Palmers Green is a suburban area and electoral ward in

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nor ...

, England, within the

London Borough of Enfield The London Borough of Enfield () is a London borough in North London. It borders the London boroughs of Barnet to the west, Haringey to the south, and Waltham Forest to the southeast. To the north are the districts of Hertsmere, Welwyn Hat ...

. It is located within the N13 postcode district, around north of

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City ...

. It is home to the largest population of Greek Cypriots outside

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

and is often nicknamed "Little Cyprus" or "Palmers Greek".

Etymology

Recorded as ''Palmers grene'' 1608, 'village green associated with a family called Palmer' (mentioned in local records from the 14th century), from the

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old Englis ...

''grene''.

History

Palmers Green was once a tiny

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

in the parish of

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...

, situated at the junction of Green Lanes and Fox Lane. Its population was very small, and there were no more than a few isolated houses in the mid-17th century. Local records mention a Palmers Field in 1204 and a Palmers Grove in 1340. Palmers Green is mentioned as a highway in 1324 (in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

Muniments). By 1801 the area had grown to a village of 54 buildings, including two inns (according to the Middlesex Record Office). In 1871 the railway line from

Wood Green Wood Green is a suburban district in the borough of Haringey in London, England. Its postal district is N22, with parts in N8 or N15. The London Plan identifies it as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London, and today it forms a m ...

to Enfield was opened and a station was built in Aldermans Hill to serve Palmers Green (half a mile away from the nearest houses). The area remained largely undeveloped for thirty more years, as local landowners refused to sell their large estates for building. In 1902, however, large tracts of land were sold for building and the area began to develop rapidly. The first large-scale developments were on the Old Park estate between Fox Lane and Aldermans Hill, and the Hazelwood Park Estate between Hazelwood Lane and Hedge Lane. Within the latter development the building that now serves as Hazelwood Infant School and Hazelwood Junior School was built in Hazelwood Lane in 1908. Notable local buildings include Broomfield House and Truro House. The former Southgate Town Hall has now been converted into flats. The former Pilgrims Rest (reflecting the name Palmers – "medieval pilgrim who carried a palm branch as a token of having visited the Holy Land") has already been demolished for housing. The Fox public house, which has been in its present guise since 1904, was once the site of the Electric Mouse comedy venue. The Intimate Theatre was opened in a building that had been built in 1931 as St Monica's Church Hall. Among the actors who performed there were

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisi ...

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 1 ...

and (in a mime production)

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

. It is no longer a repertory theatre and the building is no longer used exclusively for theatrical performances, but it is still often referred to as the Intimate Theatre. In 1992 the building housed a Radio Cracker studio. In 1988 Palmers Green's only hospital, Greentrees Hospital, was closed and demolished.

Palmers Green today

Palmers Green, Green Lanes looking north

There is a parade of shops known as Palmers Green Shopping Centre along Green Lanes, with many restaurants, clothing shops, independently owned cafes, beauty salons, and branches of Superdrug, Wetherspoons (The Alfred Herring),

Boots UK Boots UK Limited (formerly Boots the Chemists), trading as Boots, is a British health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom and other countries and territories including Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Thail ...

, and

Morrisons Wm Morrison Supermarkets, trading as Morrisons, is the fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Scotland, as well as one in Gibraltar. The company is headq ...

. Broomfield House, in

Broomfield Park Broomfield Park was a football stadium in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, home of Airdrieonians from 1892 until it was closed after the 1993–94 football season. Airdrieonians F.C. was formed in 1878 and the club opened Broomfield in 1892. The B ...

