Exploring Tottenham’s Heritage
a series of free events organised by Tottenham Civic Society
Alexandra Palace to Bruce Castle: a walk across the old parish of Tottenham
11.00am Sunday 8th March
Walk leader: Joyce Rosser
This five-mile walk starts at Alexandra Palace, goes through nine parks and seven conservation areas (Alexandra Park and Palace, Wood Green Common, Trinity Gardens, Noel Park, Tower Gardens, Bruce Castle, Tottenham Cemetery), takes in various listed buildings and ends at Bruce Castle Museum at about 1.00pm. Light refreshments will be available at Bruce Castle. You might wish to bring a packed lunch.
Meet in front of the BBC TV Tower at Alexandra Palace (W3 bus from Finsbury Park or Wood Green tube stations).
St Ann’s Church and school house
11.00am Saturday 18th April
Tour leaders: Anne Goodhew and Rev. Roy Goodhew
St Ann’s Church was built in 1861 and was previously known as St Ann’s Stamford Hill. It is listed as Grade II*. The architect was Talbot Bury of Welbeck Street and the building was funded by Fowler Newsam, a local philanthropist, who also funded the Vicarage (since demolished), the school including the teacher’s residence (now used as a community hall), and a group of model cottages. The church is typically Victorian and has a tower with spire at the south-west. It has an attractive set of eight bells. The clock chimes the quarter hours. Culturally St Ann’s is important as the only church in the Deanery that is evangelical rather than anglo-catholic. It is a growing church and a focus of local activities.
Meet outside the church, St Ann’s Road (junction with Avenue Road), N15. Bus 67 from Turnpike Lane or South Tottenham,
Exploring the old railway line from Palace Gates to Seven Sisters
2.00pm Sunday 17th May
Walk leaders: Chris Barker and Judith Hanna
This walk explores the route of the 2¼ mile branch line of the Great Eastern Railway from Palace Gates station, the nearest it got to Alexandra Palace, to the junction with the still existing line at Seven Sisters. We’ll see how current streets and boundaries follow the old line and the traces it has left, including bridges and embankments which can still be seen. Much of the track bed has been built over by the Shopping City and housing estates, but parts remain open space, including allotments at Mannock Road and Elmar Road. We hope to visit both and stop for tea at one of them.
Meet outside the Gate pub on Station Road opposite Alexandra Palace station. Buses W3 and 184 from Wood Green tube station pass the door. Finish: Seven Sisters station.
A history walk through Downhills Park
11.30 am Sunday 24 May 2009
Walk leaders: Christopher Currie and other Friends of Downhills Park
Downhills Park was opened by Tottenham Borough Council in 1903 in the grounds of an 18th-century country house demolished a few years earlier. The park still contains historic features such as the oak wood, a possible croquet lawn, the cedar lawn, the Italian Gardens, the hornbeam avenue and the balustrade, as well as remains of council amenities such as a bandstand, cricket pavilion and bowling green. The Friends group was the first in Tottenham, set up in 1999, and inspired the formation of other such groups across the borough. Recent improvements include a wildflower meadow and additional tree plantings, and plans include restoring the pond.
Meet at Philip Lane gate of Downhills Park (junction of West Green Road and Philip Lane). Buses 41 or 230 from Turnpike Lane tube, 41 from Seven Sisters tube (West Green Road).
North Tottenham conservation area and the proposed Spurs development
11am Sunday 31st May
Walk leaders: Matthew Bradby and Stuart Chapman
North Tottenham was the second conservation area to be designated in Haringey after Highgate Village. Both share a wealth of imposing Georgian buildings. However North Tottenham now faces the proposed redevelopment of Tottenham Hotspur’s football stadium. This may result in the permanent loss of the nationally listed Warmington House and Fletcher House, elegant townhouses dating from the reign of George IV, as well as numerous locally listed buildings. This tour will include other listed buildings such as Dial House, dating from 1691, and 810/812 High Road, an early Georgian merchant’s house of around 1715 that was derelict for many years: now being restored, it shows the huge potential of heritage buildings to spur regeneration of the High Road. Optional visit to Coach and Horses pub afterwards.
Meet outside Council Planning Office, 639 High Road (junction with Lordship Lane), N17. Bus 243 from Wood Green tube, numerous buses along the High Road from Seven Sisters tube.
Historic pubs of Tottenham
7.00pm Tuesday 2nd June
Walk leader: Keith Flett, CAMRA
The Beehive pub is in the CAMRA national inventory as an excellent example of Brewer’s Tudor (that’s the architecture not the beer). Then down the High Road to the historic Swan pub (Punch Taverns) which is currently closed. Then on to The Fountain pub in West Green Road to examine its magnificent exterior. Finally across Chestnuts Park and up St Ann’s Rd to the nationally listed Salisbury pub in Green Lanes (which is in the Tottenham parliamentary constituency and indeed near the MP’s house) which is recognised by CAMRA for both beer and architecture – it also sells food.
Meet inside (for those who want to start with refreshments) or outside the Beehive Pub, Stoneleigh Road (just off the High Road), N17. Nearest tube is Seven Sisters, numerous buses along the High Road.
Architectural walk around Tottenham Green conservation area
11.00am Sunday 21st June
Tour leaders: Matthew Bradby and Joyce Rosser
External historical guided tour around the buildings of Tottenham Green, including C18 Georgian houses, C19 Jewish Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and Holy Trinity Church, ancient High Cross Monument, old Swan pub, Edwardian Town Hall complex, recent housing developments and new Bernie Grant Arts Centre. In this small area there are 17 national listed buildings and over 50 locally listed buildings. Tour will last up to two hours
Meet: outside Old Tottenham Town Hall, Town Hall Approach Road, N15. Nearest tube is Seven Sisters, numerous buses along the High Road.
St. Ignatius Church
3.00pm Saturday 4th July
Tour leader: Father Peter Randall
In 1892 Cardinal Herbert Vaughn, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, invited the Jesuits to start a parish, and also elementary and secondary schools for boys. If viewed from the High Road, St Ignatius Primary is now cupped around the Jesuit presbytery and church. The secondary school of St Ignatius College moved to Enfield in 1968. Its previous site is still awaiting development. The college and the Grade 11 listed church were designed by Benedict Williamson. The celebration of Masses in English, Spanish and Polish, and the existence of seven choirs/music groups that span different cultures and ages, is an indication of the diversity of the 1800 strong Sunday Mass attendance. The Art Nouveau style mosaics within the church anticipate and reflect this “mosaic” of cultures.
Meet outside the church, High Road, (junction with St Ann’s Road), N15. Nearest tube is Seven Sisters, 67 bus from Turnpike Lane, numerous buses along the High Road.
Drapers Company
Date: to be announced
Tour leader: Penny Fussell, Drapers’ Company Archivist
From its origins as a medieval guild, the Drapers’ Company, ranked third in precedence of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London, today has wide ranging interests and responsibilities including administering charitable trusts relating to the relief of need, education and almshouses. This tour of the Drapers’ Hall (one and three quarter hour) will cover the history of the organisation and describe its buildings in Tottenham – the Drapers’ College (later Tottenham High School for Girls, now flats) and the Drapers’ Almshouses in Bruce Grove.
Meet at the Drapers’ Hall, Throgmorton Street. Nearest tube is Bank.
PLUS
In August or September we will be going to see the improvements at Markfield Park and to visit the historic Grade II listed Beam Engine.
www.tottenhamcivicsociety.org.uk
For information about other TCS events 020 8347 7684 or jrosser@lineone.net
