Tottenham Hale

Tottenham Hale
Tottenham Hale  Tottenham Hale shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ345895
– Charing Cross	6.1 mi (9.8 km)  ESE
London borough	Haringey
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	N15, N17
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Tottenham
London Assembly	Enfield and Haringey
List of places UK England London

Tottenham Hale is a district in the London Borough of Haringey in North London. From 1850–1965, it was part of the Municipal Borough of Tottenham, in Middlesex.

Etymology

It takes its name from the old English word Hale (to hoist or pull), as goods (particularly timber) were unloaded from the River Lea for onward transport by road at this point.

Character of the area

Centred around Tottenham Hale station the area was largely industrial in character until the development of large residential areas and a retail park. There is a large-scale housing project currently under construction, and Haringey Council is formulating plans to redevelop the area.

The east of Tottenham Hale borders the London Borough of Waltham Forest and the Walthamstow Reservoirs. The River Lea runs through the east of Tottenham Hale. This includes the Tottenham Lock and the Pymmes Brook merging with the river. Surrounding these are three main housing areas: Hale Village, the Ferry Lane Estate and Heron Wharf.

Hale Village's design is based on Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm, Sweden

Wildlife

The nearby Walthamstow Reservoirs and River Lea support a variety of waterfowl including herons, geese, swans, moorhens and coots.

The Walthamstow Reservoirs have been awarded a Heritage Lottery grant, funding their development into Europe's largest Urban Wetland Park. This is due for completion in 2016.

The Paddocks Nature Park provides a nesting site for birds such as song thrush, blackbird and various warblers. Weasels and hedgehogs as well as bats reside in the park.

Industry

The following companies are or have been located in the Tottenham Hale area:

Name	Dates	Notes
Hale Motors/ The Ray Powell Group		Rootes/Chrysler Main Dealers, 1970s.
Cannon Automotive		Makers of rubber car mats etc.
Gestetner		It was formerly the location of the Gestetner duplicating machine factory, opened in 1906 and growing to be the largest duplicator manufacturer in the world, employing around 6,000 people until the 1970s.
Eagle Pencils (later Berol)	1910 to the 1990s
Dickinsons Stationery
English Abrasives		Abrasive papers etc.
Harris Lebus	1904 - 1969	At one time this was the largest furniture factory in Europe, employing 8,000 by the late 1930s. During the Second World War the factory produced parts for De Havilland Mosquito aircraft, the Airspeed Horsa attack glider and even false wooden copies of the Sherman tank. The factory featured a large network of air raid shelters, which survived until the site was redeveloped in 2008 for a local mixed use development.
Greater London Council (GLC) Supplies Department		The site of the 29,000m2 warehouse of the former Greater London Council which provided a centralised purchasing function for the GLC, the Inner London Education Authority and some of the outer London boroughs. This warehouse was on the site of the former Harris Lebus factory on the north side of Ferry Lane and was redeveloped in 2008.
Beavertown Brewery	2014	Craft Brewery

Education

For details of education in Tottenham Hale see the London Borough of Haringey article.

Transport

Tottenham Hale station is on the Victoria line and also has National Rail Abellio Greater Anglia services.

The redevelopment of Tottenham Hale bus station was completed in December 2014. The railway and Underground station is currently awaiting redevelopment.

The following bus routes serve the bus station: 41, 76, 123, 192, 230, W4, N41 and N73.

Gallery

• 

  The River Lea as it flows through Tottenham Hale and past Heron Wharf.

• 

  The Lea passing the Ferry Lane Estate.

• 

  The GLS Warehouse at the junction of Ferry Lane and Mill Mead Road, behind Tottenham Hale station. Now demolished, under the Tottenham Hale Master Plan this will be the site of a huge residential, shopping and office complex.

• 

  Demolition of the GLS Warehouse.

• 

  Heron House, the first of the new buildings to be built under the Tottenham Hale Master Plan. The building is situated on a small island in the River Lea, and contains student housing and a restaurant.