, remains a burnt-out shell despite numerous redevelopment proposals and an appearance on the BBC2 programme ''Restoration''. The Conservatory in the park has recently reopened after a refurbishment. After more than 20 years of discussion, the North Circular A406 was widened to two lanes each way at Bounds Green, with various junction improvements. Some major congestion still exists on the A406. Continuous segregated cycle lanes, junction improvements and rearranged on-street parking on and around Green Lanes have been created by

Enfield Council Enfield London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Enfield in Greater London, England. It is one of 32 London borough councils in the United Kingdom capital of London. History There have previously been a number ...

following a successful bid for "Mini Holland" funding from the

Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current m ...

via TfL. The lanes extend as far south as the A406. The aim is to encourage more commuter, school journeys and leisure cycling than was possible under the previous road layout, which combined four lane sections subject to speeding and other dangers to cyclists. Less than one year into their full opening, automated cycle counts at September 2018 already suggest 10-12k trips by bike per month within Palmers Green. Public access to the New River waterway has been improved with waterside paths and access gates.

Demography

According to the 2011 census, 64% of the ward's population is white (34% British, 27% other, 3% Irish). 6% was Indian and 5% of 'any other ethnic group'. The main foreign languages are Turkish, spoken by 795 people, and

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

, spoken by 605.

In popular culture

Green Lanes, the

high street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

of Palmers Green, is featured in the "Knight Bus" sequence in the film ''

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and is the third in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The book follows Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, a young wizard (fantasy), wizard ...

''. Palmers Green is mentioned in Jona Lewie's song "

You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties "You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jona Lewie. It was written by Lewie and Keef Trouble, and was released as a single in 1980. The song entered the UK Singles Chart in May, reaching number 16 a ...

" (1980). The song's lyrics were written by Lewie's friend

Keef Trouble Keef Trouble (born Keith Trussell, 1949, Greenwich, London) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Career Trouble studied at The Slade School of Fine Art, London, from 1968 to 1972. He is a founding member of British country- blues ba ...

, a fellow member of Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts. The reference to Palmers Green was prompted by the fact that Trouble had split up with his girlfriend and was at a party thrown by his friend Charles "Charlie Farley" Hallinan near The Fox, Palmers Green. Jona Lewie slightly amended the words, but still mentioned the "do in Palmers Green".

Notable residents

Peter Racine Fricker Peter Racine Fricker (5 September 19201 February 1990) was an English composer, among the first to establish his career entirely after the Second World War. He lived in the US for the last thirty years of his life. Fricker wrote over 160 works in ...

, composer. Lived at 53, Avondale Road between 1950 and 1964 * Christian David Ginsburg, biblical scholar. * Alfred Herring,

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

recipient. *

William Orbit William Mark Wainwright (born 15 December 1956),"William Orbit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 30. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2000. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 7 May 2017. Available onlinvia ''Encyclopedia.com'' known ...

, musician and producer was raised in Palmers Green. * Paul Scott, author of ''The Jewel in the Crown'', was born in Palmers Green on 25 March 1920. *

Freya Ridings Freya Ridings (born 19 April 1994) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Ridings rose to prominence in 2017 with her ballad, " Lost Without You", which became a top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart. She followed this with ...

, musician. *

Skepta Chief Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. (born 19 September 1982), known professionally as Skepta, is a British-Nigerian grime MC, rapper and record producer. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became foundin ...

and JME, grime music artists, lived in Palmers Green. They have filmed several music videos in the area. * Stevie Smith, poet and novelist, lived at No 3 Avondale Road from 1905 until her death in 1971. *

Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, f ...

shared a flat at 18 Ash Grove in 1971 with Tymon Dogg. * Thomas Wilde, 1st Baron Truro, owner of Truro House.

Transport

A train service runs at Palmers Green railway station, operated by

Great Northern Great Northern may refer to: Transport * One of a number of railways; see Great Northern Railway (disambiguation). * Great Northern Railway (U.S.), a defunct American transcontinental railroad and major predecessor of the BNSF Railway. * Great ...

, with southbound trains running to Moorgate. Northbound trains run to Hertford North regularly and on to

Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Steven ...

once an hour. Some trains also terminate at Gordon Hill. During May 2019, the train service was disrupted due to platform works at Stevenage. Bus routes 34,

102 102 may refer to: *102 (number), the number * AD 102, a year in the 2nd century AD *102 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 102 (ambulance service), an emergency medical transport service in Uttar Pradesh, India * 102 (Clyde) Field Squadron, Royal En ...

