Stamford Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill
Area	5.2 km2 (2.0 sq mi)
Population	68,050
• Density	13,087/km2 (33,900/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TQ335875
• Charing Cross	5.5 mi (8.9 km) SSW
London borough	Hackney
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	N16
Postcode district	E5
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
London Assembly	North East
List of places UK England London 51°34′14″N 0°04′22″W / 51.5705°N 0.0727°W / 51.5705; -0.0727

Stamford Hill is an area in Inner London, England. It's about 5.5 miles northeast of Charing Cross, a famous spot in London. This neighborhood is part of Hackney and is well-known for its large Hasidic Jewish community. In fact, it's the biggest group of Hasidic Jews in Europe!

The area gets its name from a hill that is 33 meters (about 108 feet) high. An old Roman road, the A10, also called "Ermine Street," goes right through Stamford Hill.

People believe the hill was named after a "ford" (a shallow place where a river can be crossed) where the A10 road crossed a stream called the Hackney Brook. Documents from the 1200s mention "Sanford" and "Saundfordhill," which mean "sand ford." Later, in 1745, a map by Roque showed a bridge called "Stamford Bridge" that had replaced the ford.

The hill gently rises from the south and has a steeper slope to the north. This natural shape helped form the old boundaries of Hackney.

Where is Stamford Hill?

Understanding the Boundaries

Stamford Hill is usually thought of as the area around the hill itself, located within the historic parish of Hackney. The N16 postcode district also helps define its size.

• North: The northern edge of Stamford Hill meets Tottenham. This is also the border between the Hackney and Haringey boroughs.
• West: To the west, Stamford Hill borders Stoke Newington.
• South: The southern border with Stoke Newington is a bit blurry. Both areas use the N16 postcode, so there's no clear line there. The Stoke Newington train station is at the bottom of the hill, which helps show where the two areas meet.
• East and Southeast: To the east and southeast, Stamford Hill meets Upper Clapton. The N16 postcode for Stamford Hill and the E5 postcode for Upper Clapton help tell them apart.

Official Boundaries

The London Borough of Hackney has an official area for Stamford Hill that covers several local areas. This official area includes parts that people usually think of as belonging to Stoke Newington, Upper Clapton, and Tottenham. This isn't as confusing as it sounds, because the borders between different London neighborhoods often overlap.

A Look Back in Time

A map from 1916 showing the Stamford Hill area within Hackney.

Stamford Hill sits on the old Roman road called Ermine Street. It's on high ground above Stoke Newington. In the 1700s, this road became very busy with lots of traffic, including heavy wagons. The road got damaged, so in 1713, local people asked Parliament for permission to set up a "Turnpike Trust." This trust would collect tolls (money) at gates in Kingsland and Stamford Hill to pay for road repairs.

Around 1800, Stamford Hill started to grow. Many nice homes were built over the next 100 years. The main road became a busy shopping area, serving all the new people moving in. By 1880, not only did trains serve the area, but it also became a major meeting point for tram lines. Trams coming from the city met the Hackney tram system here, making it a busy transport hub. Trams became electric in 1902, and by 1924, you could take a tram from Stamford Hill to Camden Town.

Many important Jewish families lived in Stamford Hill. For example, the Montefiore family lived there in the 1700s. Later, the famous financier Nathan Meyer Rothschild lived nearby from 1818 to 1835. As the area developed, some of these wealthy families moved away. However, from the 1880s, more Jewish people started moving to Stamford Hill. They were often escaping poverty in the East End.

In 1915, a synagogue (Jewish place of worship) moved to Stamford Hill to serve the growing Jewish population. In 1926, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations was started here. This attracted many other strictly observant Jews, especially those fleeing Nazi persecution before World War II. After the war, more Jewish families came to the area, seeking safety from bombings and new housing projects. The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 also brought more Haredi Jews (a type of Orthodox Jew) to Stamford Hill.

The Haredi Jewish Community

Hasidic Jews in Stamford Hill.

Stamford Hill is home to a large Ashkenazi (a group of Jewish people from Eastern Europe) ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, mostly Hasidic. It's estimated to have about 30,000 people and is growing quickly. It's the largest Hasidic community in Europe. You'll often see many Jewish men in their special clothes walking to and from worship. Their congregations often keep traditions from different parts of Eastern Europe.

The biggest Hasidic group here is the Satmar, which has five synagogues. Belz is another large community with several synagogues. In the wider area, there are over 50 synagogues. Many observant Jews in nearby Stoke Newington, Upper Clapton, and Tottenham also feel connected to Stamford Hill.

