CREOS November 2011

CREOS is a voluntary organisation with many local members. It was formed over 25 years ago to protect and improve the open space and playing fields bordered by Park Road, Wood Vale, Cranley Gardens and Shepherds Hill. Most of our members live on roads bordering the site.

to all CREOS members

you are cordially invited to the

which is kindly being hosted by Deborah and Paul Perlin at 105 Wood Vale N10 The party is on Sunday 11 December 2011, 12.30-3.30pm Buffet lunch, with wine & soft drinks

Although there will be no charge, donations towards the cost of laying down and maintaining paths and other vital CREOS activities will be much appreciated.

MORE NEWS from across the fields

The woodland areas are looking spectacular at the moment with the full range of autumnal colours on display. The great variety of tree species in our area produce a wide palette of colours and leaf shapes, making it all a grand show – even if it is a harbinger of winter on its way!

On the planning front the Pavilion Sports Club (which we all knew as the North Club site) has put in an appeal against Haringey’s refusal of planning permission for extensive floodlighting to go on their proposed multi games areas to be built close to Cranley Gardens homes (a scheme they did get permission for, but at a Planning Committee meeting where it Due to the sunny Autumn the colours in the fields are superb was said by the Applicants that floodlighting was not, and would not particularly pleased that London Borough of Haringey’s stance and be, proposed!). Borough of Haringey had expressed a repeating our own special objections concern to protect the character of the to the scheme. Let’s hope the Haringey’s refusal for such large scale green open space and protect local Inspectorate confirm Haringey’s floodlighting was commendably residents. decision and refuse the appeal thorough and reflected many of the points we and the numerous other We have written to the Planning Mel Cairns: Chairman objectors had made. We were Inspectorate commending the London Timeline for Crouch End Playing Fields

Ca.900 Bishops of London confirmed as lords of Churchyard Bottom Wood (now Queen’s Wood) which are and (which then formed part of the manor of ) intended to open up the lower fields of Shepherds Cot Farm C.1350 Playing Fields part of Rowledge Farm, the demesne for development. or manorial farm of the bishops of London extending C.1885 The economic depression already evident in the northwards from what is now Hornsey Lane towards Muswell agricultural and industrial spheres from the late 1870s, spreads Hill. Remains of ridge and furrow off Shepherd’s Hill (well to the building trade, with numerous builders going bankrupt. captured in photos of c. 1900) confirm that the land was With no builders willing to take the risk of building houses predominantly farmed as arable. By 1833 when it was leased northwards across the fields, Tivoli Road becomes effectively by the Scrace Dickens family, it covered 294 acres. a cul-de-sac while Montenotte Road remains a road without 1600-1800 Lax houses until the 1920s. In face of the economic depression, the supervision by the bishops, however, meant that in reality Rowledge Farm had been subleased to several owners who converted the land into private estates (eg the Crouch Hall estate in Crouch End) or into a number of smaller farms such as Shepherds Cot Farm. These are increasingly turned over to grazing to provide London, which increasingly dominated the local economy from 1500, with meat and (particularly) hay. C.1750-1800 The open fields with ridge-and- furrow strips are enclosed (though this could have happened earlier in the Cranley Gardens Railway Station c.1910. Opened in 1902 in Road opposite Cranley Gardens. Station case of the irregularly closed1954. Now site of housing. (Hornsey Historical Society) shaped upper field and some of the smaller surrounding fields). Many of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners are persuaded by the officers of boundary oaks planted in the new hedges at this period are the sports clubs to lease the fields to the individual sports clubs still to be seen. The map attached to the Hornsey Enclosure (some of which are relocated and consolidated within the area Act of 1813 (which concerned the lands that had not yet been that is now Crouch End Playing Fields). enclosed) shows the new fields, several of which survive to this day. 1893 In face of the continuing recession, the situation is regularised through the creation of Crouch End Playing Fields Ca.1860 Mr Lane, the tenant of [Finchley] Manor Farm – Ltd., whose chairman Ernest Hinscliffe Hindley (d.1940) is the approximately on the site of and golf son-in-law of the head of the Hornsey Local Board, HR William courses – is also managing Shepherd’s Cot Farm and the (whom Crouch End Clock Tower commemorates) and who had Highgate Woods. He allows Londoners to enter the woods been instrumental in ‘saving’ between 1882 and fields in return for payment for a token or the purchase of and 1886. The shareholders are predominantly local people. milk. Eventually, and on similar terms, he informally allows The company is given a long lease on 69 acres of land and is sports clubs from to play cricket on the fields. allowed to manage the Crouch End Playing Fields. The 1868 The Ecclesiastical Commissioners (founded 1836) company eventually serves as an umbrella group for 34 clubs. succeed the bishops of London as lords of the manor. They 1896-7 As part of the agreement under which Churchyard manage the estates more energetically. Bottom Wood was ‘saved’ through purchase by Hornsey, 1873 The to railway Queenswood Road is driven through the Wood, still with the opened, encouraging suburban development. ultimate intention that it would be continued across the fields C. 1880 Plans being drawn up for the systematic to Park Road in Crouch End. development of Hornsey and Finchley as prosperous suburbs, 1910 Leases extended for a further 21 years. the development itself being delegated to large companies such 1926-8 After an extended period of negotiations, largely as the Imperial Building Company who sub-contract the actual brokered by Hornsey Borough Council, the Ecclesiastical building to small building companies. The plans envisage the Commissioners are given planning permission to create Wood creation of grand roads, such as Bishop’s Avenue and the Vale skirting the Crouch End Playing Fields (1926) and retention of the Highgate Woods as open spaces in order to subsequently to develop houses along it. In return Crouch End ensure higher rateable values for the surrounding land. Plans Playing Fields Ltd. Is allowed to purchase its grounds show roads being driven across the fields of Shepherd’s Cot outright. The clubs collectively manage to raise the purchase Farm. Crouch End to be developed as a respectable middle- price of £15,000 for most of the remaining land (37.5 acres) class suburb. Plans include two carriage roads through from individual members. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners continue (until the late 1950s) to own the houses lining the surrounding streets. Strict restrictive covenants are imposed to prevent Crouch End Playing Fields Ltd from developing the Fields for housing. Hornsey, as its share, acquires frontages along Shepherd’s Hill, ca. 20% of which is developed for housing while the remaining 80% becomes Shepherd’s Hill Gardens/Open Space and allotment gardens. 1961 Middlesex County Council purchases land owned by one club, Oakfield, at the heart of the Playing Fields and proceeds to build Bishopswood School (now Highgate Wood School) on the grounds. In the same years, electricity substations are built in the vicinity. Shepherds Hill, c.1860. Photographed by George Shadbolt. Then a bridle path to Hornsey. Looking towards 1973 Crouch End Playing Highgate. (Hornsey Historical Society) Fields Ltd, by now largely owned by descendants of the original hands them over to the Education Department. shareholders who no longer lived locally and had no interest in 1984 Fresh crisis as Haringey seeks to expand Highgate maintaining the open space, agree to sell the upper field to the Wood School further into the Fields. Crouch End Playing Post Office for development. Crouch End Playing Fields Fields Protection Society revived as CREOS (Crouch End Open Protection Society comes into being to fight against the Space). The proposed development is modified (though the proposal. The end result is that Haringey, the bigger science block is still built), but the Playing Fields are officially individual clubs and a new organisation, the Shepherds Cot scheduled as Metropolitan Open Land and the Haringey- Trust (with financial backing from Haringey and the Sports owned land is transferred to the Parks Department and is Council) buy out Crouch End Playing Fields Ltd, which is managed by CREOS. eventually dissolved. In the process, Haringey acquires some Peter Barber 16 April 2011 of the ‘heartland’ of the fields, including the Upper Field, and

