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 and the City of London. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshi ...

, England, within the

London Borough of Enfield The London Borough of Enfield () is a London boroughs, London borough in Greater London, England. The main communities in the borough are Edmonton, London, Edmonton, Enfield, London, Enfield, Southgate, London, Southgate and Palmers Green. Enfi ...

. 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. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been the notional "centre of London" and became the point from which distances from London are measured. ...

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

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

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 English pe ...

''grene''.

History

Palmers Green was once a tiny

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

in the parish of

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, 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 Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

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 of the London Borough of Haringey, 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 ...

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. Broomfield House in 1981

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

Palmer Palmer may refer to: People and fictional characters * Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land * Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Palmer (surname), including a list of people and f ...

s – "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, film director, and Film producer, producer. Attenborough was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Acade ...

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; born Vivian Mary Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. After completing her drama school education, Leigh appeared in small roles in four films in 1935 and progress ...

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the actor to portray Ian Fleming's fictional secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in the Eon Productions/MGM Studios film series, playing the ...

and (in a mime production)

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

. 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

There is a

parade of shops A shopping parade, also known as a parade of shops, suburban parade, neighbourhood parade, or just a simply a parade is a group of between five and 40 shops in one or more continuous rows, mostly being retail and serving a local customer base; in ...

known as Palmers Green Shopping Centre along Green Lanes, with many restaurants, clothing shops, independently owned cafes, beauty salons, and branches of

Superdrug Superdrug Stores plc (trading as Superdrug) is a health and beauty retailer in the United Kingdom, and the second largest behind Boots UK. The company is owned by AS Watson (Health & Beauty UK) Limited which is part of the A.S. Watson Group. ...

, a former

Wetherspoons J D Wetherspoon (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons, and colloquially known as Spoons) is a British pub company operating in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim ...

(The Alfred Herring),

Boots A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...

and

Morrisons Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited, trading as Morrisons, is the List of supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Sco ...

. Broomfield House, in

Broomfield Park Broomfield Park was a association football, football stadium in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, home of Airdrieonians F.C. (1878), Airdrieonians from 1892 until it was closed after the 1993–94 in Scottish football, 1993–94 football season.It w ...

, remains a burnt-out shell despite numerous redevelopment proposals and an appearance on the

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

programme '' Restoration''. The Conservatory in the park has recently reopened after a refurbishment. After more than 20 years of discussion, the

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

A406 was widened to two lanes each way at

Bounds Green Bounds Green is a suburb to the north of Wood Green, in the London Borough of Haringey and London Borough of Enfield in north London. Parts of it are also known as New Southgate, but most of New Southgate lies in the London Borough of Enfield ...

in 2010 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 following a successful bid for "Mini Holland" funding from

Transport for London Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom. TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...

. 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: 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 of all kno ...

, 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''. Palmers Green is mentioned in Jona Lewie's song " You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties" (1980). The song's lyrics were written by Lewie's friend Keef Trouble, 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, composer; lived at 53, Avondale Road 1950–1964 * Christian David Ginsburg, biblical scholar * Alfred Herring,

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

recipient * JME, grime music artist, lived in Palmers Green; with Skepta, has filmed several music videos in the area *

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; raised in Palmers Green * Freya Ridings, musician * Patsy Rowlands, actress; born in Palmers Green, 1931 * Paul Scott, author of ''The Jewel in the Crown''; born in Palmers Green, 1920 *

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

, grime music artist, lived in Palmers Green; with JME, has 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 musician. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, formed in 1976. The Clash' ...

, 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, with southbound trains running to

Moorgate Moorgate was one of the City of London's northern gates in its defensive wall, the last to be built. The gate took its name from the Moorfields, an area of marshy land that lay immediately north of the wall. The gate was demolished in 1762, but ...

and northbound trains running to

Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a 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, Stevenage w ...

via Hertford North. Some trains also terminate at Gordon Hill. During May 2019, the train service was disrupted due to platform works at Stevenage.

Bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

routes 34, 102, 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. It runs from Chiswick in the west to North Woolwich in the east via suburban north London, connecting var ...

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 ring 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 th ...

at junction 24. An electric

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

way along Green Lanes as far as Winchmore Hill was developed in 1907, helping to further develop the area. The tramway is now long gone.

Nearest places

* Winchmore Hill *

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

Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...

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, London, Highgate, Hampstead Garden ...

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 N postcode area, N13 and N22. The border between the London boroughs of London Borough of Enfield, Enfield ...

* Southgate *

Enfield Town Enfield is a large town in north London, England, north of Charing Cross. It had a population of 333,587 in 2021. It includes the areas of Botany Bay, Brimsdown, Bulls Cross, Bullsmoor, Bush Hill Park, Clay Hill, Crews Hill, Enfield Hig ...

Nearest tube stations

Arnos Grove tube station Arnos Grove () is a London Underground station. It is located in Arnos Grove in the London Borough of Enfield, North London. The station is on the Piccadilly line between Bounds Green tube station, Bounds Green and Southgate tube station, Sout ...

* Bounds Green tube station * Southgate tube station * Wood Green tube station

Nearest railway stations

* Palmers Green railway station * Bowes Park railway station * Winchmore Hill railway station

Education

* Hazelwood Primary School * Firs Farm Primary * Oakthorpe Primary * Palmers Green High School (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 The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

) * St John's Church (

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

) * 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, 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