As taken from Joolz Guides: Rather Splendid Pub Walks, his ‘Circuitous Crawl Around Crouch End’ is 5.1km, takes 2 hours 20 mins, and takes in the Woodman; Boogaloo; King’s Head; Queens; and
Great Northern Railway Tavern.
Pip pip! We’re meeting up at the dog-friendly WOODMAN. It’s conveniently situated next to Highgate tube station and if it’s a nice day you can sit in the beer garden.
Come on then. Chop, chop! Let’s finish these pints and get on with it.
Turn right outside the pub, and then right again into Wood Lane at the King George V post box before taking the steep path down towards the tube station.
There should be enough gaps in the trees to make out the abandoned HIGHGATE ABOVE-GROUND TRAIN STATION (point 1), which is one of the most beautifully preserved in London – but annoyingly, you can’t get to it!
From the 1860s the railway station served the trains which travelled from Finsbury Park to Edgware, but with the tube’s Northern Line opening it was no longer needed, and closed to passengers in 1954. Freight trains did continue to run until 1970 but since then it has sat there as a creepy ghost station.
At the bottom of the path you’ll find yourself in Priory Gardens, outside the exit where you might have arrived by tube at ‘Highget’, as the lady pronounces it on the tannoy. She is so posh that she is unable to pronounce it ‘High–gate’.
Did you know? American talk show host Jerry Springer was born on the platform of Highgate tube station during a bombing raid in the Second World War! Many tube stations doubled up as bomb shelters during the Blitz, so this was by no means unusual.
Walk down Priory Gardens as far as NUMBER 26 (point 2), where Bridget Hitler (Adolf’s half-sister-in-law) once lived. Alois Hitler was Adolf’s half-brother. He was a petty criminal who left home at fourteen, moved to Ireland, met Bridget and then eloped with her to England. He later ran away to Austria, faked his own death and was prosecuted for bigamy, leaving Bridget penniless – so she had to take lodgers here.
In a newspaper interview she said: ‘Nowadays it’s a bit embarrassing being Mrs Hitler. Mind you, I have nothing to say against the Nazis as I’ve found them.’
As the road curves round to the right at the end look out for the DOUBLE STINK PIPES (point 3). You rarely see two together. I like to joke that it’s because the people of Crouch End have particularly smelly poo.
Turn right at the end and follow Shepherds Hill back up to Archway Road.
After turning left into Archway Road let’s nip into the BOOGALOO.
Originally this was an old man’s pub, the Shepherd, but in 2002 the landlord, Gerry O’Boyle, opened it as the Boogaloo and attracted live acts such as Pete Doherty, Suggs and Chrissie Hynde.
Celebs like Kate Moss would come and hang out here, too. I once saw a documentary about Shane MacGowan where he was in here with Johnny Depp, which might explain why there are photos of him on the wall.
On Saturday nights it can get quite busy as they usually have a DJ playing whilst varied pub-goers get up for a dance, except me!
The Boogaloo even has a radio station, which started after they cleared out the garden shed and turned it into a studio.
I’ll have a pint, but I’m not dancing! Cheers.
If you’re a Pink Floyd fan, briefly leave the walk by the first exit on the right, at Northwood Road. Come back under the bridge and turn left onto Claremont Road, following it round as it becomes Stanhope Gardens. NUMBER 39 (point 5) was where Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Rick Wright lived in the 1960s. Their landlord was their college tutor, Mike Leonard; one of the early names for the band was Leonard’s Lodgers!
Back on the Parkland Walk, keep going straight until you reach another abandoned station, CROUCH END (point 6), which served the area from 1867 to 1954.
Take the sloped path leading to the footbridge above (the path is behind you when you’re facing the spriggan). Loop around and back over the Parkland Walk using the bridge (the spriggan will be on your right). Turn left at the end of the bridge, and then follow Vicarage Path.
As you emerge onto Haslemere Road you’ll be just behind COLERIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL (point 8). This used to be Hornsey College of Art, attended by such famous people as Anish Kapoor, Ray Davies and Adam Ant. Gillian Anderson used to be a pupil at Coleridge Primary School… That’s Scully from The X-Files!
