LONDON BOROUGH OF ENFIELD

The 'London Borough of Enfield' is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London.

Contents

History

Enfield today

Health

Education

University

Sport and recreation

Transport

Museums

References

See also

External links

History

Enfield used to be a small market town on the edge of the forest about a day's travel north of London. But as Greater London has grown, Enfield has become a residential suburb with a substantial elderly population, with fast transport links into central London.
The current borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Municipal Borough of Southgate, the Municipal Borough of Enfield and the Municipal Borough of Edmonton. The armorial bearings of these three boroughs were also merged.
The creature on the shield of the Enfield coat of arms is known in heraldry as an "Enfield" (or colloquially as the Enfield beast), and is used extensively as a logo representing Enfield, particularly by the borough council.
In Roman times, Enfield was connected to Londinium by Ermine Street, the great Roman road which stretched all the way up to York. Artefacts found in the early 1900s reveal that there were Roman settlements in the areas that are now Edmonton and Bush Hill Park.
In 790 King Offa was recorded as giving the lands of Edmonton to St Albans Abbey. The area became strategically important as East Anglia was taken over by the Danes. In the 790s strongholds were built by men loyal to King Alfred the Great, in order to keep the Danes to the east of the River Lea.
After the Norman Conquest, both Enfield and Edmonton were mentioned in the Domesday Book. Both have churches, and Enfield has 400 inhabitants, Edmonton 300. Enfield is also described as having a "parc".
This parc—a heavily forested area for hunting—was key to Enfield's existence in the Middle Ages. Wealthy Londoners came to Enfield first to hunt, and then to build houses in the pleasant surroundings. In 1303, Edward I of England granted Enfield a charter to hold a weekly market, which has continued up to this day.
The world's first solid state circuitry colour televisions were manufactured by Ferguson at their plant (now closed) in Enfield.
The Barclays Bank in Enfield was the first place in the world to have an ATM.
Enfield has a history of armaments manufacture—see Royal Small Arms Factory. For example, the Lee-Enfield .303 rifle was standard issue for the British Army for many years.

Enfield today

The Borough's Civic Centre is located in Enfield Town.
Recently, Enfield Town centre has completed a major redevelopment project, under the name PalaceXchange, an extension to the existing retail area with many new shops, and a second multi-story car park along with a new road layout.
A major redevelopment of Edmonton Green including the shopping centre, and adjacent municipal housing over a wide area, started in 1999. This is still on-going, and provides new housing, health facilities, a new leisure centre, a supermarket, and many other civic features.
Many local activities are located around the A10 road which has a number of 'shed'-type retail facilities, a night club and a very large multiplex cinema which draws film goers from miles around. This Cineworld cinema also plays host to Jubilee Church on a Sunday morning; whilst cinemagoers continue to watch movies in the other screens, a charismatic church which draws its worshippers from a wide area hires a couple of auditoria for worship. The western part of the borough is largely residential, with shopping centres in Southgate, Palmers Green and Cockfosters.

Health

Two major NHS hospitals , Chase Farm Hospital and North Middlesex Hospital are located in the borough. Enfield Primary Care NHS Trust is responsible for local primary health care. Another hospital in the borough, Highlands, was closed in 1993.

Education

The London Borough of Enfield is the education authority for the district. Education is provided in a mix of community and voluntary aided schools^[1]. A number of private schools are also located in the borough.
Schools in the borough are listed at List of schools in the London Borough of Enfield.

University

Middlesex University has three campuses in Enfield (Ponders End, Cat Hill and Trent Park campus). An associate college of the University, Oak Hill Theological College is also located in the borough.

Sport and recreation

Enfield's King George's Field, named in memory of King George V, includes the Queen Elizabeth II athletics stadium, the Enfield Ignatians Rugby Club and numerous football, rugby and baseball diamonds. The playing fields were used as a POW camp for Italians during World War II.
Many sports teams and clubs are located in Enfield; Enfield F.C. and the more recently established Enfield Town F.C. are the most prominent. Saracens Rugby Football Club used to play in Enfield and still train at Bramley Road sports ground near Cockfosters.
The principal cricket clubs in the area are Enfield CC, Winchmore Hill CC, North Enfield CC, and Holtwhites Trinibus CC, with many others playing cricket in and around the borough such as Edmonton, Enfield Invicta and Myddleton House. Many clubs play in either the Middlesex Cricket League or the Hertfordshire League.
Swimming clubs (S.C.) include Edmonton Phoenix S.C., Enfield S.C. and Griffins S.C. of Enfield.

Transport

''See also List of railway stations in London Borough of Enfield.''
In 1840 the first section of the Northern and Eastern Railway was opened from Stratford to Broxbourne with stations at Water Lane (Angel Road) and Ponders End. Further stations were added in 1855 at Enfield Lock (Royal Small Arms Factory) and 1884 at Brimsdown. A branch line from Water Lane to Enfield Town was opened in 1849 serving Edmonton Low Level and Enfield Town. A further station was added in 1880 at Bush Hill Park. The direct line from London to Enfield Town was opened in 1872 with stations at Silver Street and Lower Edmonton (now called Edmonton Green). In 1891 a loop from Edmonton serving Southbury(Churchbury) and Turkey Street (Forty Hill) to Cheshunt on the main line was added.
In 1871 the Great Northern Railway opened its station on Windmill Hill. This was later replaced in 1910 when the line was extended to Cuffley. This section of railway is now part of the line commonly known as the Hertford Loop.
Enfield is served by the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground with stations at Arnos Grove, Southgate, Oakwood (named as Enfield West when it first opened) and Cockfosters, (where the line terminates). Suburban National Rail services of First Capital Connect and 'one' also operate on several lines in the borough.
There are numerous bus services throughout the borough run by Transport for London.
The main highways running through the borough include the North Circular Road, the M25, Green Lanes, the A10 and the old Hertford Road (A1010)

Museums

The borough conatins the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture. Other museums include Forty Hall Manor and the garden exhibitions at Capel Manor and Myddleton House, (part of the Lee Valley Park).

References

1. Education gateway for LB Enfield accessed 5 Jun 2007

See also

★ List of places in the London Borough of Enfield

★ List of notable people associated with London Borough of Enfield

★ Enfield parks and open spaces

External links

★ Enfield Council

★ Enfield Observatory provides a wide variety of health and social statistics about the Borough

★ Leisure centres in Enfield

★ Lee Valley Park

★ Enfield District Scout Band is the leading youth marching band in the area

★ Enfield and Barnet CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale)