Palmers Green facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palmers Green |
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 Palmers Green Library |
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 Palmers Green
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| Population | 15,162 (ward, 2011) |
| OS grid reference | TQ309927 |
| • Charing Cross | 8 mi (12.9 km) S |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | N13 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament |
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| London Assembly |
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Palmers Green is a lively area in north London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Enfield. You can find it about 8 miles north of Charing Cross. Palmers Green is famous for having the largest community of Greek Cypriots outside Cyprus. Because of this, people sometimes call it "Little Cyprus" or "Palmers Greek"!
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Palmers Green was first written down in 1608. It means 'the village green connected to a family named Palmer'. This family was mentioned in local records as far back as the 1300s. The word grene comes from an old English word for a village green.
A Look Back in Time
Palmers Green started as a tiny village, or hamlet, in the area of Edmonton. It was located where two roads, Green Lanes and Fox Lane, met. In the mid-1600s, there were only a few houses here. Old records mention a "Palmers Field" in 1204 and a "Palmers Grove" in 1340.
By 1801, the village had grown to 54 buildings, including two inns. In 1871, a railway line opened from Wood Green to Enfield. A station was built to serve Palmers Green.
For about 30 more years, the area did not grow much. This was because landowners did not want to sell their large estates. But in 1902, big parts of land were sold for building homes. Palmers Green then grew very quickly! One of the first big building projects was on the Old Park estate. Another was the Hazelwood Park Estate. Hazelwood Infant School and Junior School were built there in 1908.
Some important old buildings in the area include Broomfield House and Truro House. The old Southgate Town Hall is now apartments.
The Intimate Theatre opened in 1931. It was first a church hall. Many famous actors performed there, such as Richard Attenborough, Vivien Leigh, and Roger Moore. Even David Bowie performed there in a mime show! Today, it is still called the Intimate Theatre, but it is not only used for plays anymore.
Palmers Green Today
Palmers Green has a busy shopping area called Palmers Green Shopping Centre. It is along Green Lanes. You can find many restaurants, clothing shops, and cafes there. There are also well-known stores like Superdrug, Wetherspoons, Boots, and Morrisons.
Broomfield House, located in Broomfield Park, is a historic building. It was damaged by fire and is still being repaired. The Conservatory in the park has recently been fixed up and reopened.
The North Circular A406 road was made wider to help with traffic. This has helped a bit, but there can still be traffic jams.
Enfield Council has added special cycle lanes on and around Green Lanes. This was done with money from Transport for London. These lanes help people cycle safely. They encourage more people to ride bikes to school, work, or for fun. Many more bike trips are now happening in Palmers Green!
You can also now walk along the New River waterway. New paths and gates have been added for people to enjoy the water.
People of Palmers Green
In 2011, about 64% of the people living in Palmers Green were white. About 6% were Indian, and 5% were from other ethnic groups. The most common languages spoken, besides English, are Turkish and Greek.
Palmers Green in Pop Culture
Palmers Green has appeared in movies and songs!
The main street, Green Lanes, was shown in the "Knight Bus" scene in the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Palmers Green is also mentioned in the song "You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties" by Jona Lewie (1980). The song talks about a party happening in Palmers Green.
Famous People from Palmers Green
Many interesting people have lived in or come from Palmers Green:
- Peter Racine Fricker, a composer.
- Alfred Herring, a brave soldier who received the Victoria Cross award.
- JME and Skepta, famous grime music artists. They have filmed music videos in the area.
- William Orbit, a musician and producer.
- Freya Ridings, a musician.
- Patsy Rowlands, an actress.
- Paul Scott, an author.
- Stevie Smith, a poet and novelist.
- Joe Strummer, a musician from the band The Clash.
Getting Around
Trains
Palmers Green railway station has train services run by Great Northern. You can take a train south to Moorgate. Northbound trains go to Hertford North and sometimes to Stevenage.
Buses
Many bus routes serve Palmers Green. These include routes 34, 102, 121, 141, 232, 299, 329, W4, W6, W9, and the night bus N29.
Roads
The main roads are the North Circular Road and the A10. The A111 road can take you to the M25 motorway.
An electric tramway used to run along Green Lanes in 1907. It helped the area grow, but the tramway is no longer there.
Nearby Places
Nearest Tube Stations
Nearest Railway Stations
- Palmers Green railway station
- Bowes Park railway station
- Winchmore Hill railway station
Schools in Palmers Green
- Hazelwood Primary School
- Firs Farm Primary
- Oakthorpe Primary
- Palmers Green High School (an independent school)
- St Michael at Bowes CE Junior
- Tottenhall Infant
- St Monica's RC Primary
- St Anne's Catholic High School
Places of Worship
Churches
- Saint Monica's Church, Palmers Green (Roman Catholic)
- St John's Church (Anglican)
- Palmers Green Baptist Church
- Palmers Green United Reformed Church
Mosques
- Palmers Green Mosque (Muslim Community & Education Centre)
