Enfield Town

Enfield Town is the historic town centre of Enfield, formerly in the County of Middlesex and now in the London Borough of Enfield. It is 10.1 mi north north-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.

History
Historically, Enfield was a collection of small communities spread around the royal hunting grounds of Enfield Chase. At the time of the Domesday Book the area was spelt 'Enefelde', and had a priest who almost certainly resided in St. Andrews Church. By 1572 most of the basic street layout had been completed. The village green later became the historic marketplace between the church and where the fountain now stands. A market is still operated in this area, which is owned by the parish charity. Its name most likely came from Anglo-Saxon Ēanafeld or similar, meaning "open land belonging to a man called Ēana" or "open land for lambs".

The parish church, on the north side of the marketplace, is dedicated to St Andrew. There is some masonry surviving from the thirteenth century, but the nave, north aisle, choir and tower are late fourteenth century, built of random rubble and flint. The clerestory dates from the early sixteenth century, and the south aisle was rebuilt in brick in 1824.

A sixteenth century manor house, known since the eighteenth century as Enfield Palace, is remembered in the name of the Palace Gardens Shopping Centre. It was used as a private school from around 1670 until the late nineteenth century. The last remains of it were demolished in 1928, to make way for an extension to Pearson's department store, though a panelled room with an elaborate plaster ceiling and a stone fireplace survives, relocated to a house in Gentleman's Row, a street of  sixteenth to eighteenth century houses near the town centre.

The New River, built to supply water to London from Hertfordshire, runs immediately behind the town centre through the Town Park, which is the last remaining public open space of Enfield Old Park. The Enfield Loop of the New River also passes through the playing fields of Enfield Grammar School, and this is the only stretch of the loop without a public footpath on at least one side of it.

The poet John Keats went to progressive Clarke's School in Enfield, where he began a translation of the Aeneid. The school's building later became Enfield Town railway station until it was demolished in 1872. The current building was erected in the 1960s. In 1840 the first section of the Northern and Eastern Railway had been opened from Stratford to Broxbourne. The branch line from Water Lane to Enfield Town station was opened in 1849.

Enfield Town had the world's first ever cash machine or ATM, which was installed at the branch of Barclays Bank on 27 June 1967 was opened by actor Reg Varney.

The Town also houses the borough's Civic Centre, the headquarters of the borough administration at which Council and committee meetings are also held.

On 7 August 2011 after rioting spread from Tottenham a police car was attacked and two shops were targeted in the town centre.

Economy
Enfield Town centre underwent major redevelopment work, completed in Autumn 2006. A large extension to the existing shopping centre was built, under the name Palace Exchange. Many branches of chain stores already existing in Enfield Town centre were relocated to the new extension, and there are some completely new stores.

Enfield Town Football Club
Enfield Town F.C. is (as of May 2007) in Division 1 (North) of the Isthmian League. The club plays at Goldsdown Road, Enfield.

Nearest places

 * Botany Bay
 * Brimsdown
 * Bulls Cross
 * Bush Hill Park
 * Clay Hill
 * Enfield Chase
 * Enfield Highway
 * Enfield Wash
 * Enfield Lock
 * Forty Hill
 * Freezywater
 * Hadley Wood
 * Ponders End
 * World's End

Nearest railway stations

 * Enfield Town railway station
 * Enfield Chase railway station

Buses
Enfield Town has excellent bus links.London Buses routes 121, 191, 192, 231, 307, 313, 317, 329, 377, W8, W9, W10, night route N29, and non-London route 610 serves Enfield Town.