Enfield Lock

Enfield Lock
Enfield Lock  Enfield Lock shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ365985
London borough	Enfield
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ENFIELD
Postcode district	EN3
Dialling code	01992 / 020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Enfield North
London Assembly	Enfield and Haringey
List of places UK England London

Enfield Lock is an area in the London Borough of Enfield, North London. It is approximately located east of the Hertford Road between Turkey Street and the Holmesdale Tunnel overpass, to the River Lee Navigation, including the Enfield Island Village.^[1] The locality gains its name from the lock on the River Lee Navigation. Today's Enfield Lock was re-built in 1922.^[2] The area forms part of the Lee Valley Park and the Enfield Lock Conservation Area. ^[3]

Etymology

Enfield Lock is recorded thus in 1710, earlier as Norhtlok (1355), The Locke (1657), i.e. 'the (northern) lock or river barrier (near Enfield)', from Middle English lok.^[4]

History

Government Row former Royal Small Arms Factory RSAF workers' cottages (August 1997)

Royal Small Arms Factory

The area was first developed from about 1812 when a government-owned rifle factory, which was later known as the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF), Enfield, was built. The factory was built towards the end of the Napoleonic War on the instructions of the Board of Ordnance on marshland at Enfield Lock on the banks of both the River Lea and the River Lee Navigation. The RSAF was closed in the late 1980s, shortly after privatisation, and the majority of the former site has now been redeveloped into a large housing development: Enfield Island Village. The original machine shop frontage and the older part of the rear structure has been retained and was converted into workshops and retail units by the Enfield Enterprise Agency. Until the construction of the M25 in the 1980s, and the later building of the A1055, the area was much like a village with only a small population and consisting of only a few roads in the locality. Roads such as Ordnance Road, Salisbury Road and Medcalf Road are still populated by families who have lived in the Enfield Lock area for several generations such as the Pecks, Swallows, Childs, Smiths and Kilns

Today

After rioting had spread from neighbouring Tottenham on 8 August 2011, the Sony DADC/PIAS distribution centre on the Innova Business Park was looted and destroyed by fire.^[5] The Home Secretary, Theresa May, was shown the destroyed distribution centre by chief police officers and firefighters on 12 August 2011.^[6] In September 2012, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, opened the rebuilt warehouse.^[7]

River Lee Navigation above Enfield Lock. The River Lea proper can be seen in the background

Since the construction of the M25 and many estates around the area it has become a much busier area where as in recent history it was regarded as a reclusive secluded area of North East London

Transport and locale

Nearest places

• Freezywater
• Brimsdown
• Enfield Wash
• Enfield Island Village
• Rammey Marsh

Nearest railway stations

• Enfield Lock railway station
• Turkey Street railway station
• Brimsdown railway station

Politics

The local MP (for Enfield North) is Nick de Bois (Conservative), who ousted the previous Labour MP, Joan Ryan, in the general election of May 6, 2010.

Schools

• Primary schools: Chesterfield Infant School, Chesterfield Junior School, Keys Meadow Primary, Prince of Wales Primary School
• Secondary Schools: Oasis Academy Enfield

Recreation

Section 18 of the London LOOP, a long distance footpath, can be accessed at Enfield Lock railway station. The path connects with the Lea Valley Walk above Enfield Lock at Ordnance Road.

National Cycle Route 1 follows the River Lea towpath to Gunpowder Park.

References

External links

• Oasis academy: enfield

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Enfield Lock.

v t e London Borough of Enfield Districts Arnos Grove Botany Bay Bowes Park Brimsdown Bulls Cross Bush Hill Park Clay Hill Cockfosters Crews Hill Edmonton Enfield Chase Enfield Highway Enfield Island Village Enfield Lock Enfield Town Enfield Wash Forty Hill Freezywater Gordon Hill Grange Park Hadley Wood New Southgate Oakwood Palmers Green Picketts Lock Ponders End Southgate Upper Edmonton Winchmore Hill World's End Attractions Forty Hall and Gardens Millfield Theatre and Arts Centre Capel Manor Myddelton House Gardens Chickenshed Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture Whitewebbs Museum of Transport Parks and open spaces Arnos Park Broomfield Park Durants Park Oakwood Park Pymmes Park Trent Country Park Whitewebbs Park Constituencies Edmonton Enfield North Enfield Southgate Tube and rail stations Angel Road Arnos Grove Brimsdown Bush Hill Park Cockfosters Crews Hill Edmonton Green Enfield Chase Enfield Lock Enfield Town Gordon Hill Grange Park Hadley Wood Oakwood Palmers Green Ponders End Silver Street Southbury Southgate Turkey Street Winchmore Hill Other topics Coat of arms Council People Public art Public transport Schools Parks and open spaces in Enfield