However, we’re turning right at the end of Vicarage Path, to head along Haslemere Road past FRANK MATCHAM’S HOUSE (point 9). He was the bloke who designed many famous London theatres around the start of the 20th century, including the Hippodrome and the Hackney Empire. Turn left onto Crouch Hill, where you will get a lovely view of Alexandra Palace.
NUMBER 135 (point 10) was the residence of the famous Mr Trebus, whose story was documented in the BBC’s Life of Grime. After his wife and kids moved out in 1981 he became one of the world’s biggest hoarders. It got so bad that the council started putting up scaffolding to make the place safer. He dug trenches, built ponds and collected so much junk that he had to climb in and out using ladders, right up to the age of eighty!
Eventually, the council managed to move him out to a care home and he died not long after. Poor fellow. He was fine in his mess!
Further down the hill you’ll see a church, which is actually THE CHURCH STUDIOS (point 11), started by Bob Bura and John Hardwick, who more or less invented stop motion animation on children’s TV shows such as Captain Pugwash and Trumpton. Later the studios were taken over by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. In 2004 the studios were bought by singer-songwriter David Gray, who in turn sold them in 2013 to record producer Paul Epworth. Musicians who have recorded here include Adele, Madonna, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
There’s a lovely story about Bob Dylan when he was recording here. Dave Stewart said, ‘Come to my house first,’ so the taxi driver dropped Bob off at what he thought was the right address and a lady answered the door.
‘Is Dave in?’ asked Bob.
‘No, he’s at the shops. You can wait if you like – he’ll be back in twenty minutes.’ Later, a bloke called Dave, who was a plumber, came home and said, ‘Hi, darling! Any messages for me?’
To which his wife replied, ‘No, but Bob Dylan’s in the kitchen having a cup of tea!’
Do you think it’s true? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.
By the way, if you’re peckish, DUNNS BAKERY (point 12) is one of my favourites. I’m so jealous of people in Crouch End having a proper bakery here. I like their doughnuts and Bath buns. And if it was good enough for Bob Dylan to buy a cheese sandwich here, it’s good enough for me!!!!
The pub is famous for its ‘try-out’ nights, for comedians doing new material or just starting out. It’s one of the oldest in Britain, having opened after the success of the Comedy Store in Leicester Square. Founded by Huw Thomas and Peter Grahame it has played host to many of my favourite comedians down the years, including Eddie Izzard, Jack Dee, Robbie Coltrane, Rowan Atkinson, Alexei Sayle, Paul Merton… and Joolz!
Turn left out of the pub and walk towards the clock tower.
Look out also for the RELIEFS (point14) by Arthur Ayres, under the windows at Barclays Bank, depicting various uses of gas. This used to be the Hornsey Gas Company, intended to compete with the Electric Company, which was opposite. Fans of TV’s Peep Show, starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, might also recognise this location from the programme’s opening sequence.
This is rather an inconvenience when you have to meet someone here, but it’s probably what contributes to its villagey feel. In 1936 public toilets were opened beneath the tower, causing uproar by having signs reading ‘Men’ and ‘Women’ rather than ‘Ladies’ and ‘Gentlemen’! They closed in the 1990s, along with many others, meaning nowadays you either have to pee your pants or sneak into a pub.
Take the right fork and head up Topsfield Parade.
On the left you’ll pass what is now a Virgin Active Gym. This building originally opened in 1897 as the QUEEN’S OPERA HOUSE (point 16), later becoming the Crouch End Hippodrome, where it is said that Laurel and Hardy once performed. Alas, following bomb damage during the Second World War it never returned to its former glories.
Continue a little further and, for Heaven’s sake, let us repair to the QUEENS for a Harold or two. (Harold Pinter = Pint.) This is my favourite pub in the area, just for the interior, described by the architectural historian Pevsner as ‘one of suburban London’s outstanding grand pubs’.
It was built in 1899 as the Queen’s Hotel, for the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria, to cater for visitors to the nearby Alexandra Park racecourse, and to go with the Queen’s Opera House. Neither of those exist any more – but for once it’s the pub that has survived and avoided being turned into flats!
Historic England describes it as ‘a pinnacle of late-Victorian pub design’ with ‘exceptional joinery and glass’, everywhere you look there’s a mahogany fitting or ornate ironwork, making it one of London’s grandest gin palaces.
