telephone | |
| Post town: | LONDON |
| Postcode: | N21 |
| Dialling Code: | 020 |
Winchmore Hill is a district in the London Borough of Enfield in London bounded on the east by Green Lanes (the A105) and on the west by Grovelands Park.
Grovelands Park originated as a private estate. The house was built in 1797 to the designs of John Nash for Walker Gray, a Quaker brewer. The grounds were landscaped by Humphry Repton. After Gray's death the property was acquired by John Donnithorne Taylor (connected to the Taylor Walker Brewery), whose family continued to live at Grovelands up to World War I. Part of the estate was purchased by Southgate Council in 1913 to become a public park.
Perhaps the heart of the district is The Green, a village green surrounded by shops and restaurants. Amongst the latter the Salisbury Arms and King's Head pubs both provide meals, whilst Regatta is an Italian restaurant with the Winchmore Tandoori an award winning Indian restaurant. Church Hill leads off towards Southgate, the eponymous St Paul's, Winchmore Hill being built as a Waterloo Church on land donated from the Grovelands estate. The church ceiling was the largest unsupported expanse of plasterwork in Europe until its renovation in the 1960s introduced concealed supports. The original wooden St Paul's School building can be seen a little further down the hill, the remains of the second brick and stone, school building are evident in the walls of the church car park. The current 1960s building is on Ringwood Way off Station Road, another key spoke of The Green.
The oldest pub in the district is probably the Green Dragon- now renamed Jim Thompson's - on Green Lanes. It is reputed to have started in 1726 and was the haunt of highwaymen, it was extensively remodelled in 1935.
The Winchmore Hill district benefits from having a relatively large amount of open space because much of the land area was owned by a few large wealthy families (several active in the brewing industry) who sought to protect the area against the encroachment of urban sprawl up to and including the arrival of commuter rail lines late in the 19th century.
WAGN provide services on the electrified railway line which runs from Winchmore Hill, and this line connects further south to the Underground system at Finsbury Park, Highbury and Islington, Old Street and Moorgate, from Hertford North. After 20:30 trains run directly to King's Cross from Finsbury Park, rather than stations to Moorgate. The nearest Underground station is at Southgate which is on the Piccadilly Line.
Nearest places:
See also
Bibliography
The Cresswells of Winchmore Hill by Peter Hodge