Muswell Hill

Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated 6.2 miles (10 km) north of Charing Cross. Muswell Hill is in postal district N10 and the area is mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency.

Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated 6.2 miles (10km) north of Charing Cross.

Muswell Hill is in postal district N10 and the area is mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency. To find a flat or house to rent in Muswell Hill, London contact the Black Katz Crouch End office. Black Katz have flats and houses to rent in Muswell Hill and across London. If you are a landlord wishing to rent out your property contact Black Katz.

History

The earliest records of Muswell Hill date from the 12th century. The Bishop of London, who was the Lord of the Manor of Harringay, owned the area and granted 65 acres (263,000 m2), located to the east of Colney Hatch Lane, to a newly formed order of nuns. The nuns built a chapel on the site and called it 'Our Lady of Muswell'.

The name Muswell is believed to come from a natural spring or well (the "Mossy Well"), said to have miraculous properties. The traditional story tells that a Scottish king was cured of disease after drinking the water of the spring/well. The area became a place of pilgrimage for healing during medieval times. The River Moselle, which has its source in Muswell Hill and Highgate, derives its name from this district; it was originally known as the Mosa or Mosella.

It was not until the 19th century that Muswell Hill began to be developed more densely from a collection of country houses to the contemporary London suburb. The development was spurred by the opening of a branchline railway with connecting services to Finsbury Park and Kings Cross stations. Most commercial development was initiated in the early 20th century when the current street pattern was set out and elegant Edwardian retail parades were constructed. The centre included a music hall (later demolished with the site redeveloped as a supermarket) and several churches for various denominations. The 1930s saw the construction of an art deco Odeon cinema. The Ritz, a cinema at the top of Muswell Hill, has been redeveloped as offices.

Until the reorganisation of London's local government in 1965, Muswell Hill formed part of the Borough of Hornsey within the administrative county of Middlesex. The area subsequently became part of the London Borough of Haringey.

Transport links

At the top of a hill, Muswell Hill is not directly served by any tube or train stations, despite being a popular place for central London commuters to live. Most commuters reach London by bus (there are direct routes both to the City and the West End 24-hours a day), or they use the nearest underground stations Highgate, Bounds Green, Finsbury Park or East Finchley, all of which have convenient bus links from Muswell Hill. There are also mainline train services (the Great Northern Electrics runs into King's Cross and Moorgate from Alexandra Palace and Hornsey).

Until the mid-20th century there was a rail branch line, the Muswell Hill Railway, from Highgate which passed through Muswell Hill, terminating at a station at Alexandra Palace, and there was a plan to integrate this into the London Underground Northern Line; tube maps of the time showed the line as under construction. However, this plan was cancelled after the 1939-45 war, and the railway line was abandoned in 1954, reputedly because the workers tasked with constructing the station refused to continue to do so after coming across a deep pit filled with the remains of plague victims in the area where the station was to be placed. The line was later converted to become the Parkland Walk.

Character and characters

Close to Alexandra Park and Highgate Woods, with something of a village atmosphere, Muswell Hill has developed from the staid suburb it was in the 1950s to become fashionable with a host of trendy bars, restaurants, coffee shops and delicatessens. Muswell Hill Broadway and Fortis Green Road, the main shopping streets, still maintain their Edwardian splendour with many of the original facades preserved and three churches (one now converted into a bar) adding to the streetscape. Some parts have spectacular views over London, and the area is home to a large number of actors, journalists and other media people. House prices remain high partly due to the quality of the local schools and this is also reflected in the influx of upmarket shop brands like Space.NK, Maison Blanc and Whistles. There is also a weekly farmers' market at the foot of Muswell Hill in Alexandra Park

This cinema in Muswell Hill is a Grade II* Listed Building

Bustling shops in Muswell Hill Broadway.The area was the birthplace of musicians Ray and Dave Davies of The Kinks, who began their career here and helped immortalize it with their 1971 album Muswell Hillbillies. A plaque and memorabilia in the Clissold Arms pub in Fortis Green commemorate Ray and Dave's first public performance there.

Just down the road from the house where the Davies brothers grew up on Fortis Green is a house called Fairport. This was the family home of Simon Nicol, and his band, Fairport Convention, was named after it.

Johnny Borrell from the band Razorlight was born and grew up in Muswell Hill. Carl Barât also lives there.

Tony Hadley lead singer of 1980s band Spandau Ballet lives in Muswell Hill and has been known to perform with other local musicians at the annual Muswell Hill Festival.

Bernard Jewry, known as Alvin Stardust, was born in Muswell Hill before moving to Mansfield at an early age.

Adam Ant briefly lived in Muswell Hill with his wife and her parents.

Mike Leigh, the film director lives in Muswell Hill.

The serial killer Dennis Nilsen carried out some of his 1980s gruesome murders in 23 Cranley Gardens in Muswell Hill. He lived in the top floor flat.

In the popular 1970s BBC TV comedy series Porridge, the principal character, Norman Stanley Fletcher, played by Ronnie Barker, hailed from Muswell Hill. In one episode he returns home briefly and is busted as a resident of Fortis Green Avenue, where the police station stands on the corner... In the short-lived sequel Going Straight, Fletcher returned to live in the neighbourhood after his release from HMP Slade, though in that series external shots implied he lived in a house on Colney Hatch Lane, opposite the top of Muswell Road.

Comedian Barry Took, who collaborated with Marty Feldman as a writer for numerous radio shows including Round the Horne, was born in Muswell Hill in 1928.

Many Eastenders actors live in the area including Perry Fenwick who plays Billy Mitchell.

Writer Will Thacker resdies in the Highgate suburbs of Muswell Hill and can be often found sitting on the "Bench of Tears" eating chips.

Maureen Lipman has been a long time resident.

The snooker player Anthony Hamilton currently lives in Muswell Hill.

Comedian, TV and former LBC 97.3 presenter Iain Lee currently lives in Muswell Hill.

Star of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Office (UK) Mackenzie Crook currently lives in Muswell Hill.

The Russian ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko who died in 2006 from polonium-210 radiation poisoning lived in Muswell Hill. He lived on Osier Crescent.

Children's author Gary Crombie currently resides on Pages Lane in Muswell Hill

Crispin Bonham-Carter; 'Mr Bingley' in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice currently lives in Muswell Hill.

Noted sociologist Eric Gordy has recently relocated to the area.

To join these notable people, find a house or flat to rent in Muswell Hill with Black Katz. Black Katz are London's largest lettings only agency and have flats and houses to rent in Muswell Hill and across London.

Vivian Stanshall, artist, poet, writer, performer, and a founding member of Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, made his last home in Muswell Hill, dying there in a fire in March 1995. His wife, the novelist Ki Longfellow-Stanshall often lived there with him.

Crouch End Festival Chorus (founded 1984) famous for performances at BBC Proms, multiple film scores, and promotion of its own concerts of varied classical and modern music rehearse at Fortismere School every Friday night.

Oliver Tambo, ANC leader, lived in exile with his family in Alexandra Park Road from 1960 to 1990. There is a bust of Oliver Tambo in Albert Road Recreation Ground and a plaque on the house where he lived with his family on the corner of Alexandra Park Road and Windermere Road.

Nesta Williams, Lucy Lovering, Izzie Foster, and TJ Watts are often in the Muswell Hill area in the Mates, Dates series of books. Published by Cathy Hopkins.

Muswell Hill forms part of the setting for the Ally's World Series by Karen McCombie.

Muswell Hill Golf Club (Par 71, 6438 yards) was founded in 1893, and is still played on today.

Muswell Hill is the main setting for the 2006 'Doctor Who' episode The Idiot's Lantern.

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References in popular culture

Madness mention Muswell Hill in their 1982 hit, Driving in My Car -

"I drive up to Muswell Hill,

I've even been to Selsey Bill"

Rock band The Kinks in 1971 recorded the LP "Muswell Hillbillies" which included the song "Muswell Hillbilly".

In the sixth episode of That Mitchell and Webb Look, Muswell Hill is referenced as a prospective area for house-hunting.

During a stand-up round of Mock the Week, Ed Byrne mentioned that he used to live in Muswell Hill and that despite its fairly central location, nobody knows where it is. He mentions in particular that taxi drivers would need always directions when driving him home.

In the famous sitcom Porridge, the main character, Fletch is from Muswell Hill.

To find a flat or house to rent in Muswell Hill, London contact the Black Katz Crouch End office. Black Katz have flats and houses to rent in Muswell Hill and across London. If you are a landlord wishing to rent out your property contact Black Katz.

References in literature

"And utterly ruined the cook's nerves at Mr Brewer's establishment at Muswell Hill." -- Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf.

There is reference to Muswell Hill in Samuel Richardson's Clarissa published in 1748. Clarissa Harlowe and Robert Lovelace take a tour in a carriage from Highgate to Muswell Hill.

Anthony Horowitz also mentions Muswell Hill in 'Horowitz Horror'.

Transport and locale

Nearest places

Places of interest

Alexandra Palace

Alexandra Park

The Guy Chester Centre of the Methodist church

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Nearest railway stations

  • Muswell Hill Broadway
  • Alexandra Palace railway station (formerly known as "Wood Green, Alexandra Park")
  • Hornsey railway station

Nearest tube stations

(Roughly equidistant)

  • Highgate tube station
  • Bounds Green tube station
  • East Finchley tube station

Rent a flat, house or apartment in Muswell Hill with Black Katz.