This photograph was taken just after Winchmore Hill Station opened in
1871. Before the station opened, Winchmore Hill was a fairly isolated
hamlet in north London. The coming of the Enfield branch of the Great
Northern Railway changed the area completely.
Growth of Winchmore Hill
By the First World War, Winchmore Hill had become a popular place to live.
Many houses were built as a result of the improved transport brought by
the railway. The opening of the Piccadilly Line extension in 1933 brought
further development to the west.
Grovelands
Winchmore Hill was one of a circle of small settlements in north London
including Palmers Green, Colney Hatch, Bowes and Southgate. There were
several large estates in the area, including Grovelands. The house at
Grovelands was built in 1797 to designs by John Nash for the Quaker
brewer, Walker Gray. As housing increased in the area, the Grovelands
Estate preserved the surrounding park from over-development in this
popular suburb.
