Edmonton is a town in
north London, 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 ...
, a
local government district of
Greater London
Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...
. The northern part of the town is known as Lower Edmonton or Edmonton Green, and the southern part as
Upper Edmonton. Situated north-northeast of
Charing Cross, it borders
Enfield to the north,
Chingford to the east, and
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, ...
to the south, with
Palmers Green and
Winchmore Hill to the west. The population of Edmonton was 82,472 as of 2011.
The town forms part of the
ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties, formally known as ''counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies'', are areas of England to which lord-lieutenant, lord-lieutenants are appointed. A lord-lieutenant is the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarch's repres ...
of
Greater London
Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...
and until 1965 was in the
ancient county of
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
. Historically a
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
in the
Edmonton Hundred of Middlesex,
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 ...
became an
urban district in 1894, and a
municipal borough in 1937. Local government took place at the now-demolished Edmonton Town Hall in Fore Street between 1855 and 1965. In 1965, following
reform of local government in London, the municipal borough and former parish of Edmonton was abolished, merging with that of
Enfield and
Southgate to form the new local government district of Enfield, a borough of Greater London.
Once a rural village, the opening of the railway and tramway in the 19th century, especially the opening of the
high-level station at Lower Edmonton, caused the area to expand rapidly, forming part of the
metropolitan and urban area of London, similar to much of the county of Middlesex. The late 19th century saw the establishment of industry on former
marshland and movement of a
working-class population to the area, encouraging much of this development. By the 1930s, the area had become a popular north London shopping destination, and in the 1960s and 1970s, the area underwent major redevelopment, with the construction of an
indoor market and shopping centre, as well as mass construction of
council housing
Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council housing or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011, when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in social housing. D ...
, including
tower blocks. In recent years, as a result of increased levels of immigration, the town has been transformed from a predominantly
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
area into one of the most
ethnically diverse areas in England, with the majority of the population now belonging to an ethnic minority background, as first recorded in the
2011 census.
In 1795,
Fort Edmonton in Canada was named after the town in London. The fort evolved into the city 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 ...
, the capital city of
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, Canada.
Geography and location
Edmonton is north-northeast of
Charing Cross and stretches from just south of the
North Circular Road, where it borders
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, ...
, to its boundary with
Ponders End to the north.
Bush Hill Park,
Winchmore Hill and
Palmers Green adjoin the western boundary along the
Great Cambridge Road, while the
River Lee Diversion forms Edmonton's eastern boundary with
Chingford. The northern part of Edmonton, known as Lower Edmonton, corresponds to the N9 postcode area. Upper Edmonton, the southern part of the town, corresponds to the N18 postcode area. Edmonton lies about above sea level. The largest public parks are
Pymmes Park and Jubilee Park.
History

The old highway
Ermine Street passed through what is today Edmonton. Ermine Street was the main
Roman road from London to
Lincoln and on to
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
.
Edmonton appears in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
of 1086, where it is recorded as Adelmetone—'a farmstead or estate of a man called Ēadhelm' from an
Old English
Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
personal name and ''
tūn''.
Edmonton Hundred was a division of the historic county of
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
from
Saxon times, an area of some stretching up the west bank of the
Lea from
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, ...
to the county boundary south of
Waltham Cross, and west into what is now
Hertfordshire as far as
South Mimms. Local government in the modern sense began in 1837 with the Edmonton Union, set up under the
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834. This also covered a wide district of , including the modern boroughs of
Haringey and Enfield, plus
Cheshunt,
Waltham Abbey and
Waltham Cross. The town hall was built in 1884 and extended in 1903. The
crenelated perpendicular
In geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at right angles, i.e. at an angle of 90 degrees or π/2 radians. The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', � ...
Edmonton Town Hall was built in 1884 to the designs of George Eedes Eachus. The building was enlarged in 1902–3 by W. Gilbee Scott, who added public swimming baths. The baths were replaced by the Edmonton Green Swimming Pool in 1970. The Town Hall was demolished in 1989.
[Cherry.B &]Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (195 ...
