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No. 196, Winter 2014

Enfield Society News

There seems to have been little obviousprogress on “Cycle Enfield” (previouslycalled “mini-Holland”) since we lastwrote about it in the summer 2014newsletter; however there has been quitea lot of activity behind the scenes thoughwe have had to be very proactive to keeptrack of it. Council comments havelargely been limited to “there will be apublic consultation in the autumn”. Wellwe have reached autumn now – midOctober as I write this and no sign of anyactivity to allow the public to have theirsay as yet though the Council have beenallocated a first tranche of money –£700,000 for this financial year to startthe project off.We have had confirmed that RingwayJacobs have been appointed as theconsultants on the scheme and despiterequests no separate consultant onconservation issues will be appointed.The first element of the scheme to beimplemented will be Palmers Green andGreen Lanes but we are not yet aware ofthe timescale proposed. As far as EnfieldTown is concerned 6 different proposalsare being looked at by the consultants butonly 2 or 3 of these will be broughtforward to the public for their comments.

At the September cabinet meeting thegovernance arrangements to be put inplace to oversee the delivery of theproject were agreed. We were pleased tosee the replacement of a cabinet memberon the project board by an independentadvisor, but still feel that many groupsare under-represented and there is a lackof expertise.The Enfield Town Conservation AreaStudy group held a meeting supported bythe Enfield Society exploring the sharedspace option – see the report on this page,and we feel that much more discussionand debate are needed before a majorchange to the town centre is made.Making a rapid decision on majorchanges in the Borough because moneyhas suddenly become available may notbe in the best interests of Enfield.We will continue to keep our eyes on thesituation and would like to arrange apublic meeting to discuss options but asyet there seems to be little to base ourdiscussions on. We remain concernedthat once the limited list of options isopened to public debate viablealternatives will have already beendismissed and so not ever visible aspossibilities.

Janet McQueen

Cycle Enfield – what next? Report from meetingwith Ben Hamilton-BaillieIn a packed room in July, a leadingtransport, traffic and urban designconsultant – Ben Hamilton-Baillie – gavea presentation on an alternative way oflooking at the traffic issues in EnfieldTown. He emphasised that town centresare in danger of being side-lined andshowed how a new vision of street andpavement traffic can help to rejuvenatethem making them desirable places tovisit and defining the whole area aswelcoming to all.He stated that speed is the main factordetermining the relationship betweentraffic, bicycles and pedestrians and ifthis is decreased to under 20mph usersare able to respond to their surroundingsin a different way. More space is createdas vehicles need less space to manoeuvreat lower speeds and if there are fewertraffic lights and forced stops then theoverall speed of passage through a townis the same or greater. There would be noneed for a separate provision of cyclelanes in a shared space scheme asbicycles would be simply another useralong with cars and pedestrians.He gave several examples of where thishas worked both on the continent and inBritain and pointed out the TFL currentobjections to these schemes on the basisof safety is confusing as statistics haveconvincingly shown them to be as safe –or more so – than current road schemes.Many of those at the meeting seemed tofeel that this approach of a shared spacefor Enfield Town could be a way forwardand would address many of the problemswith the initial proposals of the miniHolland bid. Removing all the expensivebarriers, signs and blocks to freemovement could enable the town centreto again become an attractive spacewelcoming all users and connectingcurrently cut off areas of the town,rejuvenating trade while increasing trafficflow and improving the safety of bothcyclists and pedestrians.The next step suggested was to make thispossibility more widely known and pressfor it with the Council, so it becomes – atthe least – one of the possible options.

Janet McQueen

The Department for Transport hasissued a 55-page guidance booklet onthe shared space approach to streetdesign: Local Transport Note 1/11. It isavailable on their web site at<https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shared-space>

A 30-minute radio programme entitledThinking streets, broadcast on theBBC in January 2012, includescontributions from Ben Hamilton-Baillieand other experts on “shared space”and the psychology of road users, withlinks to other sources of information.You can listen to it on the BBC web siteat<www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018xs8t>

A cautionary note is in a 2013 study byS. Moody and S. Melia: Shared space:research, policy and problems (to bepublished in Proceedings of theInstitution of Civil Engineers –Transport). This concludes that some ofthe claims made on behalf of sharedspace have overstated the availableevidence, and that caution is needed inimplementing shared space schemes,particularly in environments of hightraffic flows. A preprint is at<eprints.uwe.ac.uk/17937/>

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Conservation TreesEnfield Town stationFor some months the Society has beenconcerned with the poor appearance,despite its importance as the gateway toEnfield Town, of the forecourt toEnfield Town Station. Following visitswith the Station Manager, Dave Cockleand I have managed to secure somecosmetic improvements to the frontage.We have also been concerned about the

four 30 year old ash trees in theforecourt. One has been dead for yearsand one almost dead. Recently vandalsdisposed of the dead tree and we arepressing for the removal of the other.So we were disappointed that,following the inspection by a propertysection officer, he recommended theremoval of all the trees on safetygrounds, as the grilles around themwere becoming lifted. It is evident fromthe appearance of the remaining treesthat they have suffered bad treatment inthe past and they have not grown well.As the picture shows, they do providesome vital greenery though. We aregoing to recommend that replacementsof more suitable species for the twodead trees are planted, making sure thesites are properly prepared. When theseare established the question of replacingthe ash trees could be considered,Possibly this is something the EnfieldSociety might support financially?Stop press: I have just heard thatcontractors cut down all the ash treesyesterday, 20th October. So much forour efforts!

Chris Jephcott

On July 1st 2014 Barnet and Chase FarmHospitals NHS Trust was acquired by theRoyal Free London NHS FoundationTrust. The Royal Free are planning a£100m redevelopment of Chase FarmHospital, to be financed by land sales,government money and funds secured bythe Royal Free as part of the acquisitionagreement. Speaking at a stakeholdermeeting on 23rd July, CEO David Slomandid not mince words about the state of thehospital. “Chase Farm is in a terriblecondition and the quality of the site isabysmal. Buildings are far too spaced outand many have been left to ruin. Thehospital is not fit for purpose.” It isrefreshing to see spelt out what has beenobvious for years. All credit to the existingstaff, who continue to deliver a decentservice in these difficult circumstances.The plan now is to divide the site intothree, using one part to develop new healthfacilities to replace those currently there, touse part for a three form entry juniorschool and the remainder for housing. All

Chase Farm Hospital looks set to seesome decisive changes.

the buildings apart from the multi storeycar park and Highlands Ward would bedemolished. The hospital section wouldinclude some flexibility to accommodatechanging clinical needs and the heightwould be limited to four storeys. Thehousing would include some affordableunits. Whilst pleased that at last somedecisive action is being taken, we are alsoconscious of the regard many local peoplehold for the original buildings dating backto 1884, notably the clock tower. EnglishHeritage has on several occasions refusedto list any of the buildings but we wouldstrongly press for some reminders of theChase Farm’s long history andassociations with Enfield to be retained. Aswell as the Clock Tower block, the GateLodge is also well worth keeping at thevery least. An outline planning applicationis expected very soon, with the preliminarywork planned to start next year.Unfortunately at going to press and despitereports to the contrary, Enfield Councilwere unable to provide any plans forviewing, pending the planning application.

