Gospel Oak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gospel Oak |
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 Gospel Oak
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| OS grid reference | TQ285855 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | NW3, NW5 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
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Gospel Oak is a lively area in north west London. It's part of the London Borough of Camden and sits right at the southern edge of Hampstead Heath. This neighborhood is found between Hampstead to the north-west, Dartmouth Park to the north-east, Kentish Town to the south-east, and Belsize Park to the south-west. Gospel Oak uses the NW5 and NW3 postcode areas. You can get there by train using Gospel Oak station on the London Overground.
Contents
History of Gospel Oak
How Gospel Oak Got its Name
The name Gospel Oak comes from a special oak tree that used to be in the area. When this place was mostly countryside, people would gather under this tree. They listened to regular readings from the gospel, which is a part of the Christian Bible.
This famous oak tree marked the border between the old parishes of Hampstead and St Pancras. People said it was located at the corner of Mansfield Road and Southampton Road. Sadly, the tree disappeared sometime in the 1800s. The last time it was shown on a map was in 1801.
There are stories that John Wesley, who started the Methodist church, preached from this very oak tree. Farmers in the 1700s would often meet there. A small street called Wesleyan Place, near Highgate Road, was where a very early Methodist chapel stood. This chapel was connected to the famous oak.
In 1998, local resident Michael Palin tried to plant a new oak tree for Gospel Oak in Lismore Circus. However, that tree did not survive.
Early Days and Growth
The history of Gospel Oak is linked to the history of Hampstead. Hampstead was first mentioned in AD 986 by King Ethelred the Unready. Because Gospel Oak is in the southern part of Hampstead Heath, it was once known as nearby South End Green. When the great oak tree became famous for preaching in the 1700s, the area started to be called Gospel Oak. That name has stuck ever since.
Serious building in the neighborhood began in the mid-1800s. At that time, Lord Mansfield, Lord Southampton, and Lord Lisburne owned much of the land. There were plans for fancy streets spreading out from Lismore Circus. But after two railway lines were built across the area in the 1860s, the first homes were smaller, two- and three-story cottages. These were built around what is now Oak Village. For many years, this area felt quite far away from the rest of Kentish Town. Streets were not fully finished, and the houses were thought to be not very good quality.
Saving Parliament Hill Fields
During this early building time, there was a worry that Parliament Hill Fields would be built on. This is the southernmost part of Hampstead Heath. You can enter it from the ‘Gospel Oak Entrance’ near Gospel Oak station. In the 1840s, Lord Southampton's estate wanted to build houses on the fields. But a group of people campaigned to save them. In 1889, the Metropolitan Board of Works bought the fields. This made them an extension to the already protected Hampstead Heath.
Today, the fields are home to Parliament Hill itself. They also have the Parliament Hill Lido (a swimming pool), a running track, a bandstand, a café, and several play areas for children.
A Train Accident and Circus Elephants
On the evening of September 2, 1861, a train returning from Kew Gardens crashed into an empty train. This happened on the bridge next to Gospel Oak station. The engine went off the tracks and fell down the embankment. Sadly, 14 people died and 300 were injured.
A fun story from Victorian Gospel Oak is about "The Elephants of Gospel Oak." In March 1884, Sangers Circus was going to perform in Gospel Oak. Four elephants were brought by train to Kentish Town. But when they left the train, two of them ran off! They ran up Fortess Road, knocked over a child, and ended up falling into basements in Pemberton Gardens. The other two elephants were then used to pull their friends out with ropes. All four elephants then walked through the streets of Dartmouth Park. Hundreds of people watched them. They finally arrived back at Gospel Oak and performed for many excited audiences.
Later Changes and World War II
Later, areas like the Mansfield Conservation area, west of Gospel Oak station, were developed. This made the neighborhood more respected and residential. However, in 1909, when John Betjeman's family moved to the fancier Highgate, they felt they were better than Gospel Oak. He wrote:
Here from my eyrie, as the sun went down,
I heard the old North London puff and shunt,
Glad that I did not live in Gospel Oak.
Bombing during the 1940s and rebuilding after the war greatly changed Gospel Oak. During World War II, the area around Gospel Oak station was bombed. On November 16, 1940, Mansfield Road School (where Gospel Oak Primary School is now) and other parts of Gospel Oak were hit. The school was being used as a fire station at the time. Four local people died and many more were hurt. The current school was built on that site. The damaged Victorian houses across the street were pulled down to make way for the more modern buildings you see today.
Gospel Oak's Landscape
The Hidden River Fleet
One of ‘London’s lost rivers’ is the River Fleet. It flows hidden underground beneath Gospel Oak. It follows the path of Fleet Road, goes under Southampton Road and Kingsford Road, and continues along Malden Road. Eventually, it reaches the Thames.
Places to See in Gospel Oak
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Homes and Buildings
- Oak Village and Elaine Grove are some of the prettiest residential parts of Gospel Oak. These streets look much like they did when the cottages were built in the early Victorian period.
- The Mansfield Conservation area includes Roderick, Savernake, and Mansfield Roads. This area has most of Gospel Oak's larger Victorian and Edwardian homes.
- Lissenden Gardens is an estate with large mansion flats. It includes Parliament Hill Mansions, Lissenden Mansions, and Clevedon Mansions. It's a popular place to live and has an interesting history. The poet John Betjeman was born here.
