Enfield Town

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Enfield)

For other uses of "Enfield", see Enfield (disambiguation).

Location
Enfield Town
<tr><td colspan="2"> Image:Greater london outline map bw.png </div></div> </div> </div> </td></tr>
OS grid reference:	TQ325965
Latitude:	51.651629°
Longitude:	-0.083778°
Administration
London borough:	Enfield
County level:	Greater London
Region:	London
Constituent country:	England
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Ceremonial county:	Greater London
Historic county:	Middlesex
Services
Police force:	Metropolitan Police
Fire brigade:	London Fire Brigade
Ambulance service:	London Ambulance
Post office and telephone
Post town:	ENFIELD
Postal district:	EN1, EN2
Dialling code:	020
Politics
UK Parliament:	Enfield North/Enfield Southgate/Edmonton
London Assembly:	Enfield and Haringey
European Parliament:	London
London \| List of places in London

Enfield Town is a town in the London Borough of Enfield. It is 10.1 miles (16.2 km) north north-east of Charing Cross.

1 History
2 Recent developments
3 Sport and recreation
4 Famous residents
5 Nearby Places
6 See also

[edit] History

Historically Enfield was a collection of small communities spread around the royal hunting grounds of Enfield Chase. At the time of the Domesday Book the area was spelt 'Enefelde', and had a priest who almost certainly resided in St. Andrews Church. By 1572 most of the basic street layout had been completed. The village green later became the historic marketplace where the fountain now stands.

In 1840 the first section of the Northern and Eastern Railway was opened from Stratford to Broxbourne with stations at Water Lane (Angel Road) and Ponders End. Further stations were added in 1855 at Enfield Lock (Royal Small Arms Factory) and 1884 at Brimsdown. A branch line from Water Lane to Enfield Town was opened in 1849 serving Edmonton Low Level and Enfield Town. A further station was added in 1880 at Bush Hill Park. The direct line from London to Enfield Town was opened in 1872 with stations at Silver Street and Lower Edmonton (now called Edmonton Green). In 1891 a loop from Edmonton serving Southbury (Churchbury) and Turkey Street (Forty Hill) to Cheshunt on the main line was added.

In 1871 the great Northern Railway opened its station on Windmill Hill. This was later replaced in 1910 when the line was extended to Cuffley. This section of railway is now part of the line commonly known as the Hertford Loop.

Enfield Town is famous for having the world's first ever cash machine or ATM, which was installed at the branch of Barclays Bank on June 27 1967. The world's first solid state circuitry colour televisions were manufactured by Ferguson at their plant (now closed) in Enfield.

Enfield has a proud history in sport - Enfield F.C. were from the 1960s to the 1980s one of the best known and most successful non-League clubs, and the various Cricket clubs in the Borough have had great success over the years. Much of the local sporting success has been attributed to the local schools sports program.

Enfield has longstanding links with the Gunpowder Plot, as Guy Fawkes and his team are known to have used a safe house in Whitewebbs Lane, Enfield. He is also thought to have drunk at the King and Tinker pub, known then as The White Hart.

[edit] Recent developments

Recent boundary changes in 2004 mean that the Enfield Town area will be split between three Parliamentary constituencies (see panel) as from the next General Election.

Currently, Enfield Town centre is undergoing major redevelopment work, scheduled for completion by Autumn 2006. A large extension to the existing shopping centre is being built, under the name PalaceXchange.

Much of the economic activity of Enfield currently centres around the A10 road which has a wealth of retail facilities (of the shed type) and a very large multiplex cinema, built on the site of the old baths, which draws film goers from miles around.

A disused section of the New River runs through the center of Enfield Town, where it is called the New River Loop. Water levels are still maintained in it, and it survives as an important local amenity.

To the north western fringes of the Town as it is known to locals, lies the quaint Chase Side village with a collection of specialist shops, restaurants, pubs and bars.

[edit] Sport and recreation

Enfield has a King George's Field in memorial to King George V. This includes the Queen Elizabeth II athletics stadium, the Enfield Ignatius Rugby Club, numerous football, rugby and baseball diamonds. The playing fields were formerly used as a POW camp for Italians in the Second World War.

A wealth of sports teams and clubs are located in Enfield, Enfield F.C. and the recently established Enfield Town F.C. are the most prominent. Saracens Rugby Football Club used to play in Enfield and still train at Bramley Road sports ground near Cockfosters. The principal cricket clubs in the area are Enfield CC, Winchmore Hill CC, North Enfield CC, and Holtwhites Trinibus CC, with many others playing cricket in and around the borough such as Edmonton, Enfield Invicta and Middleton House. Many clubs play in either the Middlesex Cricket League or the Hertfordshire League. Swimming clubs (S.C.) include Edmonton Phoenix S.C., Enfield S.C. and Griffins S.C. of Enfield.