Enfield, Hilly Fields c.1955

Photo ref: E179015

More about this scene

The manor house (known by locals as 'The Palace') was an E-shaped building facing north. The ground floor comprised a hall, a parlour, a buttery and a kitchen. Upstairs were many chambers, all magnificently furnished. The house belonged to the Crown, but was always leased to tenants. Through much of the Tudor period the Taylor family lived there, but in 1582 John Taylor found himself in debt, and he had to sell the lease to Henry Middlemore. The price was £1,318. Today, where the manor once stood is the site of Pearsons Ltd, the department store. Nothing remains of the original building. By 1572 there were several settlements established around a part of Enfield known as Forty Green (now Forty Hill). There were cottages in Bulls Cross Lane (now Bulls Cross), and there were two small settlements in Whitewebbs Lane-Romey Street (at the Bulls Cross End) and Whitewebbs proper (near the King and Tinker). In Clay Hill lay the settlement of Bridge Street (near where the Rose and Crown now stands). (Stephen G Hoye) This shows the layout of Enfield town in 1572.