Travel back in time to Crouch End

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Travel back in timeto Crouch End
Late Victorian Crouch End 1880-1901
Opening of the clock tower 1895
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Urban Crouch End 1880s 1890s Shops and
houses
Population Hornsey1871 11,0001901 72,000
Suddenly, in the 1880s and 1890s, thousands of
people moved to Crouch End and all the big
mansions were knocked down and new houses and
shops were built instead for the new people.
Crouch End changed completely and became a busy
TOWN.
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MAPS tell us a lot about how an area changes
The Village of Crouch End in 1873
Crouch End in 1895
What differences can you see?
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Can we think why Crouch End changed?
Where did all the new people come from?
Can you think why would they have liked Hornsey?
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The RailwayHornsey 1850Crouch End Hill
(picture) 1867Stroud Green 1880s
These poles sticking up from the sign are
telegraph poles. What do they tell us about one
of the ways of communicating at this time?
What do you think this is on the road ?
What do you notice about the ladies clothes?
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With a partner discuss how the arrival of the
railways would have affected people living in
Crouch End. Who would have benefited?
Who would have lost out?
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The Clocktower was unveiled to the public on 22
June 1895. It was a hot day and lots of people
gathered for the ceremony. Such a grand new
building meant that Crouch End was proud of being
a busy London town.
New buildings
Who do you think the important people were at the
unveiling? How can you tell them apart
from everyone else?
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How does this picture compare to present Crouch
End?
New shops
A clue about the name of the shop obscured by
the Clock Tower can be found today in the grill
at ground level.
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• Look out for this on your walk.

What type of shop was Burtons and why do you
think it is not here today?
You can find historical clues by looking all
around you - at ground level as well as at the
tops of buildings.
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The Clocktower
Trail detectives
What do you notice about the Bricks? How do you
think the bricks would have been transported to
Crouch End? Can you find a date when you are
out on the trail?
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Do you know who this man is?
Henry Reader Williams was the Chair of Hornsey
Local Board in 1880
Why is he on the Clocktower?
He made sure that open green spaces were not
completely developed on, such as Highgate Wood
and Priory Park. He also made sure the new houses
and shops built were of good quality. He wanted
Hornsey to be a model suburb. Think about your
street - is it wide or narrow?
Make sure you find his picture on the trail.
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What are the differences and similarities between
this picture and Crouch End today?
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This is now a chemists shop further up from
Budgens. Look out for it on your trail. These
tiles are all that remain from the old
Sainsburys.
Clues to the past like this exist in lots of
places - you just have to have a beady eye and
look for them.
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Look at these new shops that were built where
Topsfield Hall had stood. What are the
differences and similarities between Topsfield
Parade in 1903 and now?
What do you think the building with the
semi-cirular window was used for?
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It was the Queens Opera House - plays and
musicals performed here. It opened in 1897 and
was later used as a cinema. The building was
bombed in the Second World War.
What is the same building used for now?What are
the similarities between its use today and the
use in the Victorian times?
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The Queens has always been a public
house but in the Victorian age it also had rooms
that people could stay in. Why do you think it
was called the Queens?
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Trail detectives!
This is the bell at the side of The Queens.
What do you think it was used for? There is a
word above the bell that is a clue to how the
building was used. On your trail look out for
it and try to work out what it said.
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What evidence can you find today of the Victorian
times? On the history trail look out for
Victorian features such as windows, doors, roofs,
building materials etc. Look for dates on
buildings and in doorways Record some of these
features by sketching or taking photographs.
Remember a good time detective looks UP and DOWN
for clues
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Victorian houses
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Victorian architecture is often elaborate and has
fancy detail
Can you tell now if a building is old or new?