The community has its own volunteer services:

• Hatzola: This is a first-aid service, like an ambulance service, run by and for the Jewish community. "Hatzola" means "rescue" in Hebrew.
• Shomrim: This is a volunteer community watch group. "Shomrim" means "watchmen" in Hebrew.

Because of their dietary rules, Stamford Hill has many shops that sell Kosher food.

Most strictly Orthodox Jewish children go to private, single-sex Jewish schools. In 2005, the Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School in Stamford Hill became a "voluntary-aided" school, meaning it gets some public money. This school has been in the news a few times. For example, some students once refused to study Shakespeare because they believed he had anti-Jewish views. The school's leader, Rabbi Abraham Pinter, praised the girls for standing up for their beliefs. In 2014, an exam board found that the school had blocked out questions about evolution on science exams. This was later ruled as not allowed.

Haredi families often have more children than the average for England and Wales. This means many families live in crowded homes. Local rules about building new homes can sometimes cause disagreements between the council and the Jewish community. The Agudas Israel Housing Association works to build homes for the Jewish community in Stamford Hill.

There's also a group of Yemenite Jews, especially Adeni Jews, who came from the city of Aden in Yemen. They settled in Stamford Hill after escaping violence there. Their synagogue, Nahalat Yosef, is named after the original one in Yemen. A new synagogue has been built that looks like the old one. Adeni Jews see themselves as different from other Yemeni Jews because of their unique traditions and customs. In recent years, many have moved to Southgate and Hendon.

In 2014, there was some discussion when a sign appeared saying, "Women should please walk along this side of the road only." This sign was put up for a religious parade to help people avoid contact with the opposite sex. After complaints, the Shomrim group contacted the organizers, and the signs were removed.

Population Information

The Haredi community's high birth rate means Stamford Hill has one of the highest birth rates in the UK. More than 25 babies are born for every 1,000 people, which is twice the UK average.

The table below shows information from the ONS Census about religion in the areas around Stamford Hill:

The London Borough of Hackney believes that the number of Haredi Jewish residents might be much higher than what the Census shows, because answering the religion question is optional.

Getting Around Stamford Hill

Nearby Places

• North-west: Harringay
• North: South Tottenham
• North-east: Walthamstow
• West: Manor House
• East: Clapton
• South-west: Finsbury Park
• South: Stoke Newington
• South-east: Upper Clapton

Train Stations Nearby

• Stamford Hill Overground station
• South Tottenham Overground station
• Manor House tube station
• Seven Sisters station
• Stoke Newington Overground station

Schools in Stamford Hill

The Jesuit order started St Ignatius' College in Stamford Hill on September 10, 1894. It was in two houses called Morecombe Lodge and Burleigh House. In 1907, the school was officially recognized and started getting public money. Famous former students include the film director Alfred Hitchcock and Cardinal Heenan. St Ignatius' College stayed in Stamford Hill as a grammar school until 1968. Later, it became a larger comprehensive school with two sites in Enfield.

Today, some of the secondary schools in the area include Lubavitch Senior Girls' School, Our Lady's RC High School, Skinners' Academy, and Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School.

There are also many independent or Haredi (Orthodox Jewish) schools in Stamford Hill.

Famous People from Stamford Hill

• Lionel Blair (1928–2021): A Canadian-born British actor and dancer who grew up here.
• Bernard Butler (born 1970): A guitarist famous for being in the band Suede; he was born in Stamford Hill.
• Mel Calman (1931–1994): A cartoonist and writer who was born in Stamford Hill.
• Dave Kaye (1906–1996): A pianist who lived in Stamford Hill.
• Leona Lewis (born 1985): A singer and songwriter who won The X Factor; she lived in Stamford Hill.
• Moses Montefiore (1784–1885): A financier and generous giver (philanthropist) who lived in Stamford Hill.
• Samuel Morley (1809–1886): A philanthropist and someone who worked to end slavery (abolitionist); he lived in Stamford Hill.
• Rabbi Chanoch Dov Padwa (1908–2000): An important Orthodox Jewish leader and scholar who lived in Stamford Hill.
• Nathan Meyer Rothschild (1777–1836): A famous financier who lived in Stamford Hill.
• Mark Williams (born 1955): A cricketer who was born in Stamford Hill.

Images for kids

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  This is an aerial view by Cecil Shadbolt from May 29, 1882. It shows Stonebridge Road, Stamford Hill, and the Seven Sisters Curve, which was part of the Tottenham and Hampstead Junction Railway. This is one of the earliest aerial photos taken in the British Isles!