Seven Sisters, London facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters
Population	15,968 (2011 Census Ward)
OS grid reference	TQ334888
London borough	Haringey
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	N15
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Tottenham
London Assembly	Enfield and Haringey
List of places UK England London 51°34′56″N 0°04′25″W / 51.582214°N 0.073708°W / 51.582214; -0.073708

Seven Sisters is a lively area in Tottenham, north London, England. It sits at the eastern end of Seven Sisters Road. This road connects Tottenham High Road to the A1 in Holloway. It's a well-known part of London with a rich past.

What's in a Name? The Story of Seven Sisters

The seven sisters of Tottenham by John Greenwood (1790)

In 1619, old maps showed this area as Page Greene. But by 1805, it was already called Seven Sisters.

The name comes from seven elm trees. These trees were planted in a circle around a walnut tree. They stood on a piece of shared land called Page Green. People started calling this group of trees "the Seven Sisters" by 1732.

High Road, Seven Sisters

In the early 1600s, a local historian named William Bedwell wrote about the walnut tree. He called it a local "tree wonder" because it stayed the same size. Some people believed it was linked to an old story about a Protestant who was burned there. Others thought the tree was very old, maybe even from Roman times. It might have been a special, sacred place for ancient people.

You can see the location of these seven trees on maps from 1619 onwards. They were first at the western tip of Page Green. This is where Broad Lane and the High Road meet today. As London grew, the area changed a lot. So, the "Seven Sisters" trees were replanted by 1876. They were still on Page Green, but a bit further east. Maps show them in this new spot until 1955.

Today, there's a new ring of hornbeam trees on Page Green Common. They were planted in 1997. Five families, each with seven sisters, helped plant them in a special ceremony.

A Journey Through Time: Seven Sisters' History

Seven Sisters is located on the path of Ermine Street. This was a Roman road that connected London to York. During the time of the Domesday Book, this area was part of the Manor of Tottenham. It was owned by Waltheof II, Earl of Northumbria, a powerful Anglo-Saxon leader.

In the medieval period, a small settlement grew at Page Green. More and more of the woodland was cleared to make space for farming.

In the early 1800s, the Seven Sisters Road was built. Many large houses were also constructed, like Suffield Lodge and Grove Place. But these grand buildings didn't last long. As Victorian London expanded, the area was quickly built over. By the late 1800s, most of the land was covered with new buildings.

Seven Sisters Today: A Lively Community

Seven Sisters Market

Today, Seven Sisters is a very diverse area. It's shaped by its important road and underground rail links. Right above the tube station is an old department store building. It used to be Wards Furnishing Stores until 1972. Part of this building, known as Wards Corner, became an indoor market. It has a strong Latin American feel and is called "Latin Village" or "Pueblito Paisa." This site was almost torn down for new buildings. Plans for redevelopment were resisted and finally cancelled in August 2021.

The Clyde Circus Conservation Area is a special protected zone. It stretches between the busy shops of West Green Road and Philip Lane. Most of the homes here are part of this area.

Local residents in the Clyde Circus Conservation Area have a group called the Clyde Area Residents Association (CARA). They hold a street party every year. Another group, the Fountain Area Residents Association (FARA), helps residents south of West Green Road. They have worked on projects like creating a community garden.

Another local project is the Avenue Orchard. People in the community used an empty space on Avenue Road to plant apple trees. They also worked with local artists to make the area look better.

Looking to the Future: Changes in Seven Sisters

The old Wards Corner building, located above the tube station, was planned for new development in 2004. Haringey Council and a developer called Grainger plc wanted to replace the old buildings. Their plan was to build new shops and homes. However, many local people were against this idea.

The Wards Corner Coalition (WCC) fought to keep the existing buildings and the Latin American market. They even took legal action against the plans. In 2010, the court stopped the building permission.

In 2012, Grainger submitted new plans for the site. Haringey Council approved these plans. But after more protests, the plan was completely cancelled in August 2021.

Besides Wards Corner, other projects are planned for Seven Sisters. Haringey Council's 'Plan for Tottenham' shows their long-term goals for the area. Plans to improve Lawrence Road are partly finished. Transport for London also completed a big project. They changed the Tottenham Hale Gyratory, a busy one-way road system near Seven Sisters station. Now it's a slower, two-way road that's safer for people walking.

Education

Nearest Places

Nearest Railway Stations

• Seven Sisters station
• South Tottenham railway station
• Tottenham Hale railway station
• Stamford Hill railway station
• Harringay Green Lanes railway station