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Every street in Palmers Green

Part of Arthur Sykes Palmers Green streetscape
Part of Arthur Sykes Palmers Green streetscape

What do you love in Palmers Green? Are there buildings, monuments, or spaces that you think are worthy of recognition, either because of their value in their own right or historical or social associations? Now’s your chance to have your say.

Over the next few weeks a team of local volunteers will be tramping every street in Palmers Green – and Enfield as a whole – to take a look at it’s the streets to suggest what buildings, monuments and other items should be included in the next edition of Enfield Council’s Local List.

The project is being led by Enfield Council working in tandem with the Enfield Society and Urban Vision, and volunteers have been trained up and allocated specific sections of the borough. The aim is to look beyond those buildings which already have formal listed status via English Heritage and produce a longer list of things which, though perhaps not as nationally significant, are still of local importance.

IMG_0018Buildings and other items can be proposed on the basis of age, rarity, historical association, archaeological interest, architectural quality, landmark status, group value (or example a collection of buildings together), urban design quality, designed landscape, social and community value, aesthetic merit or literary or creative association.

The volunteers for central Palmers Green are

• Andy Barker and Fran Carman of Fox Lane and District Resident’s Association (looking at the area west of the railway line including the Lakes Estate) contact andybarker47@virginmedia.com
• Sue Beard of Palmers Green Jewel in the North (looking at East of the railway line, including central Palmers Green on Green Lanes and the triangle of roads inside the boundaries of Hedge Lane and the North Circular Road) contact palmersgreenn13@btinternet.com; and

Palmers Green's bus station, which began life as a roller rink
Palmers Green’s bus station, which began life as a roller rink

We’re keen to hear your ideas, particularly if you think that there are gems you know something about and that could potentially be missed. I will be posting about some of the suggestions we will be putting forward as part of the project – and if you would like to volunteer to write any of the submissions, perhaps about a place you care about in particular that you think should be listed, we will bite your hand off…!

Just in case you are curious, local buildings and other features which have already been listed in the past Enfield as being of special architectural or historical interest include

• Appleby Court 128 Old Park Alderman’s Hill built by J B Franklin in an arts and crafts style, although the original features seem to have been lost as early as the 1930s. It is now flats
• 397 Green Lanes, the former site of Grouts, now Skate Attack. The frontage may be original dating from 1913.
• 84 and 86 Hoppers Road.

Sadly, the often fondly remembered Pilgrims Rest restaurant, made up of two C18th cottages, and previously on the list, was lost to developers in the 1990s.

If you are wondering what holds the higher, Grade 2 listed, status in Palmers Green, here is the list

• Parish Church of St John the Evangelist Palmers Green, including the Parish Room
• Broomfield House, Broomfield Park, walls around Broomfield Park on Broomfield Lane
• Menlow Lodge and the former Minchendon Lower school, Fox Lane
• Truro House including some parts of the wall and gate piers
• National Westminster Bank, Green Lanes/Lodge Drive.

9 replies on “Every street in Palmers Green”

You refer to “Menlow Lodge and the former Minchendon Lower school, Fox Lane” – well, the main building was built on open farm land and completed in 1910 for the new Southgate County School, which opened for its first pupils in September 1910, most of the boys coming from the school’s temporary home in Broomfield House, which had accommodated them since the school first opened on May 1st, 1907. Girls, who had previously occupied Avondale Hall, were admitted for the first time and, from September 1910, the school became co-educational – with the result that the parents of some of the boys withdrew them!

The school remained in Fox Lane for half a century, until it was relocated to Sussex Way, Cockfosters, in September 1960, where It continued, as Southgate County Grammar School, until July 1967, when it was combined with the former Oakwood Secondary Modern School to form the Comprehensive, named Southgate School, which continues to the present time.

A detailed history of the former Grammar School can be found at http://www.SouthgateCountySchool.co.uk and more than 100 Old Scholars will be holding their Biennual Reunion at the Comprehensive in Cockfosters on Sunday week, 4 October.

After the Grammar School moved to Cockfosters, the Fox Lane building was occupied for a short time by Minchenden Lower School (not spelled “Minchendon”, although that’s how it was spelled on the notice board outside), awaiting demolition and redevelopment of the site; however, a local campaign succeeded in getting the building listed and it was then converted into flats, as Corrib Court.

Without going to Fox Lane, I’m not sure whether Menlo Lodge (not spelled “Menlow”) was part of the original School buildings but, if it was, it would have been the separate building which combined the living accommodation for the Caretaker and his family and the rooms for Domestic Science and Woodwork.

The conservatory in Broomfield Park is a beautiful building built in 1934 on a lovely site overlooking one of the lakes.It houses many tropical plants and a lot of local people can remember its banana and pineapple plants of years ago. It is now run by volunteers and open 2 afternoons a week. Recently the railings that used to be by the toilets in the Triangle have been installed in front of the conservatory, improving the frontage of the building.

Correct. That was a regular question given to the 168 St Johns scouts at Lacey Hall prior to going on a treasure hunt back in the fifties. We would be sent to the pub where they sell beer by the pound.
Happy Days.?

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