Spurs latestFollowing on from recently being allowedto build a 500 seat stand at its TrainingCentre, Tottenham Hotspur FC has lodgedan application to build a 45 room playerlodge at Myddelton Farm, in the BullsCross Conservation Area. The aim is toallow players a comfortable night’s sleepbefore a big home match. For any otherorganisation a proposal to build a 45bedroom residential facility in the GreenBelt should be unthinkable. Why shouldSpurs expect special treatment just becauseit is a football club?The proposal would be for a sausageshaped, 2-storey building, partly sunk intothe ground, containing 40 ensuitebedrooms, running along the back of thesite, with the other 5 being provided in thehouse and outbuildings. The black, shiplapboarded barn behind the locally listedfarmhouse would be replaced by a replicabut without the vernacular character. Mainaccess would be from within the trainingcomplex and, of course, numerousgreening, landscaping features areproposed. Bulls Cross as a small ruralhamlet has kept its character, despite theTraining Ground behind but I can’t seehow it could any longer if this large scaleintrusion is allowed.Quite apart from its unacceptability onGreen Belt and Conservation Areagrounds, the proposal would have seriousconsequences for the residents of the

hamlet. Already they have to put up withthe inconvenience associated with thefootball club’s need to reseed the pitcheseach year and having the tall hedgerowtrees immediately to the east of the siteremoved because they shaded the grass ofthe pitches. Disturbance connected with theconstruction could be expected to continuefor months.For anyone prepared to devote a few hoursto reading the multi page application on theCouncil’s website, the reference is14/03915/FUL.

English HeritageWe learn from Civic Voice that theGovernment has approved the restructuringof English Heritage. As a charity, theorganisation will have additional freedomfor creativity and to bring forwardproposals for generating additional income.It will be awarded nearly £90 million overthe next few years to invest in the NationalHeritage Collection of 420 historic sites,monuments and collections in its care. Thiswill support the plan to transfermanagement of the Collection to a newcharity, The English Heritage Commission,licensed by the governing body. Planningand heritage protection responsibilities willbe taken on by a separate governmentfunded body, to be known as HistoricEngland.

Chris Jephcott

Dav

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Sales table

£1 packs of four different cards are alsoavailable from the Society or they canbe purchased at the Church Street PostOffice and newsagents in Enfield Town.If ordering by post please add acontribution to postage as given in thepublications order form sent with theAutumn Newsletter which is £1 onorders up to £5, £2 for those totalling

£5-10 and £3 for£10-20. All ourpublications cannow be orderedonline from ourwebsite and paid forby debit or creditcard as an alternativeto sending acheque. We usePayPal to processpayment cards forus but you do not

need a PayPal account. This isconvenient for those who are not able tovisit our sales tables in person andespecially for people living overseas ascurrency conversions are taken care ofautomatically. This is the only way wecan accept payments by cards.

Monica Smith

Whitewebbs House

The Crown and Horseshoes

Hilly fields on a snowy day

The full range of Christmas cards andbooks will be on sale at Jubilee Hallmeetings in November and Decemberand the Sales Table will also be open onthe morning of 6th December from 10 amto 1 pm for those who are not free duringthe week. Waterstone’s Bookshop inEnfield Town stock all our books. I hadhoped that Volume 4 of the History ofEnfield would beon sale byChristmas but it isnow unlikely to bepublished beforeJanuary, forreasons beyond mycontrol. There willtherefore beanother specialopening of theSales Table in theNew Year whensigned copies will be available. Detailswill be in our next Newsletter.As advised in the last Newsletter there isno new Christmas card this year.However, you can buy a pack of fivecards of Whitewebbs House, Hilly Fieldsor the Rose and Crown at the reducedprice to members of £1.25. The popular

Christmas cards and books

In September we held our second dayconference in association with theMuseum and Local Studies service. Thetopic of the First World War in Enfieldwas chosen to complement the currentexhibition in the Museum at the Dugdalecentre and it proved an extremelyinteresting one.

Over 50people attended,

our numbers being swelledby six First World War re-enactors

from the Royal Artillery Museum whogave a cogent description of the life of asoldier in the trenches and the use of theLee Enfield rifle. This was made evenmore interesting by Philip Abbot,Archivist at the Royal Armouries whospoke about the archives of the RoyalSmall Arms factory – largely unexploreduntil now as they were thought to havebeen destroyed. He brought some recentdiscoveries including ledgers containingdetails of some of the employees between

1914 and 1918, which enabled onedelegate to identify a close relative whohad been a worker in the factory at thetime. There are apparently many morediscoveries to be made and if anyone

is interested inexploring the

archives he can arrange it.Further information on events in Enfield

during the war was provided by Ian Joneswho gave a fascinating talk on theproduction of arms and other weapons inthe Borough – not just at the RSA but atseveral other factories that wereimportant too. He had some wonderfulphotographs to illustrate the topic –highlighting for me the lack of health andsafety rules in the period! Moreinformation can be found in his recentlypublished second edition of GeoffreyGillam’s book – Enfield at War 1914-1918 – on sale on the day.The Enfield Poetry group was anotherhighlight of the day with its membersreading a combination of their own andpublished first world war poetry.

Listeners were clearly moved by thepower of the poems and readings.The entertainment continued with aninformative talk from the perspective of aFirst World War munitions factory girl,her face an interesting shade of yellowcaused by the pollution from thechemicals. We also had a performancefrom Cecil Arnold, a fictitious journalistgiving us all an understanding of what itmust have been like to wait for the bombsfrom the German airships, which seemedto be almost indestructible until one wasfinally shot down over Enfield andcrashed near Cuffley.Add in an excellent lunch, the possibilityof starting your Christmas shopping atthe sales tables, and meeting old friends,and anyone who wasn’t there missed atreat.

Janet McQueen

TES Study day: the First World War in Enfield

Image of a Lee Enfield rifleby Antique Military Rifles [CC-BY-SA-2.0(creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)],via Wikimedia Commons

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This list gives a selection of forthcomingevents, not including our regular JubileeHall meetings listed on page 5. Contactdetails for the organisations responsiblefor these events are given in the notes atthe end. Other events and updates may befound on our web site at<www.enfieldsociety.org.uk> and on theEnfield Council site at<www.enfield.gov.uk/events/>

Until January 2015, Dugdale Centre, 39London Road, Enfield. Exhibition:Enfield at War 1914-18. Free admission.Open Monday-Saturday 9am to 5pm,Sundays 10am to 1 pm.Thursday 13th to Saturday 15thNovember, 7,45 pm, Dugdale Centre. Adoll’s house by Ibsen.Friday 14th November, 7.30 for 8 pm,Jubilee Hall. Roman sculpture fromSouth-East England. Francis Grew,Senior Curator (Archaeology) and ArchiveManager, Museum of London. [EAS]Tuesday 18th November, 2.15 for 2.30pm, Jubilee Hall. Samuel Pepys “Plague,fire and Mrs Willett” by Geoff Hales.[EHHS]Tuesday 18th November, 8 pm, JubileeHall. Abraham Lincoln as a war leader,by Professor Brian Holden Reid (King’sCollege, London) [HA]Thursday 27th November to Sunday 4January, Millfield Theatre. Morning,afternoon and evening performances ofpantomime, Sleeping beauty.Saturday 6th December, 10 am -1 pm,Jubilee Hall. Special Christmas openingof Sales Table.Wednesday 10th December, 12.30-1.00pm, St Mary Magdalene Church,Windmill Hill. Concert: Laura Seddon &Katherine Carter, Cello and Flute.Wednesday 17th December, JubileeHall, 7.45 for 8.00 pm. A seasonalentertainment (to be announced).[EHHS]Thursday 4th December, 7.45 pm,Dugdale Centre. Community Cinema:“Joyeux Noel”Saturday 6th December, 7 pm, andSunday 7th, 3 pm, Dugdale Centre.Children’s International Voices:Christmas concertSaturday 13th December, 11 am, TheGreen, Winchmore Hill. St. NicholasFair. <n21.net/events-activities-whats-on-around-n21/5-the-st-nicholas-fair-2014.html>Tuesday 13th January 2015, 8 pm,Jubilee Hall. Living beyond the barbedwire: the familial ties of British POWs inEurope during the Second World War, an

Diary datesillustrated talk by Dr Clare Makepeace(University College, London) [HA]Wednesday 14th January, 12.30-1.00pm,St Mary Magdalene Church, WindmillHill. Concert.Tuesday 10th February, 8 pm, JubileeHall. The Pastons and the Wars of theRoses, by Professor Virginia Davis(Queen Mary, University of London)[HA]Wednesday 11th February, 12.30-1.00pm, St Mary Magdalene Church,Windmill Hill. Concert.Wednesday 18th – Saturday 21stFebruary, 7.30pm (Sat Matinee2.30pm), Wyllyotts Theatre, PottersBar. The Mikado. Southgate Operapresents Gilbert & Sullivan’s mostpopular comic opera. Box Office 01707645005. <www.southgateopera.co.uk>

Groundforce (GF) and EnfieldConservation Volunteers (ECV) dopractical conservation work in Enfield’sparks and countryside, such as hedgelaying, coppicing, bridge building andpath construction. Groundforce meets onalternate Wednesdays and ECV onalternate Sundays. As the tasks aredetermined according to current needs,you need to contact them for details oftheir latest projects. Contacts are:

GF: Eileen Jessup (020) 8805 1974 oremail<groundforce.enfield@gmail.com>.

ECV: Judy Mayo (07791473844), email<judy@ecv.org.uk> or Jenny Willmot,Outreach and Community Officer (020)8449 2459, email<jenny.willmot@enfield.gov.uk>.They have websites at<sites.google.com/site/groundforce99/>and <www.ecv.org.uk> but these maynot always be up to date.

EAS: Enfield Archaeological Society.Visitors are very welcome (£1.00 perperson).<www.enfarchsoc.org/index.html>

EHHS: Edmonton Hundred HistoricalSociety <www.edmontonhundred.org.uk>.Talks are free to members – there is acharge of £1 per head for visitors.HA: The Historical Association, NorthLondon Branch. Non-members arewelcome (£1 per meeting). More detailsfrom the Branch Secretary, Robin Blades(020 8368 5328), Associate Membershipavailable for £5 a year for an individual or£8 a year for a couple.<robin.blades@virgin.net>

Help wantedThe Publicity Group carries out awide range of activities insupporting and publicising thework of The Enfield Society,including: coordinating productionand circulation of four quarterlyissues of Enfield Society News;publication and sales of books,leaflets, maps, cards and otheritems; circulating press releases,letters to the press, interviews andarticles; arranging eveningmeetings and visits; updatingcommunity notice boards;organising attendance atEdmonton, Enfield Town and othershows; arranging three to fourHeritage Walks, coach outings, anannual new members evening andthe AGM. All of these activitieshelp to raise money, generate newmembers and increase awarenessof the Society.We would very much welcomeadditional assistance withadministration of the group and toperform a number of specific tasks.If you would like to help pleasegive me a call on 020 8363 5732 todiscuss or send an email to<press@enfieldsociety.org.uk>. Ilook forward to hearing from you.

Bob Fowler

Publicity Group

Town Show

TES had a stall at this year’s Town Showand many people paid us a visit. Therewas a great deal of interest in ouractivities and we obtained some newmembers as a result of our presence at theshow. Old postcards and Godfrey mapswere our most popular sales items. Iwould like to thank the TES volunteerswho gave up their time to staff the stalland helped us raise £264 over theweekend.

Dave Cockle

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Tuesday mornings 10.00 for10.30am, Jubilee Hall. No ticketsrequired.25th November: Cobbling and cordwaining, an illustrated talk by Rev.Gordon Giles16th December: The women I havemarried by Richard Selby201527th January: An English violin makerby Ron Atkinson24th February: Sicily – island offlowers and history by Anne and JohnWallingtonEvening meetings, 7.30 for 8 p.m. atJubilee Hall unless otherwise stated.No tickets required.Monday 17th November: KensingtonPalace, an illustrated talk by Lee Prosser,Curator, Historic Royal PalacesMonday 19th January 2015: Theorigins of the Edmonton Hundred byJason Peters. (Joint meeting with EHHS),Special eventsSaturday 6th December 10am -1 pm,Jubilee Hall. Special Christmasopening of Sales Table.Friday 17th April 2015, 8 pm AllSaints Church Hall, Edmonton. AllSaints Church and its monuments.(Joint meeting with EHHS)

The Chairman’s columnEnfield Societyevents I recently attended a presentation at the

Civic Centre about re-launchingNeighbourhood Watch schemes. Thepolice officer giving the talk said thatapart from crime prevention, quality oflife issues were seen as equallyimportant. He was referring to pleasantsurroundings with streets free of litter andgraffiti, which is generally what we havehere in Enfield.The Council’s street cleaning team workshard in achieving the above environmentbut it requires input from us all to reporteven seemingly trivial examples ofneglect.Recently, a free newspaper dispenser was

spotted on thepavement beneaththe railway bridgein Windmill Hill(EN2). Oncontacting theCouncil’sEnvironmentalCrime section bye-mail it becameobvious that theyhad not given

permission for the dispenser to be sitedthere, so they contacted the newspaperasking for the dispenser to be removed.The dispenser was merely moved roundthe corner into a new position in EnfieldChase Station forecourt. As GTR GreatNorthern, the train company running thestation, had not given permission eitherthey too contacted the newspaper to

ensure that thedispenser beremoved.Unbelievably, a new tactic was deployed

the following day whena small Perspexdispenser holding thesame newspaper wasspotted in Windmill Hillattached to railings bycable ties. Once againEnvironmental Crime

contacted the newspaper and the Perspexdispenser was removed.Meanwhile, at the other end of the town,outside Enfield Town Station, thecompany was asked to remove another ofits dispensers which was mounted on thepavement without the Council’spermission. A few days later after thedispenser was removed,a bundle of thenewspapers was spotteddumped on the groundby the entrance doors tothe station. AbellioGreater Anglia, who runEnfield Town Station,contacted the newspaper, who finallyunderstood the message that they are notat liberty to plant their equipment andnewspapers throughout the Boroughwithout permission. In theory, this is aneasy way to claim high circulationfigures, but in practice there was littletake-up of these free newspapers, whichended up littering the streets.

