| London Borough of Enfield | |||
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| — London borough — | |||
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| Motto: By Industry Ever Stronger | |||
| Enfield shown within Greater London | |||
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom | ||
| Constituent country | England | ||
| Region | London | ||
| Ceremonial county | Greater London | ||
| Status | London borough | ||
| Admin HQ | Civic Centre, Enfield Town | ||
| Incorporated | 1 April 1965 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | London borough council | ||
| • Body | Enfield London Borough Council | ||
| • Leadership | Leader & Cabinet (Labour) | ||
| • Mayor | Cllr Jayne Buckland | ||
| • MPs | David Burrowes Andy Love Nick de Bois |
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| • London Assembly | Joanne McCartney AM for Enfield and Haringey | ||
| • EU Parliament | London | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 31.7 sq mi (82.20 km2) | ||
| Area rank | 236th (of 326) | ||
| Population (2010 est.) | |||
| • Total | 294,900 | ||
| • Rank | 27th (of 326) | ||
| • Density | 9,291.8/sq mi (3,587.6/km2) | ||
| • Ethnicity[1] | 57.4% White British 2.6% White Irish 12.3% Other White 1.0% White & Black Caribbean 0.5% White & Black African 1.0% White & Asian 1.0% Other Mixed 4.3% Indian 0.9% Pakistani 1.4% Bangladeshi 2.2% Other Asian 5.4% Black Caribbean 6.5% Black African 0.8% Other Black 1.1% Chinese 1.5% Other |
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| Time zone | GMT (UTC0) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) | ||
| Postcodes | EN
, N , E |
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| Area code(s) | 01992, 020 | ||
| Police force | Metropolitan Police | ||
| Website | www.enfield.gov.uk | ||
The London Borough of Enfield () is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest. It is amongst the most affluent boroughs in London with 56% of residents belonging to social grades ABC1.[2]
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Enfield was recorded in the Domesday Book 1086 as Enefelde, Einefeld 1214, Enfeld 1293, Enfild 1564, that is 'open land of a man called Ēana, or where lambs are reared', from the Old English feld with an Old English personal name or with Old English ēan 'lamb'. The feld would have been a reference to an area cleared of trees within woodland later to become Enfield Chase.[3]
Enfield Town used to be a small market town in the County of Middlesex on the edge of the forest about a day's travel north of London. As Greater London has grown, Enfield Town and its surrounds have become a residential suburb, 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 (see Enfield Old Park). Wealthy Londoners came to Enfield first to hunt, and then to build houses in the green, wooded surroundings. In 1303, Edward I of England granted Enfield a charter to hold a weekly market, which has continued up to this day.
Enfield Grammar school with its Tudor Old Hall stands next to the Enfield Town Market Place and St. Andrew's Church, the school having been extended several times since 1586. A new hall and further additions were completed shortly before World War II.[4]
Nearby historically was the palace of Edward VI, where Elizabeth I lived for a while a princess, including during the final illness of Henry VIII. Edward was taken there to join her, so that in the company of his sister Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, could break the news to Edward, formally announcing the death of their royal father in the presence chamber at Enfield, on his knees to make formal obeisance to the boy as King.[5] Later Elizabeth held court there when she was queen (this was remembered in the name Palace Gardens that was a street running behind Pearsons department store and is still recalled in the name of Enfield's shopping centre).[6][7]
Enfield has a history of armaments manufacture—see Royal Small Arms Factory. The Lee-Enfield .303 rifle was standard issue for the British Army until 1957, although its usage carried on afterwards for some time. Other firearms manufactured there include the Bren and Sten machine guns—the "en" in both cases denoting the place of manufacture.
The world's first solid state circuitry colour televisions were manufactured by Ferguson at their now closed plant in Enfield.
The very first Dishwasher to be mass produced was in Hotpoint's now closed Enfield plant.
The Barclays Bank in Enfield was the first place in the world to have an ATM or cash machine, it was officially opened in June 1967 by Reg Varney a television actor and personality most famous for his lead role on the comedy series On the Buses. This historical event was marked by a silver plaque on the wall of the bank, which has since been vandalised/removed and replaced with an English Heritage Blue plaque.
A fine example of art deco factory building can be found along Southbury Road, with the former Ripaults factory, now an office building for MAN trucks.
The Borough's Civic Centre is located in Silver Street, Enfield Town and is home to the Council.
In 2007, Enfield Town centre completed a major redevelopment project under the name PalaceXchange while retaining the Palace Gardens Shopping Centre. An extension was added to the existing retail area with many new shops, and a second multi-story car park was built 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 large retail outlets and a large multiplex Cineworld cinema. The 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, hiring several auditoria for worship.
The western part of Enfield is largely residential, with shopping centres in Southgate, Palmers Green and Cockfosters.
Parts of Enfield experienced rioting in August 2011, which resulted in a private car and a van being set alight and completely destroyed, a police car vandalised (smashed windows) and a number of shops in Enfield Town Centre (HMV, G. Mantella, Pearsons, Argos etc.) as well as others in the Enfield Retail Park being broken into and looted. The Sony Distribution Centre in the Innova Business Park, near Waltham Cross, was burnt to the ground. Although early reports questioned whether this was an arson or a coincidential incident, however arrests were later made in connection. Other than the Sony Warehouse, however, riot damage was fairly limited in comparison to other areas in London.