A pint of Brunning & Price Traditional, please. I might grab some food here, too – it’s pretty decent pub grub.
Your very good health!
Turn right out of the Queens, and as Topsfield Parade becomes Tottenham Lane we’re now heading into Hornsey. You’ll pass the ARTHOUSE CINEMA (point 17), which used to be the Salvation Army Citadel; I rather like the sign indicating that the stone outside was laid by Silas Kitto Hocking in 1912. He was one of the first authors to sell a million books in his lifetime and I am rather ashamed to admit I have never heard of him!
Now, many of you might be Shaun of the Dead fans. It’s a little out of the way, but you could turn right at Nelson Road and walk up to NUMBER 83 (point 18), on the junction with Weston Park. This is the house from which Simon Pegg’s character emerges when he is a bit hungover. Surrounded by zombies, he wanders to the newsagent round the corner without registering the mayhem surrounding him.
However, we’re carrying on straight up Tottenham Lane until you reach the LANE CAFÉ (point 19) on the right, which you might recognise from the cover of the album Working Man’s Café, by Kinks frontman Ray Davies.
It’s not an especially well- known album, but it makes sense because just a little further along, at 84 Tottenham Lane, is KONK STUDIOS (point 20). Owned by Ray Davies, Konk was originally established as the Kinks’ private studio, but many other bands have also recorded here, including the Bay City Rollers and the Bee Gees.
Carry on following the curve of the road and you’ll come to a building which is an empty brick-edged showroom. Petrolheads will be fascinated to learn that in the 1950s this was THE ORIGINAL LOTUS SHOWROOM (point 21) – there’s a small plaque on the side of the building next to the entrance to a complex of warehouses.
Colin Chapman, born in 1928, was the founder of Lotus and his dad used to run the Railway Hotel next to Hornsey Station, while Colin and his mates used to muck around building cars in the stables behind the pub. He was a pioneer of building lighter-weight cars that were less clunky and Team Lotus went on to win seven Formula One championships in the 1960s and 1970s.
In the 1830s it was decided to knock down the old church and build a new one, but they left the tower standing. However, owing to the expanding Hornsey population, the new church became too small and got taken out of use in the 1880s, eventually being demolished twenty years later…but they still kept the tower!
One unusual sight in the churchyard is the GRAVE OF HARRIET LONG AND JACOB WALKER (point 23), both lying interred together. The inscription reads:
JACOB WALKER
A NATIVE OF VIRGINIA
IN AMERICA THE
FAITHFUL SLAVE
IN ENGLAND THE
FAITHFUL SERVANT
OF HARRIET AND GEORGE LONG AND AN HONEST MAN
DIED AT HIGHGATE
ON THE 12TH OF AUGUST 1841 IN THE 40TH YEAR OF HIS AGE
It’s most unusual to see a mistress buried with her servant like this, but it’s thought that Jacob Walker was an enslaved member of the household of Harriet Long’s previous husband in Virginia. When she married George Long they moved to Jackson’s Lane, bringing Jacob with them. Slavery was by this time illegal in England so he was described on the 1841 census as a ‘male servant’.
It was suggested that Jacob was so upset about Harriet’s death that he was found dead on her grave two days later, so they decided it would be convenient just to open it up again and pop him inside! A bit harsh!
Jacob did in fact die two months later than Harriet, after he had received a smallpox vaccination. Before I start any conspiracy theories: he died of smallpox, so it might have been that which killed him, if he contracted it before he was vaccinated. Anyway, George Long, Harriet’s husband, obviously saw fit to bury Jacob with his wife, so he must have been a much respected and loved member of the household, since George obviously footed the bill to pay for the headstone.
We want to get inside this pub, don’t we? It was built in 1897 by the same person who designed the Queens. John Cathles Hill was a Scottish architect who became a prolific developer of north London. The sheer amount of development in suburban London at the end of the 19th century made him a rich man, but he ended up borrowing a bit too much and became bankrupt by 1912. Ain’t that just the way it is.
Since it’s a Fuller’s pub, I’ll have a pint of Seafarers.
Tally ho!
Taken from Joolz Guides: Rather Splendid London Pub Walks A Charming Trundle through London’s Neighbourhoods via its Fabulous Drinking Houses by Julian McDonnell £14.99 (Quadrille).