Dave CockleNew membersWe warmly welcome the followingnew members:Mr B J Baker,Mr & Mrs A & A Bishop-Laggett,Ms D Biss,Mr & Mrs I R & C L Blunn,Mrs J A Darby, Mrs M A C D'Arcy,Mrs T V Delaney,Mr & Mrs M G & J Dixon,Mr & Mrs P & C Doe,Mrs S J Fisher, Miss N M Gadsdon,Mrs G F Hartland,Mrs N J Hutchings, Miss T Irwin,Mr B L Jackson, Mr J James,Ms M Jason, Ms A Kemp,Mr P Kingham, Mrs M Kirby,Miss P E Large, Mrs B Lewis,Ms C Matthews, Mr M Morgan,Mr & Mrs G & E Morris,Mr M Neave, Mrs J Northrop,Mr J G Peters, Mrs R Pickard,Ms K Richardson,Mrs K Smith-Millett, Mr T Wells,Ms A M White, Mrs B J Wilson,Ms N Zaninetti

Joyce James

Learning outside the class-room at Forty Hall and EstateThe Council's Learning and EducationProgramme at Forty Hall, which issponsored by the Society, has completedits second year. Frances Cherry, theLearning and Education OutreachOfficer, who is responsible for thisprogramme has prepared a full report onthe project, which is on our website at

<www.enfieldsociety.org.uk/LearningAtFortyHall.pdf>

We are very pleased to learn that for thesecond time Forty Hall has been awardeda Learning Outside the ClassroomQuality Award for excellence in itseducation work.The wide range of topics coveredincluded computer graphics, microscopyof pollen grains, 17th century cookery,history, archaeology, photography,history and art, all drawing on Forty Halland its grounds for inspiration.

Colin Pointer

The exceptional growing conditions of2014 have emphasised the importance ofthe street scene when consideringplanning applications. Vistas along sideroads are enhanced by the many shadesof green from trees and shrubs.It is unfortunate that this outburst ofgreen growth is matched by an equaloutburst of estate agent signs.

John Davies

An urban woodland

Genotin Road, 18th October 2014

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Historic buildingsThe Meadway Estate, SouthgateFollowing the extension of the GreatNorthern Railway, via stations atPalmers Green, Winchmore Hill (andlater Grange Park) to Enfield (Chase)in1871, there was a considerabledevelopment of private houses andshops. This was increased with theextension of the Piccadilly Line, viastations at Arnos Grove, Southgate andOakwood, to Cockfosters in 1933.Southgate planning authority wanted toensure that there was an ordered increasein housing “to preserve health and theamenities, as more and more people arechoosing Southgate for the first time,where the land offers so much that is stillblissful and remote …. No cheap ornasty project [would be] allowed.” Onedeveloper advertised “A House, a Home,a Little Palace, in a convenient healthydistrict, purchasable by anyone with asmall capital and regular income.”

Development of the Meadway estatetook place following the death in 1922 ofRussell Walker, the owner of SouthgateHouse (which was to becomeMinchenden School). Land betweenSouthgate High Street and The Bournewas sold to J. Edmondson and Son (laterMessrs Edmondsons Ltd.) builders, whohad their head office in Winchmore Hill.They had previously built high qualitymiddle-class houses and shops inMuswell Hill and Winchmore Hill, from1895 onwards.

Most of the roads on the Meadway estatewere constructed in 1923 and 1924,before the houses were built, althoughthe southern part of Greenway andNorman Way date from 1933.

By 1925 14 houses had been occupied inRidgeway and 2 houses on the south sideof Meadway. By 1927 26 houses hadbeen occupied in Ridgeway and 34

houses in Meadway. Development waslargely completed by 1929, althoughParkway was not finished until 1932. Thevaried superior “Tudorbethan” styledetached and semi-detached houses werebuilt of red brick with either pebbledashor cement render and half-timberedfeatures and gables, some of which hadrusticated weatherboarding. The rusticeffect was enhanced with front gardenwalls made from the linings of brick kilnsand blast furnaces. Some of the gardenwalls have since been rebuilt in brick orstone. One critic in the inter-war periodconsidered that “the popular love for theTudor, whether bogus or genuine, [was asign of] a wish to escape … insecure andfrightening times”.The informal rural layout of the estatewas increased by bushes and trees on theverges, greens at road junctions,allotment gardens, tennis courts and theadjoining Minchenden School playingfield (which is now another housingestate). A crescent of red brick andterracotta shops was constructed facingthe High Street at the entrance to theMeadway estate.In the late 1990s the character of theestate was threatened by a proposal todemolish one house and redevelop thetennis courts with new housing. In 2008an area comprising Meadway, BourneAvenue, Parkway, Ridgeway and parts ofGreenway and The Bourne was made aconservation area to help protect thebuildings and other structures such asgarden walls from demolition and the useof inappropriate modern materials andinappropriate extensions. (See TES Newsno. 172.) Later plainer and cheaperhouses at the southern end of Greenway,completed by 1936, and Norman Way,completed by 1938, were not included inthe Meadway conservation area.

Buses 121, 298, 299 and W6 pass alongthe High Street and bus W9 passes alongThe Bourne. The nearest station is atSouthgate, on the Piccadilly undergroundline.

For more information on north Londonsuburban private houses in the 1920s and1930s, and the way of life of theirinhabitants, see Little palaces, house andhome in the inter-war suburb by MarkPinney, Phillippa Mapes, Sue Andrewand Malcolm Barres-Baker, published byMiddlesex University Press in 2003. Ithas chapters on architecture, decoration,household management, leisure andtransport. Information on suburbia canalso be found in Suburban style: theBritish home 1840-1960 by HelenaBarrett and John Phillips, published byMacdonald in 1987; Semi-detachedLondon: suburban development, life andtransport 1900-39 by A. A. Jackson,published by Allen and Unwin in 1973;London’s underground suburbs byDennis Edwards and Ron Pigram,published by Baton Transport in 1986;Dunroamin: the suburban semi and itsenemies by Paul Oliver, Ian Davis andIan Bentley, published by Barrie andJenkins in 1981; The 1930s home by G.Stevenson, published by Shire in 2000;and Something in linoleum by P.Vaughan, published by Sinclair-Stevenson in 1994. A view of inter-warLondon suburban family life can be seenin the 1944 film This happy breed.

The black and white photographs wereprovided by Enfield Local Studies Centreand Archive, which also has details of thecase prepared for the then proposedMeadway conservation area.

Stephen Gilburt

Houses on the Meadway estate variedin size, design and layout, but manyhad a garage, fuel store, outside toiletand large back garden. Generally aground floor vestibule entrance withhanging cupboard led to the entrancehall, sitting room, dining room (oftenwith beamed ceiling and panelled walls)and kitchen. In some houses the sittingroom and dining room were linked byglazed double doors. On the first floorthere were up to four bedrooms, thelargest of which often had its own handbasin with hot and cold water. Theblack and white half-tiled bathroom hada porcelain enamelled bath, a hand

basin and an airing cupboardcontaining a hot water tank. There wasa separate half-tiled toilet with a high-level cistern. The residents were proudof their new facilities and one claimed“We Southgate people in our new

houses are a pretty clean andgentlemanly lot. We don’t boast aboutour baths and bathrooms, but the factremains we take our ablutionsseriously”.

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Historic buildings

This room in the 1928 Meadway show house room had a tiledfireplace with a pointed gothic-style arch, an oak mantel shelfand a plate shelf high on the walls. There was a maid callbutton to the right of the fireplace and an electricity point inthe skirting board. The furniture in the show house, includingthese studded leather-covered chairs, was supplied by HenryHaysom, a local Palmers Green store.

The sitting room/lounge where visitors would be received had a fireplace with a tiled surround and a light-coloured woodenmantelpiece, a hearth rug and a carpet. A glazed door led to the back garden. The room was furnished with a fire screen, anupholstered settee and armchairs, a pouffe, a round occasional table, a nest of three tables, a needlework box, mirrors, pottedplants on stands and various ornamental vases.

The white half-tiled kitchen was equipped with a white glazed butler’s sink with hot and cold water, a food trolley, a cupboard, adresser with a glass-fronted cupboard for crockery, a ventilated larder, a washing tub, an enamelled domestic boiler, a selection ofpots and pans and various electrical appliances. As purchasers of the houses would have a choice, this show house displayedboth a gas and an electric cooker. The cook would prepare food on the table which could also be used for servants’ meals. Thedisplay panel above the kitchen door would indicate in which room the housemaid or cook was required. Some families withoutlive-in staff would employ a “daily” or “treasure” from the nearby working-class areas to help with the housework. However with theavailability of labour-saving devices such as electric irons and vacuum cleaners, washing tubs with mangles, hot water boilers, andgas and electric fires, middle-class households in the inter-war period were increasingly servant-free.

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Green belt / green energy

Renewable energy andEnfieldTo avoid catastrophic climate change weneed to reduce global greenhouse gasemissions by 3% pa, starting now. TheUK has benefited hugely from burningfossil fuels so we ought to cut ouremissions much faster. How can Enfieldcut its greenhouse gas emissions andcreate the green jobs our people need?We can exclude waves and tides (no sea)and hot rocks (wrong geology). Largehydroelectric schemes are also out thoughI believe that the Council plans a smallturbine in the River Lee. The Council alsoplans a heat network to distribute spareheat from the Edmonton incinerator.That’s low-carbon energy provided thatit’s our last resort for dealing with waste.Reuse and recycling are clearly betteroptions where available. It may also bepossible to add other sources of spare heatto the heat network or to support anotherheat network.Could we use sustainably produced fuelsin a heat network or even in cars?Perhaps. In the UK today these fuels aremainly biodiesel from vegetable oil andsome sustainably produced wood. Inpractice the biodiesel isn’t always lowcarbon due to the deforestation thatprecedes palm oil production. Further, theUK already has a number of powerstations that burn wood chips and otherbiofuels with others planned but their

appetite for fuel greatly exceeds thesupply of sustainably-produced fuel –even allowing for imports. The greenwashis particularly thick in this sector!With appropriate regulation this maybecome an important sector as there areseveral novel fuels under development.However, these are all possibilities for thefuture not fuels we can use now. So wecome to the big ones: sun and wind.Wind is actually a bit marginal in urban

areas. Big turbines are impractical,small turbines are inefficient and maydamage any wall or roof they’reattached to. Larger turbines might beinstalled in the north of the borough –though the many restrictions wouldmake it hard, perhaps impossible, tofind suitable sites.Finally sunlight. We could all usesunlight to heat our water and generateelectricity. Government subsidies(Feed-in Tariff and Renewable HeatObligations to be technical) makeinvestment profitable for the

homeowner whilst contributing powerto the grid. Unfortunately Enfield lagsbehind on solar electricity – only one

home in 362 has solar panels – comparedto 1 in 8 in Waltham Forest. Enfield hasonly 1.5MW of installed solar capacity.Solar photo-voltaic panels are not limitedto private homes. The Council hasinstalled panels on the Civic Centre andon schools. Many offices and factoriescould also benefit from solar panels. As aGreen I’d like to see the Council makethis mandatory for new and existingbuildings. But national legislation makesthis impossible and the need to persuadehundreds of employers and to co-ordinatethousands of installations in a voluntaryprogramme is daunting. And speed isvital.That’s why I support the proposed solararray for Sloeman’s Farm. Once approvedit would provide 15MW within just a fewmonths. That’s ten times Enfield’s currentsolar capacity and it would increaseLondon’s solar capacity by 30%. No othercurrent scheme can do so much so fast.Renewable energy is not a fad. To reduceour greenhouse gas emissions, fast, is anobligation we owe to future generations,to people in low-lying lands and to all thespecies threatened by climate change.Inaction is not an option I can live with.A longer version of this article can befound at: <tinyurl.com/GreenEnfield>

David Flint

Green belt solar park:application withdrawnIn our last issue we highlighted a threat tothe green belt from an application tobuild a 15.2 MW solar panel installationon a 25 hectare site at Sloeman’s Farm,between Whitewebbs Road and the M25.A detailed 34-page report on the proposalwas drawn up by the Council’s AssistantDirector, Planning & EnvironmentalProtection, for consideration at ameeting of the Planning Committee on4th September.This report stated that ten writtenobjections to the scheme had beenreceived, and one letter in support. Itquoted several government statementsurging such developments onbrownfield rather than greenfield sites,and noting that in 2013 the Ministerfor Energy and Climate Change said“…we need to be careful that we donot over-incentivise large-scaleground-mounted projects ininappropriate places – I am thinking ofgreenfield agricultural land – thatcould generate strong opposition toour community energy agenda… …Itneeds careful design and thoughtfulconsideration. It certainly could not be ascheme about renewable energy at anycost. Impacts on the local community, onlandscape and on consumer bills have tobe a real consideration…”The report recommended that theapplication should be rejected, on thefollowing grounds:●The applicant has failed to demonstrate

the ‘very special circumstances’ tojustify the scheme and the resultantdevelopment would representinappropriate development withindesignated Green Belt Land, effectivelyurbanising the site which is prejudicialto the open character and visual amenityof the site and resulting in the creationof an obtrusive and overly dominantform of development …

●The applicant has failed to meet therelevant tests set out in Policy for theselection and sequential assessment ofpotential sites for the development oflarge scale renewable energyinstallations. In this regard, it isconsidered that the proposeddevelopment will result in the loss ofhigh quality viable and productiveagricultural land …

●The development would have adverseeffects on trees and insufficientinformation had been provided to the

Council to determine the ecologicalimpacts of the proposals.

The application was withdrawn by theapplicants on 4th September 2014, so wasnot considered by the PlanningCommittee.Details of the application and the reportquoted above are available on theCouncil’s web site at<http://tinyurl.com/solemanssolar>

Leonard Will

Solar Panels in a field along the A303 road inSouth Somerset. (Image © Copyright Lewis Clarke andlicensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence)

As with other signed articles, the views aboveare those of the author. The Enfield SocietyManagement Committee agreed to oppose theSloeman’s Farm solar array, for reasons setout on the front page of our last issue.

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The following obituary is a slightly editedversion of one which appeared in theSeptember 2014 newsletter of theEdmonton Hundred Historical Society.With great sadness we must announce thedeath of David Pam, the LondonBorough of Enfield’s former LocalHistory and Museums Officer, the formerPresident of the EHHS, and long servingChairman, historian, author, lecturer andinspiration.As reference librarian for the oldBorough of Edmonton he joined theEdmonton Hundred Historical Society inthe late 1950s, transforming the Societyinto one of the most highly respectedlocal history societies in the London area.In 1975 he was appointed Local Historyand Museums Officer for the newLondon Borough and, with the helpof Graham Dalling, established theborough’s local history library andarchive collection. However, he will bebest remembered for his books. He wrotenumerous pamphlets, papers and articles,including a weekly column for theEnfield Gazette, but his greatest works,written after his retirement in 1982, werethe magnificent three volume History ofEnfield, The story of Enfield Chase (bothpublished by The Enfield PreservationSociety) and The Royal Small ArmsFactory, Enfield and its workers.I worked with David Pam, or Mr Pam asI always referred to him then, for onlythree years from when I started in 1979until he retired in 1982. I wassomewhat in awe of him in thosedays, though he was generous and kindlyand would listen patiently to what I hadto say. I knew nothing, of course, andcould contribute little. He ran thedepartment energetically taking onmore and more work, building up thecollection, putting together exhibitionsfor the two local museums, going out togive lectures to schools and local groups,and writing papers and pamphlets. Hewas enthusiastic and optimistic and heloved what he was doing.After his retirement he continued asChairman, and later as President, of theEdmonton Hundred Historical Societyand served on the Council ofManagement of The Enfield Society. Hewas a frequent visitor to the LocalHistory Unit while he was researching hisbooks and writing his weekly column forthe Enfield Gazette. He should have helda post at a prestigious university, but hechose instead to devote himself to writingthe history of Enfield. He looked the partof an absent minded professor, with abrilliant mind, sharply focused on the

things that mattered to him. Enfield waslucky to have had David Pam.Graham Dalling worked with David Pamin the Local History Office at PalmersGreen and they made a good team.Graham, who died at Christmas in 2012,should have been the one to write thistribute. In 2001 acknowledging David’sachievements, Graham wrote “He is agenial and good natured man with a basicwarmth and humanity that shines throughboth in his lectures and his writings. Hehas become a deservedly popular publicfigure in Enfield. For all hisachievements he remains an essentiallymodest man and, more significantly, hasnever sought to exploit his skills forpersonal profit”.David Pam was passionate aboutlocal history. In 1984 he wrote anarticle for The Local Historianreproduced for the EdmontonHundred’s 75th anniversarynewsletter, in which he argued “If alocal historian can bring back to life onelong deceased villain who once basked inthe admiration of the countryside, if hecan revive the feeling of hatred formerlyfelt against some autocratic justice of thepeace, if he can relate a story to make thelater twentieth century laugh, or cry,over the late eighteenth, he will haveachieved all that a good local historianshould desire”. He felt that local historywas not sufficiently valued by many inthe academic world and he set out tochange that. His books were wellreviewed in the academic press and hefinally received proper recognition whenhe was made a Fellow of the RoyalHistorical Society in 2006.The Local Studies and Archivescontinues and thrives under archivistJohn Clark. With the new technology it isall very different now, but we still referconstantly to David Pam’s work. Westand on the shoulders of a giant.

Kate Godfrey

David Pam gave many talks to TheEnfield Preservation Society, both inJubilee Hall and on heritage walks roundEnfield Town, as here. He was elected aVice-President of the Society in 1990.

The demise of the rat-runin Enfield?Should you have the stamina to delvedeep into the Mini-Holland bid, nowcalled Cycle Enfield, you would find thatin addition to cycle lanes, Dutch-styleroundabouts and the like, the Council isplanning to create 37 QuieterNeighbourhoods (called Residential Cellsin the bid document) at the rate of five orsix per year. This is a policy aimed atimproving the quality of life for residentsas well as reinforcing council plans toencourage cycling.A Quieter Neighbourhood is defined bothin terms of area and organisationalarrangements. Thus these will be purelyresidential areas bounded by what areofficially known as secondary roads, butlocally as through roads. Physicallythrough traffic will be excluded usingpart-barriers at one end of some/allstreets which could range from gates, tobollards, to tree-planted roadnarrowing/pavement widening. Alsothese will have a low speed limit -presumably 20mph, and, if these areasfollow the Dutch model, the streets willbe organised on a Shared Space basis sothat pedestrians, cyclists and traffic haveequal priority. An example illustratingthe sort of neighbourhood which couldbe chosen is the area to the north-west ofPalmers Green bounded by Green Lanes,Aldermans Hill, Bourne Hill/The Bourneand Cannon Hill/High Street, which isunder consideration now leading toconsultation soon.

So much for the basic idea, but what arethe implications for residents? Streetswhich are rat-runs at present will beimproved for residents, both in terms ofweight of traffic and speed. Overall thewhole area is likely to become quieterand more people-centred, with a greaterlikelihood that children will be able tobike/walk to school or park. Put anotherway it seems that streets are likely tobecome social areas again, strengtheningthe local community and allowing localplay. I’d take a bet that house values willincrease where these arrangements areinstalled.

David Hughes

David Pam (1920-2014)

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Future walksTravel details are correct at press datebut TES cannot be responsible foralterations. As rail travel may besubject to alteration, especially atweekends, always check (either via08457 48 49 50 or using the operatingtrain company website). For TfL areaTube, DLR, London Overground andbus details, ring 0843 222 1234 orcheck TfL website.For Hertfordshire bus times seewww.intalink.org.ukReduced price travel on most localtrains around London: Since 18th MayGroupsave has been amended. It nowapplies to 3 to 9 people travellingtogether who will get a discount of about34% each in respect of Off Peak DaySingle and Return tickets and, whenavailable, Super Off-Peak Day Singleand Return tickets. Cannot be used inconjunction with any Railcards orpromotions and you must travel as agroup throughout.In case we use buses, always bringyour Freedom Pass or National BusPass.Please wear walking boots or stoutwalking shoes – trainers are rarelysuitable.

Sat 15 Nov. Hampstead Heath. Meet10.30 Hampstead Heath Station (10.09London Overground train from Highbury& Islington) for about 7.5 to 8 mile walkover the Heath and environs, withperhaps some late Autumn colours. Thewalk will end at a point suitable forreturn to Enfield. Many shorter options.Bring lunch or food available. Leader:Stuart MillsWed 19 Nov. River Tyburn. Meet 10.40St John’s Wood Station (Jubilee Line) fora 6 mile linear walk tracing thefascinating route of one of London’s“hidden/lost” rivers via Regent’s Park,Marylebone, Mayfair and Green Parkuntil it reaches The Thames near Pimlico.The walk ends in Westminster. Manyshorter options. Bring lunch or foodavailable. Leader: Roy DyerSat 29 Nov. Green Chain Walk. Eithermeet Roy at 09.56 at entrance to Platform9, King’s Cross mainline station (arrivaltime of 09.30 train from Enfield Chase),or on the Thameslink southboundplatform at St Pancras International by10.05. From there, Roy will travel toBlackfriars mainline station to catch the10.42 Southeastern Sevenoaks train toRavensbourne. All travel within FreedomPass area.