Enfield London Borough Council is elected every four years, with currently 63 councillors being elected at each election. Since the first election in 1964 the council has alternated between Conservative and Labour control. Recently the Conservatives gained control at the 2002 election and would hold it until Labour took control back at the 2010 election. As of the 2010 election the council is composed of the following councillors:-[8]
| Party | Councillors |
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| Labour Party | 36 | |
| Conservative Party | 27 | |
The London Borough of Enfield has three fire stations within its boundary; Edmonton, Enfield and Southgate. However, if an incident requires a higher attendance, appliances from throughout London can be mobilised to meet the needs of the area if required. Within the Borough of Enfield lies the North Middlesex Hospital, Shell Gases Ltd (amongst other chemical plants) plus several mainline and Underground stations.[9]
The three fire stations operate a total of five pumping appliances, one rescue tender, a hose layer and a USAR unit.[10]
Of the three fire stations within the borough; Enfield is mobilised to the most incidents and has the largest station ground (the area of which Enfield is the first appliance to attend).[11]
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.
The London Borough of Enfield is the education authority for the district. Education is provided in a mix of community and voluntary aided schools.[12] 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. In historical terms, among the most significant are The Latymer School in Edmonton, the best performing school in the borough at both GCSE and A-Level,[13] and also Enfield Grammar School, which since the 1960s has been a boys' comprehensive, but has retained its original name, and still uses its Tudor building which is now often referred to as the Old Hall. St Ignatius' College is the borough's largest Catholic school and one of the best-performing non-selective schools in the borough, at both GCSE and A-Level.[13] The Bishop Stopford's School is Enfield's largest school, and The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London also has a campus in the borough. In 2007 a new school Oasis Academy Enfield was opened followed by the takeover of Albany by the Oasis Company.
Middlesex University the former polytechnic, has two campuses in Enfield: Cat Hill and Trent Park. An associate college of the University, Oak Hill Theological College is also located in the borough. Capel Manor is also a local college.
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.
The second largest playing fields are at Firs Farm on Firs Lane. There a handful of rugby pitches along with more than a dozen football pitches. These are used by local amateur football clubs including Winchmore Hill FC [14] , Mayfield Athletic FC and Southgate County FC. The pitches drain reasonably well but are generally in poor condition with old, rusted goalposts. The changing facilities are also very dilapidated, with some changing rooms being no more than concrete sheds with corrugated roofs.
Many sports teams and clubs are located in Enfield; Enfield Town F.C. Enfield (1893)FC, and Winchmore Hill FC [14] are the most prominent. The successful football club, Enfield FC, were forced into a nomadic existence after the sale of their Southbury Road ground and became defunct at the end of the 2006/2007 season after years of ground sharing at many Hertfordshire based clubs. Enfield 1893 were formed after Enfield FC's demise and have spent time groundsharing at Ware FC and Broxbourne Borough FC. They finally found a ground in the borough when they merged with Brimsdown Rovers for the start of the 2011/2012 season. Saracens Rugby Football Club used to play in Enfield and still train at Bramley Road sports ground near Cockfosters. Enfield Ignatians R.F.C are currently the area's most successful Rugby club.
The principle cricket clubs in the area are Winchmore Hill [15] , Enfield, Edmonton and Southgate, with many others playing cricket in and around the borough such as, Enfield Invicta, Mayfield CC, Myddleton House, North Enfield CC, Botany Bay and Holtwhites Trinibis CC. Many clubs play in either the Middlesex Cricket League or the Hertfordshire League. Winchmore Hill have long been the area's most successful cricket club, regularly competing in the Middlesex Premier League.
Swimming clubs include Edmonton Phoenix S.C., Enfield S.C. and Griffins S.C. of Enfield.
Futsal is also played in the area with FC Enfield playing in the FA Umbro Futsal League Southern Division.
Gaelic Football is also played in the area. The club North London Shamrocks play at Enfield Playing Fields.
Enfield Phoenix is the local basketball club with teams playing in the National League and the Central London League. The team play at the Edmonton Leisure Centre, Edmonton Green with seating for 400 spectators.
Theatre goers are catered for by the Intimate Theatre and the Millfield Theatre in Enfield, with amateur and professional dramas, musicals and live music on show every week. Amateur dramatic companies include Saint Monica's Players, The Capel Players and The London Pantomimers.
Koneball originated in Enfield in 2003 and is now a worldwide sport
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club's new training ground is currently in development in Enfield at Bulls Cross. [16]
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 National Express East Anglia also operate on several lines in the borough.
There are numerous bus services throughout the borough run by Transport for London.
The main roads running through the borough include the North Circular Road, the M25, Green Lanes, the A10 and the old Hertford Road (A1010).
London Buses routes 29, 34, 102, 121, 125, 144, 149, 184, 191, 192, 217, 221, 231, 232, 251, 259, 279, 298, 307, 313, 317, 318, 327, 329, 341, 349, 377, 382, 384, 444, 491, W4, W6, W8, W9, W10 School buses route 616, 617, 628, 629, 688, 692, 699, and Night route N29, N91 and N279.
The borough contains the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture. Other museums include Forty Hall Manor and the garden exhibitions at Capel Manor, Myddleton House (part of the Lee Valley Park) and the Whitewebbs Museum of Transport.
Enfield is a stronghold of Youth Activities, there are lots of different organisations and movements offering activities for young people.
Scouting & Guiding are particularly strong. The annual St George's Day Parade has around a thousand young people marching through Enfield Town, led by the Enfield District Scout Band.
The Boys' and Girls' Brigade are also quite active within the borough, participating in various ceremonies and events throughout the year, including the Enfield Town Show, St Georges Day Parade and on Remembrance Day Parade. The Air Training Corps has three units in the area, No.85 (Enfield & Sougthgate) Squadron based in Winchmore Hill & Enfield Town, No.1159 (Edmonton) Squadron based in Edmonton, No.1571 (Ayleward) Squadron based in Aylward School and No.2473 (Highlands & Southgate) Squadron in Highlands School, Southgate
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