'' The Buildings of England'' p430 London:4 North Retrieved 11 April 2008
The population of this area grew rapidly, reaching 445,875 by 1911 and would today be about 615,000. As the population mushroomed, smaller areas within Middlesex were used for local government, with a
local board being formed for the parish of Edmonton in 1850, which eventually achieved the status of
municipal borough (main article
Municipal Borough of Edmonton) in 1937. At the 1961 census the borough had a population of 91,956. This was absorbed into 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 ...
in 1965, and the former town hall and civic buildings were controversially demolished by Enfield Council in 1989.
Pymmes Park with its historic walled garden is Upper Edmonton's park. Pymmes Park originated as a private estate. In the late 16th century it was owned by the powerful Cecil family. In 1589
Robert Cecil, later 1st
Earl of Salisbury, spent his honeymoon at Pymmes. Cecil was a protege of
Francis Walsingham,
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
's chief spymaster and he succeeded him as Secretary of State in 1590. The estate was eventually acquired by Edmonton Council and opened as a public park in 1906. Pymmes House was destroyed by fire during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the remains were demolished.
In the 17th century the then rural Edmonton had a reputation for
supernatural
Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
activities. In approximately 1600, a play entitled ''
The Merry Devil of Edmonton'' was performed in London about a
wizard who lived there. In 1621 the villagers accused an old woman, Elizabeth Sawyer, of
witchcraft
Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...
and she was subsequently executed at
Tyburn; her story was told in a pamphlet by
Henry Goodcole, and in a 1621 play entitled ''
The Witch of Edmonton''.
The historic
All Saints' Church is situated in Church Street as is Lamb's Cottage, which was home to writers
Charles Lamb and
Mary Lamb.
John Keats, the poet, was apprenticed to surgeon Dr. Hammond in Church Street between 1810 and 1816. The house was demolished in 1931 to be replaced by Keats Parade. An extant shop carries a
blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...
in commemoration.
Edmonton was the home town of Sir
James Winter Lake, director of the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
. The
company's trading outpost named after Edmonton is now
the capital
''The Capital'' (also known as ''Capital Gazette'' as its online nameplate and informally, while the Sunday edition is called ''The Sunday Capital'') is a daily newspaper published by Capital Gazette Communications in Annapolis, Maryland, to ...
of the Canadian province of
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
.
''The Diverting History of John Gilpin''

In his 1782 poem, ''
The Diverting History of John Gilpin'',
William Cowper relates the comic tale of
John Gilpin a linen
draper of
Cheapside London, who was probably based on a Mr Beyer, a linen draper of the Cheapside corner of
Paternoster Row.
Gilpin's spouse decides she and her husband should spend their twentieth wedding anniversary at ''The Bell Inn'', Fore Street, Edmonton. The journey is beset with misfortune from start to finish. Gilpin loses control of his horse which carries him on to the town of
Ware distant. On the return journey, Gilpin is still unable to handle his steed, as he once again he fails to stop at ''The Bell''. The horse gallops back to Cheapside much to the dismay of his concerned spouse.
Gilpin is remembered in Edmonton by the statue at Fore Street, the ex-
Wetherspoons outlet the ''Gilpin's Bell'' public house opposite the site of the original inn and the 1950s
council housing
Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council housing or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011, when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in social housing. D ...
Gilpin House in Upper Fore Street.
Industry
Edmonton was home to many industries which included manufacturing of gas appliances,
electrical components and furniture. Most of this was lost in the latter part of the twentieth century. Household names that produced goods here included
MK electric,
Ever Ready batteries,
British Oxygen,
Glover and Main gas appliances.
Eley Industrial Estate was named after
Eley Brothers the
firearms cartridge manufacturer. Its
shot tower was a distinctive landmark on the skyline until being demolished the late twentieth century. Due to its close proximity to the
River Lee Navigation, timber was transported by
barge
A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...
from the
London Docks and stored in riverside wharves. As a result, many furniture makers including Nathans,
Beautility and Homeworthy established factories. Today,
Parker-Knoll products are manufactured at the former B&I Nathan factory on the Eley Industrial Estate. As of 2013, the area is dominated by the 100 metre
Edmonton Incinerator chimney which was built in 1971. Other major employers include
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
.
Railway and transport
The railway arrived in 1840 with the opening of the first section of the Lea Valley Line from
Stratford to
Broxbourne. A station was provided in
Water Lane (Angel Road). As the station was badly sited and the trains were slow and expensive, few people used the railway in the early days, preferring the horse buses. In 1845 there were buses every 15 minutes along Fore Street, travelling alternately to
Bishopsgate and
Holborn.
