Green Lanes (London)

Green Lanes is a main road in North London which forms part of the A105 road. Covering a distance of 6.3 miles (10.1 km)[1] between Newington Green and Winchmore Hill, it is one of the longest streets in the capital, passing through the N16, N4, N8, N13 and N21 postcode areas.

Green Lanes in Palmers Green.

History

Whilst it is undeniably an ancient thoroughfare, the age and origin of Green Lanes is somewhat uncertain. It possibly originated as a drovers' road along which cattle were walked from Hertfordshire to London. Its origins may date back as far as the Roman period.[2]

Route

Green Lanes runs from Newington Green north along the western edge of Stoke Newington, thereby forming the border between Hackney and Islington, until it reaches Manor House at the eastern edge of Finsbury Park. As it crosses the New River over Green Lanes Bridge, it enters the London Borough of Haringey, it then runs 1.4 miles (2.25 km)[3] through the neighbourhood of Harringay. From the junction with Turnpike Lane the road temporarily changes its name and runs for 1.3 miles (2.1 km)[4] through Wood Green as 'High Road', resuming its Green Lanes identity again after the junction with Lascott's Road. It then continues north for another 2.2 miles (3.5 km)[5] through Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill in the London Borough of Enfield, until it reaches the junction with Ridge Avenue and Green Dragon Lane at Mason's Corner. The northward continuation into Bush Hill at this point is now blocked.

Sights

The New River flows under Green Lanes at Palmers Green, here shown looking east.

Amongst the sights along its route are:

• Clissold Park
• The former Engine House of Metropolitan Water Board,[6]
• Finsbury Park
• The New River (which follows a roughly parallel course to Green Lanes for much of its distance)
• Sites of the now demolished Harringay Stadium and Harringay Arena.
• Railway Fields Nature Reserve
• The Salisbury Public House
• Turnpike Lane Underground Station
• Haringey Civic Centre. The facility was built in 1958 and listed in 2018.[7]
• The “Round House” or “Mushroom House”, built in 1822 as the gatehouse for Chitts Hill House it now stands in Woodside Park (Wood Green, London)

Continuous segregated cycle lanes run north from the A406 North Circular to the end of Green Lanes and on to Enfield Town. These were installed following a successful bid by Enfield Council for Mini Holland funding from TfL.

Demography

See:

• Demographics in Stoke Newington
• Demographics in Harringay
• Demographics in Wood Green
• Demographics in Palmers Green
• Demographics in Winchmore Hill

Neighbourhoods

Where Green Lanes temporarily becomes High Road, Wood Green.

Neighbourhoods sited on Green Lanes, from South to North:

• Newington Green
• Stoke Newington
• Manor House
• Harringay (including Finsbury Park)
• Duckett's Green
• Wood Green
• Palmers Green
• Winchmore Hill

References

1. Distance between the southern and northern ends of Green Lanes, as measured by Google Maps. Through Wood Green, for 1.3 miles of its route, the road name changes to 'High Road'. If this section is excluded, the total interrupted length of Green Lanes is 5 miles.
2. See:
   • Montagu Sharpe (1913). The Middlesex District in Roman Times: Part II., one of the booklets which formed the basis of his well-known work, Montagu Sharpe (1919). Middlesex in British, Roman and Saxon Times. G Bell & Sons.
   • Ivan Donald Margary (1973). Roman roads in Britain. J. Baker.
3. Distance between the southern and northern end of Harringay ward, as measured by Google Maps
4. Distance between the junction of Green Lanes and Turnpike Lane and the junction with Lascott's Road, as measured by Google Maps
5. Distance between the junction of Green Lanes and Lascott's Road and the junction with Ridge Avenue/Green Dragon Lane, as measured by Google Maps
6. The Engine House is now the Castle Climbing Centre
7. Haringey Civic Centre on the English Heritage website

External links

Media related to Green Lanes, London at Wikimedia Commons