How many villages can boast a history stretching back to 1319? Winchmore Hill can. It is a suburb in the London Borough of Enfield. Winchmore Hill offers a captivating glimpse into England’s past.
Let’s step back to a time before London sprawled outwards. Imagine Winchmore Hill as a small hamlet. It was part of the Edmonton parish. The name Winchmore Hill evolved over centuries. In 1319, it was Wynsemerhull. By 1586, it had become Winchmore Hill. “Merhull” meant boundary hill in Old English. Perhaps it was Wynsige’s boundary hill.
Winchmore Hill’s history is etched into its buildings. The Quaker Meeting House established in 1688 stands as a testament to religious heritage. It was rebuilt in 1790. Luke Howard rests here. He was the father of modern meteorology. Alice Hum is also buried here. She founded Palmers Green High School for Girls. Members of the Hoare and Barclay banking families found their final resting place here. Samuel Hoare was against the slave trade.
St Paul’s Church is a Waterloo church. Land from the Grovelands estate made it possible. Its ceiling was once Europe’s largest unsupported plasterwork expanse. Renovations in the 1960s added supports. The original St Paul’s School building is still visible. It sits further down Church Hill. Look closely at the church car park walls. You can see remnants of the second school building. The current school building dates back to the 1960s.
The Green Dragon pub was the oldest in Winchmore Hill. It likely opened in 1726. It stood at Green Lanes and Green Dragon Lane. Highwaymen were hanged near the pub. A gallows stood by its front entrance. The gallows remained for years. This prompted the pub’s relocation. It moved to Vicars Moor Lane in the late 18th century. The original Green Dragon was demolished in 1892. A new one was remodelled in 1935. It closed as a pub in 2015.
The Woodman pub dates back to 1727. Some say it was built in 1820. It became a pub in 1868. Before that it was a private residence.
Woodside House and Rowantree House were built in 1750. They stand on The Green. Many buildings constructed between 1770 and 1839 still exist today. You can find old terraced houses near the Dog and Duck pub. They were built around 1770.
The railway arrived in 1871. It transformed Winchmore Hill. It became a London suburb. Sixteen trains a day departed from Enfield. They mostly headed to Moorgate.
Winchmore Hill Green is at the heart of the area. Shops and restaurants surround it. Broad Walk is Winchmore Hill’s millionaire’s row. Grovelands Park was once a private estate. The council bought part of it in 1913. The Priory Clinic is now located in the private section.
Winchmore Hill continues to evolve. Yet it retains its charm. It offers us a unique journey through time.