The single-track line from a junction just north of
Angel Road to
Enfield Town opened on 1 March 1849, with an intermediate single-platform station at
Lower Edmonton, located at the edge of the village green. The service was infrequent and often required a change of train at the junction. This, coupled with the train taking the long way round through Stratford to get to the terminus at Bishopsgate, meant that the railway offered little competition to the existing horse coaches and buses.
Edmonton's population grew with the opening of the high level railway at
Edmonton Green station in 1872. The traffic produced by the railway and by a tramway opened by the
North London Tramways Company in 1881, brought a working class population to
Lower Edmonton and encouraged housing development and the development of Edmonton Green's outdoor market. This had always been the major centre for the village, but by the early 20th century its character had changed to a busy, raucous
Cockney centre, alive with
costermongers barrows and food stalls, the venue for travelling circuses and fairs. On several occasions the local council tried unsuccessfully to close down the market.
The direct line from London to Enfield Town was opened in four stages, from
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the common la ...
to
Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington is an area in the northwest part of the London Borough of Hackney, England. The area is northeast of Charing Cross. The Manor of Stoke Newington gave its name to Stoke Newington (parish), Stoke Newington, the ancient parish. S ...
on 27 May 1872; from Stoke Newington through to Lower Edmonton High Level on 22 July 1872, with stations in Edmonton at
Silver Street and a new High Level station at Lower Edmonton, which was renamed
Edmonton Green in 1992; the short section from Lower Edmonton High Level to Edmonton Junction (where the new line met the original
Eastern Counties Railway route from Angel Road to Enfield Town via Lower Edmonton Low Level) on 1 August 1872; and the suburban platforms on the west side of
Liverpool Street station on 2 February 1874.
The stations were well sited and offered exceptionally cheap workmen's fares of just 2d on trains arriving at Liverpool Street prior to 07:00, 3d on those arriving between 07:00 and 07:30, and half-price returns on those arriving between 07:30 and 08:00. A horse tramway along Fore Street opened in 1881. The tramway was re-constructed and electrified during 1905, lasting until 1938 when trolley buses took over.
Contemporary Edmonton
By the 1930s, the area had become a major shopping destination drawing visitors from a wide catchment area. The early post war years saw much of the area in a run down state. There was also an acute housing shortage. Comprehensive redevelopment of the area was agreed in 1960, to a plan by
Frederick Gibberd & Partners for a radically transformed urban centre with a pedestrian shopping area, car parking for 3000, 750 flats including three 25 story
tower blocks (Grampian House, Mendip House and Pennine House) and new civic and amenity buildings to replace the old
town hall and
baths. When Edmonton was incorporated within the new
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 ...
(1965) plans for the civic buildings were abandoned. Only the leisure centre (demolished 2007) set in a car park was completed. Building began on the redevelopment in 1965 and completed in 1974.
[
In recent years, Edmonton has been transformed from a predominantly white area into one of the most ethnically diverse areas in England as a result of increased immigration.][ At the 2001 census, 66.1% of the population of the Edmonton constituency was white, whereas at the 2011 census, between 36 and 38 per cent of the town's three electoral wards was white.]
On 10 February 2005, retailer IKEA
IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services.
IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...
opened its Tottenham store on Meridian Way, Edmonton.
The Edmonton Green area is currently being redeveloped by St. Modwen Properties. The £100 million project will include new housing, bus station, clinic and refurbishment of the shopping centre. In addition, a 73-room Travelodge hotel will be opened on the development. Edmonton Green area is currently being regenerated by St. Modwen Properties, who bought the property from the London Borough of Enfield in 1999. Phase 1 was completed in 2007 and includes a Primary health care
Primary health care (PHC) is a whole-of-society approach to effectively organise and strengthen national health systems to bring services for health and wellbeing closer to communities.
Primary health care enables health systems to support a pe ...
centre, 176 affordable residential units, bus station, hotel, leisure centre, new retail outlets and the refurbishment of the existing multi-storey car park. Demolition of the original 1970's leisure centre has been completed, that enabled construction to commence of a new Asda supermarket which opened in November 2008.
The then 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 ...
, Boris Johnson, visited Edmonton in November 2008 to release his Time For Action plan. He claimed his proposals would help stop young people becoming repeat offenders.
Edmonton currently has some of the highest levels of unemployment in Britain, with the recession of the late 2000s pushing unemployment to nearly 14% by 2009.
On 18 June 2011 over 400 people marched through Edmonton to make a stand against gun and knife crime.
As part of the 2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
preparations, the Olympic torch relay passed through Edmonton on 25 July 2012 at Fore Street ''en route'' to Haringey.
Up to 5000 new homes and 3000 new jobs will be created by the £1.5 billion Meridian Water redevelopment on former industrial land by 2026.
Demography
2001 Census
The Edmonton constituency had a population of 96,493 in the 2001 census.
The white groups made up 66.1% of the population and thirteen other ethnic groups the remainder.[
]
2011 census
*Edmonton Green ward: 38% White British/Other White, 30% Black British/African/Caribbean.
*Upper Edmonton ward: 41% White British/Other White, 35% Black British/African/Caribbean.
*Lower Edmonton ward: 38% White British/Other White, 28% Black British/African/Caribbean.
The most spoken foreign language in all three wards is Turkish.
The median house price as of 2014 in the Edmonton Green ward was £210,000. This is the 15th lowest out of the 628 wards of Greater London.
Sites or buildings of historic interest
All Saints' Church
The mostly 15th-century church is located in Church Street. It is the oldest building in Edmonton.
Angel Place
A circa 1730 terrace of linked Grade II* Listed Buildings which were altered in the middle of the 19th century. 185, 187 and 189 were extensively restored in the 1980s to include the formation of an arch at 187 Angel Place with prize-winning gardens behind. Set back from Fore Street, the A1010 road, and standing close to the junction with the A406 road, the buildings were adjacent to'' The Angel'' public house demolished to widen the North Circular Road.[
Charles Lamb Institute
The Grade II listed building is located in Church Street. Designed by J. S. Alder and opened in 1908. The building today is used as a church.][
]
Edmonton Central Library
The former public library (closed 1991) opened in 1897 at Fore Street. Designed by Maurice Bingham Adams with bequests provided by the John Passmore Edwards foundation. Today the Grade II listed building is used as a religious and community centre. (Inside the library by the main entrance were two portrait plaques of Charles Lamb and John Keats by George Frampton, 1908. The plaques can be viewed at (Community House, 313 Fore Street, Edmonton).
Edmonton Federation Cemetery
The roughly triangular shaped Jewish cemetery was founded in 1889 with land given by Samuel Montagu. The walled cemetery is bordered by Salmons Brook which forms part of the Pymmes Brook Trail and a footpath which follows the course of the disused Lower Edmonton low level railway. Rabbi
A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...
Eliezer Gordon is buried here. The cemetery contains the war graves of 7 Commonwealth service personnel of the First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and 23 of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The entrance is in Montagu Road B137 road. The site also incorporates the Western Synagogue Cemetery[ founded in 1884 (containing 3 Commonwealth service war graves of World War II) and adjoins the Tottenham Park Cemetery.
Edmonton Girls' Charity School
The simple yellow brick structure with red brick dressings is located on the south side of Church Street. Initially the school, founded in 1784, had been on a different site. However, the benefactor, Obadiah Legrew, grew tired of the children close to his home. He had the original school demolished, drew £170 from the trust, and purchased another plot of land. In 1793 the new school was built afresh, away from his delicate ears. Pupils aged between 7 and 14 were clothed and educated, although the main purpose was to fit them for domestic service. The facade carries a figure of a charity girl and the words ''A structure of Hope founded in Faith on the basis of Charity''. The school closed in 1904.
Lamb's Cottage
Formerly known as Bay Cottage. The cottage is believed to have been built in the 1680s and is located in the Church Street conservation area.] Writers
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
and Mary Lamb occupied the house from 1833 to 1834, when Charles Lamb died there. The cottage was sold to its new owners in June 2008.
Millfield House
The late-18th-century house has been used as a workhouse school, hospital and a refugee
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
centre before closing in 1971. The house re-opened as an arts centre in 1979 in a complex which encompasses the Millfield Theatre, Millfield Arts Centre and the former Weir Hall Library (closed 2008).
North Middlesex Hospital
The hospital is located in Sterling Way, Upper Edmonton. Built in 1842 by the Edmonton Board of Guardians as the Edmonton Union Workhouse. A separate infirmary block was opened in 1910. Much of the building was taken over for use as a military hospital in 1915, during the First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, was returned to civilian use in 1920 and renamed the North Middlesex Hospital.
Salisbury House
The house dates to the late 16th/early 17th century, and is the oldest building in Edmonton apart from All Saints' Church. The house which is located in Bury Street West, Lower Edmonton has been a private residence and a school before it was bought by Edmonton council in 1936. The building was established as an arts centre in 1957 (the first to be provided by a local authority in London). In 1992 it underwent a major restoration. The house is Grade II listed along with some of the surrounding walls.
The Crescent
A terrace of twenty-five Georgian houses, located in the Hertford Road, built between 1826 and 1851 by a London solicitor. By the late 19th century the properties in the Crescent had been largely split into flats.
Infrastructure
* Deephams Sewage Treatment Works is located near Picketts Lock
* Edmonton Incinerator the largest incinerator in the UK
* William Girling Reservoir is one of the reservoirs in the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain
Schools
Places of worship
* All Saints' Church. A mainly 15th-century church located in Church Street.
* Edmonton Baptist Church. Located close to Edmonton Green, a short walk from Edmonton railway station. Built in 1976.
* Edmonton Methodist Church. Located at 300 Fore Street, on the corner of Brettenham Road. There has been a Methodist church in Edmonton since the 19th century. The main part of the current building was erected in 1927.
*Edmonton Salvation Army. Located on Fore Street and was opened in 1889. It was rebuilt in 1993 after part of the original building fell into disrepair.
* Edmonton Temple - Jesus Mission to Nations Ministries, Located in Grove Street.
* Mevlana Rumi Mosque. Located in Fore Street and opened in 2008 by the followers of Fethullah Gulen
Fathallah, Fathalla or the Turkish variant Fethullah is a Romanization of Arabic, transliteration of the Arabic given name, فتح الله (''Fatḥ Allāh''), built from the Arabic words ''fath'' and ''Allah''. It is one of many List of Arabic t ...
.
* St Aldhelm's Church is located in Silver Street Upper Edmonton. Built in 1903 and designed by William Douglas Caroe.
* St Alphege's Church. Was erected in 1958 and designed by Sir Edward Maufe. The church can be found at the junction of the Hertford Road and Galliard Road.
* St Edmund's RC Church. Built between 1905 and 1907. The church is on the junction of the Hertford Road and Croyland Road. The School is on the junction of Hertford Road and Bounces Road, facing each other across Hertford Road.
* St. Mary with St. John's Church. Located on Dyson's Road, close to the North Circular Road (A406), the church was built in 1906 together with a church hall and vicarage.
* Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church. Located on the junction of Town Road and Logan Road. Greek Orthodox since 1977, formerly the Anglican Church of St. Martin. The Church was built in 1909 and consecrated in 1911.
*Silver Street Community Church. Located in Statham Grove, N18. Started in 2015 in partnership with Enfield Evangelical Free Church
Shopping
The main retail centre of Edmonton is the Edmonton Green Shopping Centre which has a market, and the other retail centre is at the "Angel" Edmonton which is a high street containing a wide range of retail outlets.
Politics
The Member of Parliament for 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 ...
is Kate Osamor, Labour Co-op who was elected at the General Election
A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
held on 5 May 2015.
Leisure and recreation
* Edmonton Cricket Club . The cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
club was founded in 1872 and is located in Church Street. The ground is also home to the Norsemen Football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club.
* Edmonton Leisure Centre located at Edmonton Green opened in August 2007. Facilities include a swimming pool and sports hall.
* Lee Valley Leisure Complex located at Picketts Lock and is part of the Lee Valley Park
* Pymmes Brook Trail crosses Edmonton to join the Lea Valley Walk at Pickett's Lock on the River Lee Navigation.
* Angling
Angling (from Old English ''angol'', meaning "hook") is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated with a fishing rod, although rodless te ...
is allowed upstream and downstream of Picketts Lock. Information from the River Lea Anglers Club.
* The River Lee Navigation's towpath forms part of National Cycle Route 1 and the Lea Valley Walk.
