Palmers Green to New Southgate WWII Heritage Trail

As part of the Enfield at War Project we have been producing war walks for Edmonton, Enfield and Southgate. The Enfield Town First World War Heritage Trail is already available and now the next one has just come back from the printer.  The Palmers Green to New Southgate WWII Heritage Trail is an easy walk that takes between 1½ and 2½ hours.  It starts at Princes Avenue  the site of the highest number of deaths in a single incident in World War Two and takes you through Palmers Green to Broomfield Park,  Waterfall Road, Arnos Park, Bowes road ending up at the Grove Road Open Space in New Southgate.  The leaflets are available from Enfield Local Studies Library & Archive, First Floor Thomas Hardy House, 39 London Road, EN2 6DS and will be distributed to all Enfield libraries. The map can also be downloaded from the Enfield Council website: http://www.enfield.gov.uk/info/1062/local_studies/3813/second_world_war_palmers_green_heritage_walk . WWII walks for Enfield and Edmonton will be available soon.

Aldermans Hill

Broomfield House in use as an ARP post

Princes Dances Hall

Also on the Enfield at War website are articles from local newspapers published during the First World War: http://www.enfield.gov.uk/info/200046/libraries/3165/historic_newspaper_reports_from_world_war_one_1914_-_1918 . They are a mixture of the serious and the silly reflecting the attitudes and opinions of people at the time.

Southgate Recorder 8th April 1915

Enfield Gazette 4th June 1915

Princes Dance Hall Bomb

On the evening of 15th March 1941 a bomb exploded in Tottenhall Road and a second bomb fell on the Princes Dance Hall in Green Lanes. There were 127 people in the Hall. Casualties were laid out in rows on the pavement. There were several casualties but only two people were killed. Many more people (41) were killed when a passing bus was caught in the blast. The ARP report for the incident read as follows:

Date: 15.3.41                          Message Time: 21.05                         Incident Time: 20.45

Particulars:     Damage by High Explosives South Side of junction Green Lanes and Princes                  Avenue. Shops demolished and extensive damage by blast.

Remarks:        LPTB overhead cables damaged. Considerable casualties.

 Date: 15.3.41                          Message Time: 23.11,03.10               Incident Time: 20.50

Particulars:     Damage. High Explosives. Tottenhall Road, one house demolished and several               damaged.

Remarks:        3 Casualties, 1 trapped, 1 killed, 3 seriously wounded.

 Date: 16.3.41                          Message Time: 03.07                         Incident Time: 20.50

Particulars:     Re: 22.54, Bombs fell as follows: In Green Lanes between Tottenhall Road          and Princes Avenue, Green Lanes, Junction Green Lanes/ Sidney Avenue and            62/68 Green Lanes. Several shops demolished and several destroyed.

Remarks:        A motorbus was destroyed. Casualties: Killed 43; Seriously Wounded 40;                          Slightly Wounded 26. Final figures from situation report M40 20.3.41                                 (G.Eng).

Date: 16.3.41                          Message Time: 17.28 SR                   Incident Time: –

Particulars:     Re: Incident 15.3.41.

                        14  shops properties demolished.

                        14  shops properties to be demolished.

                        35  shops properties damaged.

                        150 shops properties affected by blast.

                        Gas main also damaged, repaired 17.07.

                        SR 1.4.41

                        Trolley Bus service Green Lane restored.

                        Green Lanes fully open to traffic.

Date: 16.3.41                          Message Time: 17.35,17.47               Incident Time: –

Particulars:     60-68 Green Lanes. Small explosion has occurred causing a small fire. Due to  box of fireworks in shop under Princes Dance Hall.

Remarks:        Fire under control.

The photos below show some of the resulting devastation.