Muswell Hill: Encyclopedia II - Muswell Hill - Local History

Muswell Hill - Local History

The earliest records of Muswell Hill date from the 12th Century. At this time the Bishop of London, who was the Lord of the Manor of Hornsey, 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 Ladie of Muswell’.

The name Muswell is believed to stem from a natural spring or well, which was said to have miraculous properties. The story has it that a Scottish King was cured of disease after drinking the water of the spring/well and that this led to the area becoming a place of pilgrimage during medieval times.

(in regard to the Scottish King it should be noted that Muswell Hill Manor in Oxfordshire was said to be owned by The King of Scotland in the 12th Century)

At the top of a hill, it is not directly served by any tube or train stations, despite being a popular place for central London commuters to live. Until the mid-20th century there was a rail branch line 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. It is said that the diggers of the line came upon a deep pit filled with the remains of plague victims located directly on where the station was planned, and they refused to proceed any further.

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 selection of trendy bars and restaurants. Many parts boast spectacular views over London, and the area hosts a disproportionately large number of actors, journalists and other media folk. Most commuters reach London by bus (there are direct routes both to the City and the West End), or connect with the underground at Highgate or Finsbury Park.

The British pop/rock band The Kinks titled their 1971 album Muswell Hillbillies in reference to the birthplace of Ray and Dave Davies.

Just across 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.

The serial killer Dennis Nilsen carried out some of his gruesome murders in Cranley Gardens in Muswell Hill.

In the popular 1970s BBC TV comedy series Porridge, the principal character called Fletcher, played by Ronnie Barker, claimed his family came from Muswell Hill.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Local History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki