MUSWELL HILL

'Muswell Hill' is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey It is 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.

Contents

History

Transport links

Character and characters

References in popular culture

References in literature

Education

Transport and locale

Nearest places

Places of interest

Nearest railway stations

Nearest tube stations

References & Notes

External links

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 Harringay (a.k.a.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 (the "Mossy 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.^[1] The River Moselle, which has its source in Muswell Hill & Highgate^[2], derives its name from this district - it was originally known as the Mosa or Mosella^[3]
It was not until the 19th century that Muswell Hill saw significant change from a collection of country houses to the London suburb we see today. The development was accelerated by the opening of a branchline railway with connecting services to Finsbury Park and Kings Cross Stations. However most development occurred in the early 20th century when the elegant Edwardian retail parades were constructed and the current street pattern set out. The centre included a music hall (subsequently demolished and redeveloped as a supermarket) and several churches for various denominations. The 1930s saw the construction of an art deco Odeon cinema, another cinema at the top of Muswell Hill, the Ritz, was redeveloped as offices.
Until the reorganisation of London's local government in 1965 that resulted in the formation of the Greater London Council, Muswell Hill formed part of the Borough of Hornsey within the administrative county of Middlesex. The area subsequently became part of the London Borough of Haringey.

Transport links

At the top of a hill, Muswell Hill is not directly served by any tube or train stations, despite being a popular place for central London commuters to live. Most commuters reach London by bus (there are direct routes both to the City and the West End 24-hours a day), or they use the nearest underground stations Highgate, Bounds Green, Finsbury Park or East Finchley, all of which have convenient bus links from Muswell Hill. There are also mainline train services (the Great Northern Electrics runs into King's Cross and Moorgate from Alexandra Palace and Hornsey).
Until the mid-20th century there was a rail branch line, the Muswell Hill Railway, 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, and later became the Parkland Walk.

Character and characters

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 host of trendy bars, restaurants, coffee shops and delicatessens. Muswell Hill Broadway and Fortis Green Road, the main shopping streets, still maintain their Edwardian splendour with many of the original facades preserved and three churches (one now converted into a bar) adding to the streetscape. Some parts have spectacular views over London, and the area is home to a large number of actors, journalists and other media people. House prices remain high partly due to the quality of the local schools and this is also reflected in the influx of upmarket shop brands like Space.NK, Maison Blanc and Whistles. There is also a weekly farmers' market at the foot of Muswell Hill in Alexandra Park selling fresh organic produce.

The area was the birthplace of musicians Ray and Dave Davies of the The Kinks, who began their career here and helped immortalize it with their 1971 album ''Muswell Hillbillies''. A plaque and memorabilia in the Clissold Arms pub in Fortis Green commemorate Ray and Dave's first public performance there.
Just down 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.
Johnny Borrell from the band Razorlight was born and grew up in Muswell Hill.
Bernard Jewry, known as Alvin Stardust, was born in Muswell Hill before moving to Mansfield at an early age.
Adam Ant briefly lived in Muswell Hill with his wife and her parents.
The serial killer Dennis Nilsen carried out some of his gruesome murders in Cranley Gardens in Muswell Hill.
In the popular 1970s BBC TV comedy series ''Porridge'', the principal character, Fletcher, played by Ronnie Barker, hailed from Muswell Hill. In one episode he returns home briefly and is busted as a resident of Fortis Green Avenue, where the police station stands on the corner... In the short-lived sequel ''Going Straight'', Fletcher returned to live in the neighbourhood after his release from HMP Slade.
Comedian Barry Took, who collaborated with Marty Feldman as a writer for numerous radio shows including Round the Horne, was born in Muswell Hill in 1928.
Many Eastenders actors live in the area including Perry Fenwick who plays Billy Mitchell.
Maureen Lipman has been a long time resident.
Actor TJ Ramini grew up in Muswell Hill
The snooker player Anthony Hamilton currently lives in Muswell Hill.
Star of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Office (UK) Mackenzie Crook currently lives in Muswell Hill.
The illustrious amateur team Crouch End Vampires F.C. currently play in Muswell Hill.
The Russian ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko who died in 2006 from polonium-210 radiation poisoning lived in Muswell Hill.
New Zealand Television presenter Joel Defries hails from Muswell Hill and often Cites it when on TV.
Vivian Stanshall, artist, poet, writer, performer, and a founding member of Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, made his last home in Muswell Hill, dying there in a fire in March 1995.
JeffAutomatic, international DJ and promoter of Casino Royale, Transmission and many other clubs, lived and was educated in Muswell Hill from age 7.
Crouch End Festival Chorus (founded 1973) famous for performances at BBC Proms, multiple film scores, and promotion of its own concerts of varied classical and modern music rehearse at Fortismere School every Friday night.
Nesta Williams, Lucy Lovering, Izzie Foster, and TJ Watts are often in the Muswell Hill area in the Mates, Dates series of books. Published by Cathy Hopkins.
Muswell Hill Golf Club (Par 71, 6438 yards) was founded in 1893, and is still played on today.

References in popular culture

Madness mention Muswell Hill in their 1982 hit, Driving in My Car -
:"I drive up to Muswell Hill,
:I've even been to Selsey Bill"

References in literature

"And utterly ruined the cook's nerves at Mr Brewer's establishment at Muswell Hill." -- Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf.

Education

:''For details of education in see the London Borough of Haringey article.''

Transport and locale

Nearest places

★ Hornsey

★ Crouch End

★ Highgate

★ Colney Hatch

★ Harringay

★ Turnpike Lane

★ Wood Green

★ Finchley

★ Friern Barnet

Places of interest

★ Alexandra Palace

★ Alexandra Park

★ The Guy Chester Centre of the Methodist church

Nearest railway stations

★ Alexandra Palace railway station (formerly known as "Wood Green, Alexandra Park")

★ Hornsey railway station

Nearest tube stations

:''(Roughly equidistant)''

★ Highgate tube station

★ Bounds Green tube station

★ East Finchley tube station

References & Notes

1. Muswell Hill Manor in Oxfordshire was said to be owned by The King of Scotland in the 12th Century.
2. Albert Pinching & David Bell, Haringey's Hidden Streams Revealed, 2005
3. The earliest known description of the river is given by the Tottenham Historian Rev William Bedwell (1561 - 1632) who used these two variants in 1631 in Willhelm Bedwell, A Briefe Descrption of the Town of Tottenham Highcrosse in Middlesex, 1631.

External links

★ Paintings of Muswell Hill By Mario Corile

★ Hillfield Park Community Website

★ Map of Muswell Hill from Streetmap.co.uk