Today’s 7 mile circular walk starts fromRavensbourne Station at 11.09 and ismainly on good condition paths for lateAutumn through contrasting parts ofsouth-east London, including England’slargest public golf course. Shorteroptions. Bring lunch or food available.Details: (020) 8360 0282 orroynicholls@btinternet.com Leader: RoyNichollsSat 6 Dec. Between the Ash and Stort.Meet 10.21 St Margaret’s Station (09.44train from Southbury Station and changeat Cheshunt for 10.09 train; or by directtrain at 09.55 from Tottenham HaleStation which also stops at intermediatestations).About 7 to 7.5 mile circular walk inpretty countryside with lunch stop inHunsdon. Bring lunch or simple/basicpub food probably available, but extentof food unknown at press date, as thispub has recently changed hands.However, nearby is also a gastro-pub.Leader: Breda JenkinsThurs 11 Dec. Hidden London –Pimlico. Meet at 10.40 outside theVauxhall Bridge exit (exit 1) fromVauxhall underground station (VictoriaLine) and in front of the Pret A Mangershop. Vauxhall mainline station is about3 mins walk across roadways.About 2.25 hour linear walk in thePimlico area via charming conservationareas, garden squares, secluded streetsand with Thames riverside views. Coffeebreak en-route. Many shorter options.Walk will end at Tate Britain which has acafé and outside seating for those withown lunch. Details 07973 747 454.Leader: Nigel KingWed 17 Dec. Update on SustainableDrainage Systems. Meet 10.00Winchmore Hill Station for about 3 milelinear walk highlighting the recentlycompleted work to improve the waterquality of the waterways ultimatelyfeeding into Salmon’s Brook and theRiver Lea. Project details were in TESnewsletter Spring 2014 and we hope arepresentative from Thames21 will againbe present.The route will include the lake andwatercourses in Grovelands Park,Hounsden Spinney, Boxer’s Lake andGlenbrook, ending on Slades Hill/EnfieldRoad (near the Jolly Farmers P.H.) forbuses 121, 301 & 377. Details: (020)8366 2242 or 07948 204 025. Leader:Dave CockleSat 27 Dec. Inner London Scenes (Part3). Meet 10.10 at entrance to Platform 9,King’s Cross mainline station (09.30train from Enfield Chase arrives 09.56)for a linear walk that will include

historical and architectural features,squares, gardens, parks and The Thames.Numerous shorter options. Lunch stop atthe South Bank Centre (bring lunch orfood available). Leader: Stuart MillsThurs 1 Jan. Christmas Lights. Meet15.00 at the Buckingham Palace/GreenPark signed exit from Green Park Station(Victoria & Piccadilly Lines). About 2hour linear walk featuring a variedselection of Christmas lights and relatedscenes, many of which are off the usualtourist routes and away from the crowds.Contact on day of walk only: 07931 963086. Leader: Monica SmithSat 10 Jan. Fulham Palace, RiverThames & Barnes Common. Meet10.30 Putney Bridge Station (DistrictLine from Victoria and Earl’s Court) fora varied 7 mile linear walk. The morningroute of 4 miles visits the refurbishedFulham Palace Gardens, then crosses theriver and follows the Thames andBeverley Brook onto Barnes Common.After the lunch stop at Barnes Village(food available or bring lunch), the walkfollows the Thames to end at Kew Green.Shorter options. Leader: Brian FrearTues 13 Jan. Waterways of EastLondon. Meet 10.20 Tottenham HaleStation (either Victoria Line or 10.06train from Brimsdown which also stops atEnfield Lock and Ponders End). Also,bus 192.About 7 mile linear walk with constantlychanging river and canal scenes via LeeNavigation, Hertford Union Canal andRegent’s Canal. Shorter options. Bringlunch or food available. Return fromeither Wapping or Shadwell Stations byLondon Overground to Highbury &Islington. Details: 07904 193 098.Leader: John WestMon 19 Jan. Local paths in Enfield.Meet 10.00 Library Green, Church Street,Enfield Town, for a 2.5 to 3 hour circularwalk using a varied selection of paths thatlink open spaces and still retain a “green”feeling, despite being within the urbanenvironment.Please note that walking boots areessential as some paths (including besidethe New River) are on unmade surfaceswhich may be muddy! Full route 5 milesbut numerous shorter options. Leader:Stuart MillsSat 24 Jan. London Loop. Meet 09.45outside Sainbury’s, New Barnet (307 busfrom Enfield or by 09.17 train fromFinsbury Park mainline station arrivingNew Barnet Station at 09.33).About 9 mile linear walk via a mix ofGreen Belt countryside, woodland andcountry parks, ending at Elstree &Borehamwood Station. Return either by

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train to St Pancras or 107 bus to Barnet –all travel covered by Freedom Pass.Shorter options. Bring lunch or foodavailable. Details: (020) 8366 2242 or07948 204 025. Leader: Dave CockleTues 27 Jan. Alexandra Palace andHighgate Wood. Meet 10.23 AlexandraPalace Station (10.11 train from EnfieldChase) for 2.5 hour linear walk throughthe Palace grounds and along the disusedrailway path into Highgate Wood.Shorter options. Route ends in HighgateVillage – lunch facilities and/or return bybus 210 to Finsbury Park. Leader: MickSpinks

Sat 31 Jan. Changes in London’s EastEnd. Meet 10.30 at entrance to Platform1, Liverpool Street mainline station, for alinear walk that will include Spitalfieldsand Victoria Park and also some of theless well known areas in the East Endthat are constantly undergoing change.Route will end at a station but manyshorter options. Food available or bringlunch. Details: (020) 8360 0282 orroynicholls@btinternet.com Leader: RoyNicholls

Thurs 5 Feb. Hadley Common andTrent Park. Meet 10.30 outsideWaitrose in The Spires shopping centreoff High Street, High Barnet – allowabout 10 mins to walk from 307 bus stopnear Barnet Church. Local buses 234,326, 383, 384, 389 & 399 stop outsideThe Spires.6 to 7 mile linear walk via MonkenHadley Common and Hadley Woodswith a lunch stop in Cockfosters. Thenaround Trent Park and via the MerryhillsWay to end at the Jolly Farmers P.H.,Enfield Road (for buses 121, 307 & 377),or possible extension to The Ridgewaynear Chase Farm Hospital (for 313 & W8buses). Shorter options. Bring lunch orfood available. Contact on day of walkonly: 07946 729 053. Leaders: Vanessaand Margaret

Sat 14 Feb. Royal Parks and more!Meet 10.40 at the Wellington Arch, HydePark Corner Island – about 3 mins bysigned exit from adjacent Hyde ParkCorner underground station (PiccadillyLine).About 6 mile circular walk with anattractive mix of parks, conservationareas and historic buildings via HydePark, The Serpentine, KensingtonGardens, Palace and Village, HollandPark, Campden Hill and The Long Water.Lunch stop in Kensington Village (foodavailable or bring lunch). Many shorteroptions. Details 07973 747 454. Leader:Nigel King

Wed 18 Feb. Snowdrops andMyddelton House. Meet 10.15 outsidethe front door to Forty Hall Mansion fora 3 hour circular walk which we hopewill coincide with the snowdrop displayin Myddelton House Gardens and nearForty Hall lakes. The route will initiallyvisit Myddelton House Gardens forcoffee and the opportunity to walkthrough the gardens, before continuingvia footpaths on the Forty Hall Estate.Contact on day of walk only: 07984 813636. Leader: Norman ColesMon 23 Feb. Modernising King’sCross. Meet 10.30 at entrance toPlatform 9, King’s Cross mainlinestation, for a 2.5 to 3 hour circular walkduring which Roy will include an updateon the on-going regeneration programmetaking place near the station. Much hasbeen achieved since the last TES visit.Details: (020) 8360 0282 orroynicholls@btinternet.com Leader: RoyNichollsSat 28 Feb. From Canary Wharf toGreenwich Park. Meet 10.45 in mainticket office concourse at Canary WharfJubilee Line Station (NOT at the DLRCanary Wharf Station which is 5 to 10mins walk away).About 7.5 mile linear walk from the 21stCentury redevelopment on the Isle ofDogs to the oldest Royal Park. Shorteroptions.The morning route of about 4 miles willinclude waterside views in Canary Wharfand recently opened sections of theThames frontage. After lunch stop inGreenwich Village (food available orbring lunch), we will walk past some ofthe historic Maritime Naval Buildingsbefore entering the recently restoredGreenwich Park with breath-taking viewsover the Thames. Leader: Stuart Mills.

Stuart Mills

FootpathsReference was made in the lastnewsletter to the ever-present waterproblem affecting the path fromBulls Cross next to Myddelton HouseGardens. TES recently met with theofficer in Enfield Council responsiblefor rights-of-way and was advisedthat an engineering solution iscurrently being drawn up, with theintention of Groundforce carrying outthe works.The blocked path south of PottersBar has been re-opened through self-help by local residents. However,Enfield Council has agreed thatGroundforce can be used forinstallation of a permanent bridge.Over recent months Enfield Councilhas completed repairs to the sectionof the Greenway/London Loop fromSt John’s Church, Clay Hill, to TheRidgeway near the Royal ChaceHotel, thereby hopefully resolvingthe almost permanently floodedsection of Strayfield Road. Weunderstand work is not likely tocommence on the next sectionwestwards towards the CockfostersRoad until the 2015-2016 financialyear.

Stuart Mills

Newsletter contributionsContributions to the newsletter frommembers are most welcome, and maybe in the form of letters, articles, newsitems, responses to previous articles,opinion pieces or photographs.Contributors’ views may differ fromthose of the Management Committeeof The Enfield Society; anonymousitems are not published. We cannotundertake to publish everything, andwe reserve the right to shorten or edititems before publication. Copy inelectronic form is most convenient,and can be sent as an email attachmentto<newsletter@enfieldsociety.org.uk>,but items on paper can also beaccepted. Contact the NewsletterEditor, Leonard Will, at the aboveemail address or by telephone at (020)8372 0092 if you have any questionsabout making a contribution. The copydate for the next issue is 16th January2015, but items can be sent at any timeand having them in advance is mosthelpful. The newsletter is distributedabout three weeks after the copy date.

Leonard Will

The recent TES walk in the beautifulMole Valley near Box Hill, Dorking,gave the more adventurous membersof the Footpaths Group walk theopportunity to cross the River Mole onstepping stones. There was analternative path crossing the river bymeans of a bridge but the steppingstones proved more popular.

One step at a time

John

Bou

rne

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President: Dr C.J.A. Jephcott

Chairman: Dave CockleHon. Secretary: Richard StonesHon. Treasurer: David JamesOffice: 2 Parsonage Lane, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 0AJ.Telephone: 020 8363 9495When there is nobody in the office, messagesleft on voice mail will be dealt with aspromptly as possible.Web site: <www.enfieldsociety.org.uk>Helplines: For information on TESactivities or to report matters you thinkneed investigation or action, pleasephone the appropriate number below.Email addresses are given on the“Contacts” page on our web site.Architecture and Planning020 8363 7707 (John Davies)Coach Outings020 8367 7374 (Janet McQueen)Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings,Green Belt020 8245 2758 (Chris Jephcott)Edmonton Group020 8367 5920 (Monica Smith)Footpaths and Walks020 8367 5168 (Shirley Cotton)Historic Buildings020 8363 0031 (Stephen Gilburt)Jubilee Hall Bookings020 8363 9495 (Janet McQueen)Membership020 8367 3171 (Joyce James)Press and publicity020 8363 5732 (Bob Fowler)Records and Research020 8372 0092 (Leonard Will)Trees020 8245 2758 (Chris Jephcott)Volunteers coordinatorM.Wilkie@enfieldsociety.org.uk(Moira Wilkie)Management committeeDave Cockle, John Davies, Tony Dey,Robert Fowler, Stephen Gilburt, DavidJames, Joyce James, Janet McQueen,Stuart Mills, Val Munday, ColinPointer, Monica Smith, Richard Stones,John West, Moira Wilkie, Leonard Will.Vice-PresidentsLord Graham of Edmonton,Mr P. A. Langston, Mrs P. Lowen,Mr C. Pointer, Mr M. Saunders, MBE,Mr A. J. SkiltonNewsletter editorLeonard Will<newsletter@enfieldsociety.org.uk>The Enfield Society.Registered in England as a limitedcompany no. 312134.Registered Charity no. 276451.Printed by Cambridge Printers Ltd.ISSN 2042-1419 (Print)ISSN 2042-1427 (Online)

TES Directory Forty Hall

Lest we forgetThe proposal for the Lest We Forget WW1commemoration was overwhelminglysupported at a public meeting held at FortyHall on 31st October 2013 .It was signed offby London Borough of Enfield, to be createdand maintained by volunteers as no budgetwas available.The letters were carved from the turf, to be readfrom the 1st and 2nd floor north-facing roomsof the Hall, looking down the main formal vistaof the double Lime Avenue. The originallocation, closer to the Hall, was amended at the request of Enfield Archaeological Societyto avoid conflict with any potential archaeology near the Hall structure. Flanders poppyseeds were sown using seed purchased personally by the Estate's Learning andConservation Officer which included donations to support the British Legion.Many poppies germinated and grew and an interpretation panel was installed, with railingsto protect the work. However, Forty Hall's management were concerned that residentshoping to hire the Hall as a venue might object to these, so the railings and description ofthe work were removed. Consequently, unsupervised children (even supervised childrenand adults) ran up and down the letters, and the poppies were mostly killed off.The contractor working on the Forty Hall Estate restoration works kindly donated gritwhich volunteers placed on the letters of exposed soil as shown in the photograph above.The feature was intended as a four year commemoration, and a focal point for ArmisticeDay activities with hopeful attendance of local school children and representatives of thePrincess Diana Regiment (formerly the Middlesex Regiment, with connections to the FortyHall Estate). This Armistice Day, local school children from primary schools will lay poppywreaths and individual ‘hand-made' poppies in the letters.Next year the Learning and Conservation Officer will grow poppy plants at his home untilthey are ready for planting as juvenile plants in the Spring of 2015, again by the volunteerassistants. If these also fail, then 2015 will be the last year the feature remains. Commentsreceived by the local public, volunteers and visitors from out of the Borough are verypositive, especially from senior local Enfield residents who lost family members in theGreat War.If any members of the Enfield Society wish to volunteer their time and energy on the FortyHall Estate, on a range of projects, you will be most welcome. Kindly leave your detailswith reception staff at Forty Hall.

Jason Peters, Learning and Conservation Officer, Forty Hall.

Parks for People projectFollowing the restoration of Forty Hall itself, major work is now in progress to enhance itspark and grounds. A successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund has resulted in a budget of£1.8 million, with an LBE contribution of £200,000.The main elements of the project, as described on the Hall’s website at<www.fortyhallestate.co.uk> are:●Restore Turkey Brook bridge and weir, (linking parkland to a public footpath leading to Capel

Manor, Myddelton House and gardens).●Restore 18th century design of ornamental lake, mound and approach drive in front of the Hall

(including de-silt of lake, replace edging, replace existing furniture in keeping with historiclandscape, remove/reduce height of hedge row to restore historic views of Lime Avenue,resurface approach drive)

●Reveal 18th century designs of Pleasure Gardens, restore leat and reform shape of ephemeralpool, introduce seating, signage, interpretation information and planting, remove memorial trees

●Improve café courtyard – access, planting and paving, reduce public car parking (retainingdisabled parking)

●Reconfigure existing public car park with improved entrance arrangements, new bin storage,improve access, signage and planting

●Widen existing main gated entrance●Create a new play area and path in the woods●Introduce educational and informative signage throughout the park