- Kiln Place is an estate in Gospel Oak. It was built by Frederick MacManus and his team of architects on the site of an old brick kiln, which was called the ‘Gospel Oak Brick Works’.
- The Dunboyne Road Estate (also known as the Fleet Road Estate) is a Grade II-listed modern estate. It was designed by Neave Brown in the late 1960s.
- Waxham is a long, low-rise block of flats along Mansfield Road. It was finished in the 1970s.
Churches in Gospel Oak
- St Martin's Church, Gospel Oak is a Grade I-listed church on Vicars Road. It was built between 1864 and 1866. It has a very unusual design by Edward Buckton Lamb. The church was paid for by John Derby Allcroft to remember his late wife. One historian called it "the craziest of London’s Victorian churches."
- St Dominic's Priory Church is a Grade II* listed Victorian church in Gospel Oak. It was designed to follow the Rosary Prayer and is run by friars and nuns. It is said to be one of the largest Catholic churches in London.
- All Hallows in Savernake Road, Gospel Oak, is a huge church designed in the early English Gothic style. Its aisles are as tall as the main part of the church. In 1914, The Times newspaper called it "the Cathedral of North London" because of its size. The architect was James Brooks. The foundation stone was laid by Mary, Duchess of Teck (who would become the mother of Queen Mary) on July 23, 1892. The church was officially opened in 1901. All building work was finished by Giles (later Sir Giles) Gilbert Scott in 1914.
- The Church of St Anargyre on Gordon House Road is a Greek Orthodox church. It serves the local Greek and Cypriot communities in Gospel Oak.
- St Marks's Church was one of three London churches paid for by John Derby Allcroft (1822 - 1893).
Fun and Recreation
- The Gospel Oak entrance to Hampstead Heath leads straight to Parliament Hill Lido. This outdoor swimming pool was built in 1937 and cost £34,000. It is now a popular Grade II listed building.
- The southernmost part of Hampstead Heath, accessed from Gospel Oak, has many other fun things to do. These include an athletics running track, several children's playgrounds, and a paddling pool. There's also Hampstead Heath's Education Centre. You can learn Wing Chun Kung Fu and other martial arts at SAS Martial Arts on Gordon House Road.
Cool Shops
- Kristin Baybars’ Toy Emporium, at 7 Mansfield Road, is a special place in Gospel Oak. It's famous for its beautifully handmade doll's house furniture and old-fashioned toys. Kristin and her shop were featured in a 2014 short film called "This little place in Gospel Oak." They were also in a BBC video report in January 2017 called "My Shop."
Local Pubs
- The Old Oak is the main pub in Gospel Oak. It was rebuilt in the 1950s. The original building, called the Old Oak Hotel, was part of the Oak Village estate in the 1850s.
- The Southampton Arms is a short walk down Highgate Road. It won CAMRA's London pub of the year award in 2011. It's known for its huge selection of real ales and ciders, and traditional piano nights.
- The Bull and Last is across Parliament Hill Fields, on the edge of Dartmouth Park. This historic gastropub is famous for its award-winning Sunday lunches.
Schools in the Area
- Gospel Oak Primary & Nursery School
- Parliament Hill School
- William Ellis School (started in 1862 as "Gospel Oak Schools")
- Fleet Primary School
Getting Around Gospel Oak
Trains
Gospel Oak is served by the London Overground train network. Gospel Oak station is the start of the Gospel Oak to Barking line. It is also a stop on the North London Line.
Gospel Oak station first opened in 1860. Its name has changed over the years. When it first opened, it was called ‘Kentish Town’. It kept that name until 1867, when it was renamed ‘Gospel Oak’. This was because other stations started using the Kentish Town name. Gospel Oak station is very close to Parliament Hill (just an 8-minute walk to the top). In the 1950s, some people wanted to rename it Parliament Hill station, but local residents stopped this idea.
Kentish Town station, about 1 mile away, is served by Thameslink trains.
Tube (Underground)
Gospel Oak is located between the High Barnet and Edgware branches of the Northern line (London Underground).
The closest tube stations are Tufnell Park, Belsize Park, and Kentish Town. All of these are within about a 1-mile distance.
Buses
The 24 bus runs from Pimlico to Hampstead Heath, west of Gospel Oak.
The area also has the 88 bus, which goes from Clapham Common to Parliament Hill Fields.
Other local bus routes include the 46, 214, and C11.
Famous People from Gospel Oak
Past Residents
- John Betjeman, a famous poet
- George Orwell, a well-known novelist and journalist
- Richard Henry Tawney, a thinker who helped create the idea of the welfare state
- Frederick Tatham, a sculptor and painter
- Anthony Green, a senior painter at the Royal Academy
- Denny Wright, a Jazz guitarist and composer
- Jerome K Jerome, a novelist and editor (lived where Bacton Low-Rise is now)
- Ivor Cutler, a poet, musician, entertainer, novelist, and broadcaster
- Sinéad O'Connor, a singer, songwriter, and activist
- Victoria Starmer, a solicitor and wife of Keir Starmer
Current Residents
- Michael Palin, a comedian, actor, writer, and TV presenter
- Alastair Campbell, a British political helper and strategist for the Labour Party
- Fiona Millar, a journalist
- Edith Bowman, a radio DJ and TV presenter
