Seven elms once stood here. A walnut tree was their king. This was Page Green. This is Seven Sisters.
For centuries Seven Sisters was more than just a name. It was a place. A place where seven elms and a mighty walnut tree grew. The trees formed a circle a sacred grove perhaps. A local vicar William Bedwell wrote about the walnut tree. He called it an arboreal wonder. He even linked it to the burning of a Protestant.
The area’s history stretches far back to Roman times. Seven Sisters sits on Ermine Street. This ancient Roman road connected London to York. During the time of the Domesday Book Seven Sisters was part of the Manor of Tottenham. Waltheof II Earl of Northumbria owned the manor.
Over time the woodland cleared. A settlement grew. The Seven Sisters Road was built in the 1800s. Fine houses appeared. Suffield Lodge Seven Sisters House and Grove Place stood proudly. They eventually fell to the advance of Victorian London.
Today Seven Sisters is multicultural. Its location on major roads and the Underground make it a vibrant hub. Above the tube station stands a grand Edwardian building. Wards Furnishing Stores once occupied it. Now it’s home to a Latin American market. It’s known as Latin Village or Pueblito Paisa. This market faced threats of demolition. Locals fought hard. They saved their beloved market.
Seven Sisters boasts several conservation areas. Clyde Circus Conservation Area is a particularly beautiful area. The Clyde Area Residents Association CARA organizes a yearly street party. Its sister group FARA works to improve the local environment. They’ve created a community garden and the Avenue Orchard.
The Seven Sisters of today are not the same as the Seven Sisters of the past. The original trees are long gone. But their legacy remains. The current hornbeam trees planted in 1997 remind us of this history. This is Seven Sisters a place of rich history vibrant culture and community spirit. A place where the past lives on.