Local History Links

This page contains links to a variety of local history and other related groups, societies and websites.

Local history organisations

  • Alexandra Palace is the official website with up-to-date news of events. It also includes a very good, illustrated timeline of the history of the building.
  • Alexandra Palace – Google Culture & Arts  has over 500 online images and documents tracing the history of the building. Hornsey Historical Society has contributed to this collection.
  • Friends of Alexandra Palace Theatre work to promote the use of the Victorian theatre at Alexandra Palace. The site has pictures of the restoration of the theatre. Hornsey Historical Society sells two books on the theatre. Their Youtube channel also has a number of specially made videos about the restoration of the Palace.
  • Bruce Castle Museum and Archives holds the holds the archives and the local history library and collections of the London Borough of Haringey. The webpage contains a brief overview of what they hold with details of opening hours.
  • Camden History Society is the local history group for Camden, and their website has a some very good resources online. They also have a comprehensive Links section to other groups in the area, and an events section including detail of their regular talks.
  • Crouch End Walks is an organisation which continues to expand its range of excellent local walks as well as venturing further away to areas such as the City of London, Clerkenwell and Mayfair. Details of the walks, dates and how to apply are supplied.
  • Edmonton Hundred Historical Society is a local historical society devoted to the study of the Edmonton Hundred area (parishes of Edmonton, Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms and Tottenham). Most English counties were divided into hundreds in the late Saxon period, an administrative division which disappeared in the 19th century.
  • Friern Barnet & District Local History Society aims are to encourage the preservation of things of local interest, to study and record local history and to arrange lectures on topics of local and general historical interest. The name reflects its interest not only in the area covered by the former Friern Barnet Urban District Council but also the neighbouring areas of New Southgate, North Finchley and Whetstone.
  • The Enfield Society promotes the conservation and enhancement of the civic and natural environments of the London Borough of Enfield and its immediate surrounding area for the public benefit.

London-wide history organisations

  • Archives for London (AfL) brings together everyone interested in archives in or about London through meetings and conferences so that they get more out of documents, photographs and films which reflect London’s rich archival heritage. Members include family and local historians as well as academics, students, archivists and librarians. Meetings are held at the London Metropolitan Archives.
  • London & Middlesex Archaeological Society (LAMAS) was founded in 1855 ‘for the purpose of investigating the antiquities and early history of the Cities of London and Westminster and the Metropoloitan County of Middlesex’. The society organises lectures and conferences, publishes research on its areas of interest and helps monitor the state of London’s buildings and monuments.
  • The London Topographical Society concentrates on assisting the study and appreciation of London by publishing books and sheet material illustrating the growth of London of all periods. It makes available maps, plans and views of London and publishes research.
  • London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) is the principal local government archive for Greater London and the City of London. It is home to an amazing range of documents, images, maps, films and books about London, free to use and open to everyone. Apart from visiting its building in Clerkenwell you can search its collections online.
  • The Guildhall Library, City of London is a public reference library specialising in subjects relevant to London. There are over 200,000 books, pamphlets, periodicals, trade directories and poll books in its collection. The site has quick links to a catalogue search and to its events and exhibitions.

Other local organisations

  • Bowes & Bounds Connected is an online network for the people of Bowes Park, Bounds Green and surrounding neighbourhoods to ” find out about local events, engage in discussions, and take action together on the local issues. ” They have a specific section for local history on the website.
  • Friends of Alexandra Park is a local voluntary group that works to promote and protect Alexandra Park. Along with information about the park, the website also has calendar of future events and activities.
  • Friends of Hornsey Church Tower (FoHCT) aims to give  aims to give tower of the former parish church of St Mary (now part of the parish of St Mary with St George), a significant monument in the local landscape, a secure future. They encourage the active use of this significant monument, grade II* listed, in the local landscape whilst ensuring its sympathetic repair and maintenance.
  • Friends of Bruce Castle Museum is a registered charity founded in 1995 by people concerned about the future of the local authority-run Museum and its services. They raise funds and run activities to support the Museum and engage with Haringey Council on matters relating to the Museum and the Park.
  • Harringay Online was originally established as a community resource to connect residents of Harringay. Its readership has since extended to include the neighbouring areas of Crouch End, Hornsey, Wood Green and beyond. One of the activities for which it has become well regarded is its local history section. In addition to hosting an extensive online historical archive and local history discussions, there is a dedicated history group on which Hugh Flouch (who writes for the HHS and is on our Publications Committee), regularly publishes articles sharing stories derived from his research.
  • Markfield Beam Engine and Museum  has the remains of the Tottenham sewage treatment works on site. The pumpingstation is a Grade II listed building. It contains a masterpiece of Victorian engineering, a 100 horsepower beam engine built between 1886 and 1888. The site gives details of opening days when the engine is steaming.
  • Warner Road Residents Association N8 covers the roads of the old Priory estate owned in the 18th and 19th centuries by the Warner family. It is an active association with a group email, regular newsletters, an interest in any proposed changes to housing on the estate and in the maintenance of Priory Common and the garden of flowers and vegetables on Priory Road open to all.

Civic and conservation groups

  • Muswell Hill and Fortis Green Association (MHFGA) was formed in 1948 as a non-political amenity society. It is concerned with all aspects of the local environment and quality of life in the Muswell Hill, Fortis Green and Alexandra wards of North London. The site has a fascinating photo gallery of the area past and present.
  • Friends of Priory Park, London N8 aims to protect and preserve Priory Park which is bounded by Hornsey Village and Crouch End N8. Its current project is to bring St Paul’s Fountain, brought from the churchyard of St Paul’s Cathedral in 1909, back to life for the enjoyment of all.
  • Friends of Queen’s Wood is a voluntary group, working with the London Borough of Haringey to help look after this wood and its trees, plants, birds, animals, fungi and other forms of wildlife. Queen’s Wood is situated between Muswell Hill N10 and Highgate N6. The wood covers 52 acres of oak and hornbeam trees with a wide range of bird species, flora and fauna.
  • The Highgate Society  is a voluntary organisation of 1,400 members living in and around Highgate. Its primary aim is ‘to make Highgate a better place in which to live and work.’ To achieve this they mount a wide variety of activities, prominent among these being their ‘dedication to principles of sound planning, for the protection and enhancement of the public amenities that we all enjoy.’
  • Tottenham Civic Society works to promote, preserve, protect, encourage sustainable regeneration and improve the quality of life of everyone in this historic part of north London. The society organises an annual programme of events and publishes an occasional newsletter, Tottenham Civitas

Other interesting sites

  • British History Online is an excellent digital library of key printed primary and secondary sources for the history of Britain and Ireland, particularly 1300-1800. It has access to Victoria County History, The History of Middlesex, Volume 6, Friern Barnet, Finchley, Hornsey With Highgate (1980).
  • Haringey Historic Street Furniture has photographs and descriptions of the borough’s historic street furniture to be found under Archaeology and Industrial Heritage.
  • Historic Tottenham is the work of a former Haringey Mayor and long standing councillor, Sheila Peacock. The site shows the ‘building treasures’, 18 in number, which exist in Tottenham. The information and illustrations have come from Bruce Castle Museum whose support in this project is acknowledged by Ms Peacock.
  • The British Association of Local History is the national charity which promotes local history and serves local historians.
  • Modernism in Metroland documents and celebrates the Modernist and Art Deco buildings of the Metro-Land area and era.

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