Parks, gardens and open spaces
''For further details see article'' Enfield parks and open spaces
* Bury Lodge Gardens. The gardens are located in Bury Street West. Built on land belonging to Bury Lodge house (demolished 1935) and the nearby Salisbury House. The ornamental garden includes brick pillared pergolas, rose gardens and a pond. Other facilities are a playing field. The southern boundary of the park is bordered by Salmons Brook.
* Church Street Recreation Ground. The recreation ground is located close to the A10 in Lower Edmonton. The grounds facilities include playing fields and children's play area. The site is the home to London's only complete Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Civil Defence Centre.[
* Craig Park . The park is located in Upper Edmonton and lies close to Angel Road A406. Facilities include sports pitches, children's play area and hard court.
* Jubilee Park. Covering of land previously used for brick-making. The park opened on 24 June 1939 to commemorate King George V Silver Jubilee in 1935. Facilities include, the Henry Barrass Stadium, formal gardens, pitch and putt, sports pitches, tennis courts and wildlife area.
* Montagu Road Recreation Ground . The recreation ground is located in Montagu Road B137. The facilities include playing fields, children's play area and hard courts.
* Plevna Road Open Space.Open space close to Edmonton Green
* Pymmes Park. This historic park is located in Upper Edmonton and borders the North Circular Road
* Tatem Park and Hollywood Gardens. The park and the gardens opened in 1938 and were built on a former gravel pit which belonged to the Tatem sisters, who donated the site to Edmonton Borough Council in the 1930s for use as a public park. The gardens are named after Alderman Hollywood, former mayor of Edmonton. The ornamental gardens occupy a triangle between two main roads A10 and the A111. In 1983 a nature area was created with the accent on wildlife conservation.
]
Theatre and the arts
Edmonton is the home of the Millfield Arts Centre and Face Front Inclusive Theatre Company.
Notable people
Popular culture
* In an episode of the BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
'' Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', Frank Spencer (played by Michael Crawford) roller skates down the now-demolished bridge at Edmonton Green, and in the same episode he skates at the indoor rink at the now-demolished Picketts Lock Centre.
* The Empire Music Hall was the venue for Marie Lloyd's last stage performance in 1922. She was taken ill on stage and died several days later.
* Side two of '' A Step Further'' by Savoy Brown was recorded live at the Cook's Ferry Inn on 12 May 1969 in Edmonton.
* The video for the Lostprophets song " Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja" was filmed in a car park at Edmonton Green.
* Local musical duo Chas & Dave recorded a song titled "Edmonton Green" lamenting the changes that have occurred there.
*In the BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
and later ITV situation comedy
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
'' Birds of a Feather''. Pauline Quirke's character Sharon Theodopolopodous and her husband Chris originally lived in a council flat in Edmonton.
* In Harold Pinter's '' The Birthday Party'', there is a reference to Stanley having played a “world-class” concert in Lower Edmonton.
Watercourses
* River Lee Diversion
* River Lee Navigation
* Pymmes Brook
* Salmons Brook
* The Overflow Channel flows along the western perimeter of the William Girling reservoir to merge with the River Lee diversion, close to the Lea Valley Viaduct.
* Saddlers Mill Stream culverted throughout much of its course and flowing mostly underground. The stream was diverted in the early 21st century to alleviate flooding close to where it merges with Salmons Brook at Montagu Road.
Nearest places
* 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, ...
to the south
* Palmers Green to the west
* Chingford to the east
* Ponders End to the north
* Winchmore Hill to the west
Railway stations
* Edmonton Green railway station
* Silver Street railway station
* Meridian Water railway station
References
Further reading
* ''An Edmonton Boy'' by Terry Webb Published by Biograph 2000
* ''A Poacher's Tale'' told by A. T. Curtis. Related by Fred J Speakman Published by George Bell & Sons 1960
* ''The Diverting History Of John Gilpin'' by William Cowper
* ''The Veteran'' by Frederick Forsyth one of five short stories in the book of the same title Corgi 2002
"The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland" (1868) at Genuki, UK and Ireland Genealogy. (A brief description and history of Edmonton from the 1868 Gazetteer)
* ttp://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=26937 Edmonton: Economic History from British history Online. (This is detailed and starts in 1086)*
External links
Reports and Statistics for Edmonton and Enfield Borough
The Edmonton Greenist
– first class images on the gallery
{{Authority control
Areas of London
Districts of the London Borough of Enfield
Places formerly in Middlesex
District centres of London