Map courtesy of the Hornsey Historical Society)

The Committee wish all involved with CREOS a very Happy Christmas and New Year. CREOS NEWSLETTER FINANCIAL REPORT Food for the work days AUTUMN 2011

Joan Coleman’s CREOS continues to maintain a strong membership base in Muswell Hill and Crouch End. The 2011 accounts were ITALIAN SPINACH TART bolstered by a £1,000 donation from a company filming in Filling Wood Vale and by £265 donated by Waitrose as part of its 12 ozs. frozen spinach Salt & freshly ground black pepper Community Matters scheme. Members’ subscriptions and 8 ozs. cottage cheese donations totalled £1,339, up 7 per cent from 2010. Owing 3 eggs lightly beaten to poor weather conditions we were unable to progress 1- 2 ozs. grated parmesan the work on the paths and this has been deferred until 6 tablespoons double cream 2 tablespoons butter 2012. Freshly grated nutmeg Cash resources remain healthy with £8,900 in the bank as The shell Line a pie tin with short-crust pastry. Flute the at March 2011. Part of this balance has been earmarked edges; chill. Prick bottom with a fork and bake “blind” in a hot for maintenance and development work next year. oven - 190C (gas mark 7) - for about 15 minutes: just long enough to set the crust without browning it. Allow to cool. To fill Cook spinach with butter and salt and pepper to taste. Drain thoroughly and then add cottage cheese with beaten eggs, grated parmesan and cream plus nutmeg to taste. Spread mixture in pastry shell and bake in a moderate – 150C (gas mark 4) oven for 30 minutes or until the crust is brown and the filling is set.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! Only a few weeks after a CREOS work day this fly-tipped rubbish pile appears near the Georgians tennis club. Luckerly the culprits left their business card and lorry details- we await a police report, it just shows we must be ever vigilant.

CREOS COMMITTEE

Chairman: David Abram Andrew Kirk Mel Cairns [CREOS NEWS editor] 151 Cranley Gardens, 67 Glasslyn Rd, N8 8RJ 77 Wood Vale, N10 3DL N10 3AG 020 8341 0903 (office) 020 8444 8565 020 8883 0325 Secretary: Rosalind Abrams Emma Prinsley Paul Secher 97 Wood Vale, N10 3DL 74 Wood Vale, N10 3DN 80 Wood Vale, 020 8883 2392 020 8365 4602 N10 3DN John Bartlett Susan Secher 020 8444 4518 [CREOS NEWS designer] 80 Wood Vale, Treasurer: 27 Coolhurst Road, N8 8ET N10 3DN Julian Sherwood 020 8292 3038 020 8444 4518 23 Berkeley Rd. [email protected] Bryan Torfeh N8 8RU Steve Hooper Flat 26 Greenaway House 020 8348 4268 6 Barrington Rd. N8 8QS Fernsbury Street, WC1 X0H 020 8341 9837 020 7689 5192

Ref: CREOS November 2011