Muswell Hill

From Freepedia

**Muswell Hill**
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	Maps for TQ285905
Administration
London borough:	Haringey
Area:	Greater London
Region:	London
Nation:	England
Other
Ceremonial county:	Greater London
Traditional county:	Middlesex
Police force:	Metropolitan Police
Post office and telephone
Post town:	LONDON
Postcode:	N10
Dialling code:	020
Politics
UK Parliament:	Hornsey and Wood Green
London Assembly:	Enfield and Haringey
European Parliament:	London
Image:Glc.gif

Muswell Hill is an area in the London Borough of Haringey in London, England. It is a suburban development situated 6.2 miles (10 km) north of Charing Cross.

Muswell Hill is in postal district N10 and the area is mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency.

Local History

The earliest records of Muswell Hill date from the 12th Century. At this time the Bishop of London, who was the Lord of the Manor of Hornsey, owned the area and granted 65 acres (263,000 m²), located to the east of Colney Hatch Lane, to a newly formed order of Nuns. The Nuns built a chapel on the site and called it ‘Our Ladie of Muswell’.

The name Muswell is believed to stem from a natural spring or well, which was said to have miraculous properties. The story has it that a Scottish King was cured of disease after drinking the water of the spring/well and that this led to the area becoming a place of pilgrimage during medieval times.

(in regards to the Scottish King it should be noted that Muswell Hill Manor in Oxfordshire was said to be owned by The King of Scotland in the 12th Century)

At the top of a hill, it is not directly served by any tube or train stations, despite being a popular place for central London commuters to live. Until the mid-20th century there was a rail branch line from Highgate which passed through Muswell Hill, terminating at a station at Alexandra Palace, and there was a plan to integrate this into the London Underground Northern Line; tube maps of the time showed the line as under construction. However, this plan was cancelled after the 1939-45 war, and the railway line was abandoned in 1954. It is said that the diggers of the line came upon a deep pit filled with the remains of plague victims located directly on where the station was planned, and they refused to proceed ay further.

Close to Alexandra Park and Highgate Woods, with something of a village atmosphere, Muswell Hill has developed from the staid suburb it was in the 1950s to become fashionable, with a selection of trendy bars and restaurants. Many parts boast spectacular views over London, and the area hosts a disproportionately large number of actors, journalists and other media folk. Most commuters reach London by bus (there are direct routes both to the City and the West End), or connect with the underground at Highgate or Finsbury Park.

Image:Muswell hill odeon.jpg

The British pop/rock band The Kinks titled their 1971 album Muswell Hillbillies in reference to the birthplace of Ray and Dave Davies.

Just across the road from the house where the Davies brothers grew up on Fortis Green is a house called Fairport. This was the family home of Simon Nicol, and his band, Fairport Convention, was named after it.

The serial killer Dennis Nilsen carried out his gruesome murders in Muswell Hill.

In the popular 1970s BBC TV comedy series Porridge, the principal character called Fletcher, played by Ronnie Barker, claimed his family came from Muswell Hill.

The 'Gaudi Style' shop front

This shop front was built in July 2004 by Chris Ostwald as a homage to Catalan Architect Antoni Gaudi. The shop, a new art gallery and art materials shop on the northern arm of Muswell Hill Broadway, has had an enforcement notice served by Haringey Council, to force its demolition, as the front was built without planning permission. The shop front is now a hotly debated local issue.

Nearest places: Image:Gaudi-Shop-Muswell-Hill-net.jpg

Places of interest: