A village green is a common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for gathering cattle to bring them later on to a common land for grazing. Later, planned greens were built into the centres of villages.
44-524: The Whittington Stone is an 1821 monumental stone and statue of a cat at the foot of Highgate Hill , a street, in Archway . It marks roughly where it is recounted that a forlorn character of Dick Whittington , loosely based on Richard Whittington , returning to his home from the city of London after losing faith as a scullion in a scullery, heard Bow Bells ringing from 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (7.2 km) away, prophesying his good fortune leading to
88-664: A Grade II listed former church, the Gatehouse Inn , dating from 1670, which houses the theatre Upstairs at the Gatehouse and Berthold Lubetkin 's 1930s Highpoint buildings. Pond Square , behind the High Street , is a registered village green , and is the centre of communal activities which take place in the elegant buildings of the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution and Highgate Society facing
132-401: A broad-based charity which continues into the 21st century helping people in need. 51°33′59″N 0°08′13″W / 51.5665°N 0.1369°W / 51.5665; -0.1369 Highgate Highgate is a suburban area of London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath , 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (7 kilometres) north-northwest of Charing Cross . Highgate is one of
176-476: A place of pilgrimage for figures such as Carlyle and Emerson . He died here on 25 July 1834 and is buried in the crypt of nearby St Michael's Church . The writer J. B. Priestley subsequently lived in the same house; a commemorative plaque marks the property. Village green The village green also provided, and may still provide, an open-air meeting place for the local people, which may be used for public celebrations such as May Day festivities. The term
220-949: A village green is that in the village of Finchingfield in Essex, England, which is said to be "the most photographed village in England". The green dominates the village, and slopes down to a duck pond, and is occasionally flooded after heavy rain. The small village of Car Colston in Nottinghamshire , England, has two village greens, totaling 29 acres (12 ha), and the village of Burton Leonard in North Yorkshire has three. The Open Spaces Society states that in 2005 there were about 3,650 registered greens in England covering 8,150 acres (3,298 ha) and about 220 in Wales covering about 620 acres (251 ha). The northern part of
264-585: A village green, but that did not apply in the Moorside Fields case.) The Moorside Fields Community Group attempted to register the lands in 2016 under the Commons Act 2006. The local authority challenged the registration, wanting to retain control of the lands for future expansion of the nearby Moorside Primary School's playing fields. The council's challenge failed in the High Court and then in
308-466: Is 136 m (446 ft) above sea level at its highest point. The area is divided among three London boroughs : Haringey in the north and east, Camden in the south and west, and Islington in the south and east. The postal district is N6 . The name of the village is commonly / ˈ h aɪ ɡ eɪ t / . The London Underground in announcements at Highgate tube station uses the alternative pronunciation of / ˈ h aɪ ɡ ɪ t / , where
352-421: Is a landmark on London's northern skyline. Inside, the chancel and choir stalls were done by G. E. Street in 1880. The pulpit dates from 1848. The present bench pews date from 1879, replacing box pews . The present organ is by Hill and Davidson, and was installed in 1885, replacing an earlier instrument of 1842. It was overhauled in 1985. There is a monument to Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his family in
396-454: Is a town and village green remains the same. Thus land can become a village green if it has been used for twenty years without force, secrecy or request ( nec vi, nec clam, nec precario ). Village green legislation is often used to try to frustrate development. Recent case law ( Oxfordshire County Council vs Oxford City Council and Robinson ) makes it clear that registration as a green would render any development which prevented continuing use of
440-596: Is by William Hill and Sons, and installed in 1945 as a memorial to the local victims of the Second World War. On Friday 26 August 1988, Michael Williams, a 43-year-old father from Highgate who worked for the Home Office in Pimlico , disappeared while travelling back home after an employee social. His body was found at Highgate Wood the next day. The case remains unsolved despite being featured heavily in
484-784: Is now part of the Hampstead and Highgate (UK Parliament constituency) . Highgate is known for its pubs which line the old high street and surrounding streets. Some notable favourites are the Angel, the Flask , the Duke's Head and the Wrestlers. The 2011 census showed that the Highgate ward of Haringey was 82% white (60% British, 19% Other, 3% Irish). 40.9% of the ward were Christian, 7% Jewish and 3.8% Muslim. The Highgate ward of Camden meanwhile
SECTION 10
#1732776812807528-423: Is placed in the centre of a settlement. Village greens can also be formed when a settlement expands to the edge of an existing area of common land , or when an area of waste land between two settlements becomes developed. Some historical village greens have been lost as a result of the agricultural revolution and urban development . Greens are now most likely to be found in the older villages of mainland Europe,
572-701: Is probably the New Haven Green in New Haven , Connecticut . New Haven was founded by settlers from England and was the first planned city in the United States. Originally used for grazing livestock, the Green dates from the 1630s and is well preserved today despite lying at the heart of the city centre . The largest green in the U.S. is a mile in length and can be found in Lebanon, Connecticut . This
616-407: Is the 1964 sculpture of a cat by Jonathan Kenworthy , in polished-black Kellymount limestone. Iron railings, oval in plan, with upper flourishes and spearhead finials above and an intersecting circular return (an "overthrow"), surround it. The stone and railings are negligibly raised by a small broad stone plinth mainly set into the surrounding pavement. It has had statutory protection as listed , in
660-717: Is the only village green in the United States still used for agriculture. One of the most unusual is the Dartmouth Green in Hanover, New Hampshire , which was owned and cleared by the college in 1770. The college, not the town, still owns it and surrounded it with buildings as a sort of collegiate quadrangle in the 1930s, although its origin as a town green remains apparent. An example of a traditional American town green exists in downtown Morristown, NJ . The Morristown Green dates from 1715 and has hosted events ranging from executions to clothing drives. There are two places in
704-469: Is used more broadly to encompass woodland, moorland, sports grounds, buildings, roads and urban parks . Most village greens in England originated in the Middle Ages. Individual greens may have been created for various reasons, including protecting livestock from wild animals or human raiders during the night, or providing a space for market trading. In most cases where a village green is planned, it
748-730: The High Street was part of Hornsey parish and also later the Municipal Borough of Hornsey , and the seat of that borough's governing body for many years. Highgate Hill , the steep street linking Archway (traditionally called part of Upper Holloway) and Highgate village, was the route of the Highgate Hill Cable Tramway , the first cable car to be built in Europe. It operated between 1884 and 1909. Like much of London, Highgate suffered damage during World War II by German air raids . The local tube station
792-758: The Banshees ' bassist Steven Severin was born and brought up there. In 1817 the poet, aesthetic philosopher and critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge came to live at 3, The Grove, Highgate , the home of Dr James Gillman , in order to rehabilitate from his opium addiction. After Dr Gillman built a special wing for the poet, Coleridge lived there for the rest of his life, becoming known as the sage of Highgate. While here some of his most famous poems, though written years earlier, were first published including " Kubla Khan ". His literary autobiography, Biographia Literaria , appeared in 1817. While living there he became friends with his neighbour Joseph Hardman . His home became
836-578: The Court of Appeal; the registration of the land as a village green could proceed. Lancashire County Council subsequently appealed to the UK Supreme Court. In the appeal decision, cited as R (on the application of Lancashire County Council) (Appellant) v Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Respondent) the court overturned the previous judgments. At the same time,
880-464: The Moorside Fields, owned by Lancashire County Council. The lands had been available for public use for over 50 years. According to the Commons Act 2006, land used for informal recreation for at least 20 years can be registered as green and is then protected from development. (Granted, the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 specified that land designated for planning applications could not be registered as
924-608: The Square. Highgate is best known for the Victorian Highgate Cemetery , in which the Communist philosopher Karl Marx and the novelist George Eliot are buried, along with many other notable people. Adjoining is Holly Village, the first gated community , built in 1865, which is a Grade II* listed site. The village is at the top of Highgate Hill, which provides views across central London. Highgate
SECTION 20
#1732776812807968-818: The Supreme Court also ruled against the registration of lands in a separate case in Surrey involving the 2.9 hectare Leach Grove Wood at Leatherhead , owned by the National Health Service . After publication of the decision in the Moorside Fields case, Lancashire County Council told the news media that the court had "protect[ed] this land for future generations". In effect, the Supreme Court decision left lands owned by public authorities by their statutory powers open to development for any purpose that they deem to be appropriate. This could have far-reaching ramifications in England and Wales, according to
1012-486: The United Kingdom, and older areas of the United States. Some greens that used to be commons, or otherwise at the centres of villages, have been swallowed up by a city growing around them. Sometimes they become a city park or a square and manage to maintain a sense of place. London has several of these, such as Newington Green , with Newington Green Unitarian Church anchoring the northern end. Town expansion in
1056-500: The United States called Village Green: Village Green-Green Ridge, Pennsylvania , and Village Green, New York . Some New England towns, along with some areas settled by New Englanders such as the townships in the Connecticut Western Reserve , refer to their town square as a village green. The village green of Bedford, New York, is preserved as part of Bedford Village Historic District . A notable example of
1100-445: The eastern part of Hampstead Heath , three ancient woods, Waterlow Park and the eastern-facing slopes, known as Highgate bowl. At its centre is Highgate village, largely a collection of Georgian shops, pubs, restaurants and residential streets, interspersed with diverse landmarks such as St Michael's Church and steeple, St. Joseph's Church and its green copper dome, Highgate School (1565), Jacksons Lane arts centre, housed in
1144-458: The final syllable matches the last syllable in "frigate". Historically, Highgate adjoined the Bishop of London 's hunting estate. Highgate gets its name from these hunting grounds, as there was a high, deer-proof hedge surrounding the estate: 'the gate in the hedge'. The bishop kept a toll-house where one of the main northward roads out of London entered his land. A number of pubs sprang up along
1188-585: The form of a slate slab in the middle of the church. The church was damaged in the Second World War by enemy air raids and the present stained glass window at the east end was installed in 1954, replacing a window broken in the Blitz. It is one of the last works by Evie Hone and depicts the Last Supper . Further down Highgate Hill is the town's Roman Catholic parish church, St Joseph's . It
1232-614: The general use of the term, village green has a specific legal meaning in England and Wales, and also includes the less common term town green . Town and village greens were defined in the Commons Registration Act 1965 , as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 , as land: Registered greens in England and Wales are now governed by the Commons Act 2006 , but the fundamental test of whether land
1276-517: The green as criminal activity under the Inclosure Act 1857 and the Commons Act 1876 ( 39 & 40 Vict. c. 56). This leads to some most curious areas being claimed as village greens, sometimes with success. Recent examples include a bandstand, two lakes and a beach. On 11 December 2019, a Supreme Court decision put the future of some village greens at risk in England and Wales. The case involved five fields (13 hectares) in south Lancaster,
1320-464: The homage "Turn again Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London!" This quotation and a short history of the man cover two faces of the stone. The pub next to it is of the same name. The large tablet was erected in 1821, restored in 1935, and the cat sculpture was added in 1964. It is a two-segment slab of Portland stone , "the inscription to the south-west side now almost completely eroded, that to
1364-501: The initial grade II category, since 1972. The location of the stone was considered the northern part of Upper Holloway , until some decades after the nearby arched bridge was built in the early 19th century. Aside from cultural references including a nursery rhyme, story and plays, the Lord Mayor was praised for ensuring the building of a maternity hospital and drains for the poor of London during his lifetime. He left his wealth to
Whittington Stone - Misplaced Pages Continue
1408-463: The mid-20th century led in England to the formation of local conservation societies, often centring on village green preservation, as celebrated and parodied in The Kinks ' album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society . The Open Spaces Society is a present-day UK national campaigning body that continues this movement. In the United States, the most famous example of a town green
1452-681: The most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has three active conservation organisations: the Highgate Society, the Highgate Neighbourhood Forum and the Highgate Conservation Area Advisory Committee, to protect and enhance its character and amenities. Until late Victorian times, it was a distinct village outside London, sitting astride the main road to the north. The area retains many green expanses, including
1496-471: The name given to old boys of the school. These include T.S. Eliot , who taught the poet laureate John Betjeman there, Gerard Manley Hopkins the poet, the composers John Taverner and John Rutter , John Venn the inventor of Venn diagrams , actor Geoffrey Palmer , Anthony Crosland MP and Labour reformer, and the cabinet minister Charles Clarke . A blue plaque on a house at the top of North Hill notes that Charles Dickens stayed there in 1832, when he
1540-566: The national press and on the BBC 's TV programme Crimewatch . Highgate Cemetery is the burial place of Communist philosopher Karl Marx , Michael Faraday , Douglas Adams , George Eliot , Jacob Bronowski , Sir Ralph Richardson , Dawn Foster , Christina Rossetti , Sir Sidney Nolan , Alexander Litvinenko , Malcolm McLaren , Radclyffe Hall , Joseph Wolf and singer-songwriter George Michael . Many notable alumni have passed through Highgate School , either Masters or indeed Old Cholmeleians,
1584-466: The north-east [tells] the career of the medieval merchant and City dignitary Sir Richard Whittington (c.1354–1423), including his [three/four] terms as Lord Mayor". The memorial marks the site where 'Dick Whittington', returning home discouraged after a disastrous attempt to make his fortune in the City, heard the bells of St Mary-le-Bow ring out, 'Turn again Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London.' On top
1628-677: The province of Drenthe in the Netherlands is also known for its village greens. Zuidlaren is the village with the largest number of village greens in the Netherlands. The Błonia Park , originally established in the Middle Ages, is an example of a large village green in Kraków , Poland. In Indonesia , especially in Java , a similar place is called Alun-Alun . It is a central part of Javanese village architecture and culture. Apart from
1672-433: The route, one of which, the Gatehouse, commemorates the toll-house. Hampstead Lane and Highgate Hill contain the red brick Victorian buildings of Highgate School and its adjacent Chapel of St Michael. The school has played a paramount role in the life of the village and has existed on its site since its founding was permitted by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I in 1565. The area north of Hampstead Lane and east of
1716-599: The south in order to form an enlarged Holborn and St Pancras constituency from the 2010 general election . Since 1983 the northern half of Highgate village was part of the Hornsey and Wood Green constituency. Until 2023 the southern half of Highgate was in the Holborn & St Pancras Parliamentary constituency whose MP is Keir Starmer of the Labour Party , the party's current leader. The whole of Highgate Village
1760-486: Was Lewis Vulliamy , and in 1831 his original drawings for the church were exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts . From the late 17th century until 1830 Ashhurst House, the home of former Lord Mayor of London Sir William Ashhurst , stood on the site of the church. The remains of the house's cellar now form part of the church's crypt. The church's spire, built of Bath stone , with a cross of Portland stone ,
1804-707: Was 20 years old. Peter Sellers lived as a boy in a cottage in Muswell Hill Road, where his mother had moved in order to send him to the Catholic St Aloysius Boys' School in Hornsey Lane. In Victorian times St Mary Magdalene House of Charity in Highgate was a refuge for former prostitutes—"fallen women"—where Christina Rossetti was a volunteer from 1859 to 1870. It may have inspired her best-known poem, Goblin Market . Siouxsie and
Whittington Stone - Misplaced Pages Continue
1848-595: Was 80% white (61% British, 15% Other, 4% Irish), and 3% Black African. 37.5% of the ward were Christian, 5.1% Muslim. and 4.2% Jewish. Highgate's main Church of England parish church, St Michael's , is situated close to the summit of the hill, and is the highest church in Greater London. It was built as one of the Commissioners' churches in 1831 and consecrated and opened on 8 November 1832. The architect
1892-412: Was designed by Albert Vickers, and built in 1888, replacing an earlier, smaller church of 1861. Although St Joseph's Church was opened in 1889 by the Bishop of Liverpool , it was not until 1932, when its debts were cleared, that it was officially consecrated. The church has a distinctive copper dome with a green patina, and the interior of the dome was painted by Nathaniel Westlake in 1891. The organ
1936-557: Was used as a bomb shelter. Highgate New Town is a post-war estate adjacent to the cemetery, designed by Camden Council with similarities to the Alexandra Road estate . Between 1983 and 2010 Highgate was part of the Hampstead and Highgate constituency. The Boundary Commission report of 2003 recommended removing the Camden part of Highgate from the remainder of that constituency and joining it with Kentish Town and Holborn to
#806193