, 121, 141, 232, 299, 329, W4, W6, W9 and the N29 operate locally. The

North Circular Road The North Circular Road (officially the A406 and sometimes known as simply the North Circular) is a ring road around Central London in England. It runs from Chiswick in the west to Woolwich in the east via suburban North London, connecting ...

and A10 are the main trunk roads. The A111 through Southgate gives access to the

M25 motorway The M25 or London Orbital Motorway is a major road encircling most of Greater London. The motorway is one of the most important roads in the UK and one of the busiest. Margaret Thatcher opened the final section in 1986, making the M25 the lon ...

at junction 24. An electric

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...

way along Green Lanes as far as

Winchmore Hill Winchmore Hill is a suburb and electoral ward in the Borough of Enfield, North London, in the N21 postal district. With the Winchmore Hill conservation area as a focal point, the district is bounded on the east by Green Lanes (the A105 road ...

was developed in 1907, helping to further develop the area. The tramway is now long gone.

Nearest places

Edmonton, London Edmonton is a town in north London, England within the London Borough of Enfield, a local government district of Greater London. The northern part of the town is known as Lower Edmonton or Edmonton Green, and the southern part as Upper Edmo ...

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Wal ...

Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, Hampstead Garden Suburb, East Fi ...

Bowes Park Bowes Park () is situated on the borders of Wood Green, Palmers Green and Bounds Green in London, England. The postcodes for Bowes Park are N13 and N22. The border between the London boroughs of Enfield and Haringey goes through the area. Bow ...

* Southgate *

Enfield Town Enfield is a large town in north London, England, north of Charing Cross. It had a population of 156,858 in 2018. It includes the areas of Botany Bay, Brimsdown, Bulls Cross, Bullsmoor, Bush Hill Park, Clay Hill, Crews Hill, Enfield High ...

Nearest tube stations

* Arnos Grove tube station * Bounds Green tube station *

Southgate tube station Southgate is a London Underground Piccadilly line station in Southgate. It is located between Arnos Grove and Oakwood stations and is in Travelcard Zone 4. History Southgate station opened on 13 March 1933 with Oakwood on the second phase o ...

* Wood Green tube station

Nearest railway stations

* Palmers Green railway station *

Bowes Park railway station Bowes Park railway station is in the London Borough of Haringey in north London, and is on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 3 and Travelcard Zone 4. It is down the line from . The station and all trains serving it are operated by Great Northe ...

* Winchmore Hill railway station

Education

* Hazelwood Primary School * Firs Farm Primary * Oakthorpe Primary *

Palmers Green High School Palmers Green High School is an independent girls' school located in Hoppers Road, Palmers Green, North London. It consists of four divisions: The Alice Nursery (ages 3–4), Preparatory (Years 1-2), Junior School (Years 3-6) and the Senior Sch ...

(Independent) * St Michael at Bowes CE Junior * Tottenhall Infant * St Monica's RC Primary * St Anne's Catholic High School

Churches

* Saint Monica's Church, Palmers Green (

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

) * St John's Church (

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

) * Palmers Green Baptist Church * Palmers Green United Reformed Church

Mosques

* Palmers Green Mosque (Muslim Community & Education Centre)

References

Bibliography

*''Once Upon a Time in Palmers Green,''

Alan Dumayne Alan Peter Dumayne (21 April 1929 – 30 April 1998) was an historian of North London known for his lectures and books on the history of Southgate, Palmers Green, and Winchmore Hill. Life Alan Dumayne was born in Harringay on 21 April 1929

, 1988. *''Intimate Memories: The History of the Intimate Theatre, Palmers Green,'', Geoff Bowden, 2006.

External links

Ward profile, Enfield Borough CouncilA History of Edmonton Social Life from British History Online, including some history of Palmers Green social lifeThe official site of Hazelwood Infant SchoolThe official site of Hazelwood Junior SchoolThe official site of Palmers Green High School

Palmers Green history, people and community
{{Authority control Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Enfield Places formerly in Middlesex District centres of London