This neighbourhood falls predominantly within the charming Haringey suburb of Palmers Green. Almost entirely residential, the area’s streets are lined with rows of early 20th century terraces and attractive greenery, with the occasional village church dotted throughout. With Green Lanes forming the eastern border of the area, this neighbourhood has easy access to one of the most vibrant and diverse highstreets in north London, consisting of community-minded shops and cafés as well as plenty of Turkish, Greek, and Cypriot food outlets. Palmers Green Station provides Great Northern trains throughout London and further afield, and with the North Circular Road to the south, the area is perfectly located for those who wish to drive. The neighbourhood’s distance from London affords the area plenty of green space, assures that rent is reasonable, and keeps the streets quiet and safe. Additionally, the high concentration of schools and youth centres make this a great community for families.

The area was once part of a tiny Hamlet in the parish of Edmonton, with little more than a few isolated houses by the mid-17th century. It was known as Palmers Field at least by 1204 and Palmers Grove in 1340, with Palmers Green mentioned in 1324 as a ‘village green associated with a family called Palmer’. In 1801 the area only had 54 buildings, which included 2 inns, and even the introduction of the railway from Wood Green to Edmonton in 1871, didn’t kickstart the urbanisation which happened to nearby towns. Thus, it remained largely undeveloped and rural until the 20th century. Large swathes of land were sold off to developers in 1902, which spurred the rapid development of housing estates such as Old Park and Hazelwood Park, and the building of a number of schools. Typically, suburban Edwardian terraces began to appear around the station, and Palmers Green developed into its own parish with the building of the new church, St John the Evangelist, in 1908. Much of the Edwardian and interwar homes remain today as there has been little development since the Second World War other than the rebuilding of bomb- damaged buildings. The violence in the Greek islands and the campaign for Cypriot independence in the mid-20th century, as well as the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 led to many Greek Cypriots fleeing to London, with many settling in Palmers Green.

Those with an interest in poetry will be interested to know that the acclaimed poet and novelist, Stevie Smith, lived and worked at 1 Avondale Road. She moved to Palmers Green at the age of three and remained there until her death in 1971, writing texts such as Not Waving but Drowning and Over the Frontier, as well as presenting poetry readings for the BBC. She was a huge influence on such eminent writers as Sylvia Plath, who expressed great interest in meeting Smith.

The Fox, a public house on the corner of Green Lanes and Fox Lane has been a fascinating and important centre of the community for over 300 years. It was a horse-drawn bus terminal for much of its life and in 2002 was the site of serious violence between rival Albanian drug gangs. More recently it was featured in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and in 2015 it was proclaimed the first ‘Asset of Community Value’ in Enfield. In an area so far from the West End, one may be surprised to discover that this neighbourhood area is home to one of the most well-respected theatres in London. The Intimate Theatre opened in 1935 in the church hall of St. Monica’s, and since then has been host to such eminent names as Roger Moore, Richard Attenborough, Vivien Leigh and even David Bowie, who performed in a mime show in 1968.

The remoteness of the area of Palmers Green, and the lack of bus or tube services means that it can often feel rather isolated and forgotten by the more central parts of town. However, when speaking to one of the bar staff at The Fox, they said that the postcode’s community is very diverse and that means that there’s a great variety in amenities available just within this little area. They also mentioned that the distance from the centre of London means the air seems so much healthier and less polluted than much of the city.

The most significant regeneration project in this area has been the One Fox Lane scheme which is set to complete late in 2022. Much to the disappointment of Harry Potter fans, this has meant that the original Fox public house was rebuilt using modern materials, however it has maintained many of its Edwardian stylistic features, both inside and out. Nextdoor, a new shop and cafe are attached along with a larger 4-storey brick apartment building which contains 54 new homes as well as a private gym.