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Enfield
has been a bustling market town since 1303 when the market
charter was granted, with the cobbled market square, St
Andrews Church and the New River winding its way through the
centre it retains the feeling of a traditional country town
Within
a short walk of the town centre you step back in time to the
Georgian era at Gentleman's Row, famous for it's connections
with the Essayist and Poet Charles Lamb who stayed at
Clarenden Cottage with his sister Mary in 1825 and 1827.
Enfield
is a place of contrast where the city meets the countryside.
London's northern most Borough is only a short journey from
the heart of the City and offers visitors the tranquillity of
parks and open spaces as well as bustling markets and shopping
centres. |
The
former hunting grounds of Kings of England is as rich in history as
it is in present day entertainment with a choice of theatres,
cinemas and sports facilities.
New
businesses are being attracted to Enfield's suburbs, building on the
rich heritage which made it one of the innovative centres of trade
and brought the world it's first colour television.
Visitors
can discover Enfield's past following the footsteps of John Keats,
Thomas Hardy and John Betjeman and enjoy the present in the shape of
Capel Manor splendid gardens and the majesty of Trent Park.
Enfield
is one of the capitals greenest Boroughs set amid more than 2,000
acres of parkland and open spaces. You can explore some of London's
oldest countryside and imagine when most of the Borough was covered
by the wooded reaches of Enfield Chase, Royal hunting ground to the
Kings of England. You can wonder through the majestic sweep of Trent
Park with it's rolling grassland and broad avenues of Oak and
Sycamore or even visit the stately 17th Century Manor House, Forty
Hall. Alternatively, you may enjoy the wonderful public gardens of
Capel Manor, home to the country's leading horticultural college and
Myddelton House, full of exotic plants collected by well known
botanist E.A. Bowles.
Enfield
has a rich industrial heritage and for more than 200 years the
eastern perimeter of the Borough was the hub of the capital's
manufacturing industry. The area was dominated by the bulk of the
Royal Small Arms Factory which mass produced the Lee Enfield Rifle.
The area also ushered in the electronic age with the invention of
the Diode valve which gave birth to radio, television and computers.
Not
all of Enfield's inhabitants of the past have been so welcome.
Notorious Highwayman Dick Turpin found the once great forests of
Enfield Chase a perfect hiding ground for his criminal activities.
His ghost is said to still haunt the area.
Other
places of historical interest in Enfield are Whitewebbs Museum of
Transport which has a public display of motor vehicles dating back
to the early years of motoring. Smaller towns within the Enfield
district include Southgate, Palmers Green and Edmonton and all these
towns have their own unique historical interest.
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