Five Interesting Facts About Winchmore Hill

It may be one of the most sought-after places to live in North London, but there are a number of unusual facts about Winchmore Hill which set the district apart from its neighbours and near-neighbours. Here estate agents Anthony Pepe, who can help with residential home sales in Winchmore Hill, explain more.

1 . It Was Originally Called Wynsemerhull

In Old English, ‘merhull’ translates as ‘boundary hill’. So, one translation of the name could mean ‘Wynsige’s boundary hill’ – although just who Wynsige was remains unclear. The one hill in the district was the location of a fort, built by a Celtic tribe. These days, the site is occupied by Bush Hill Park Golf Club.

Over the years ’Wynsemerhull’ became ‘Wynsmerhull’ and by 1565 the village was known as Wynsmorehyll; the first recorded mention of Winchmore Hill was in 1586, in official state papers.

2. It’s Popular With Celebrities

A number of famous people have made Winchmore Hill their home. This particularly applies to musicians and singers – Frank Ifield, Cliff Richard and Rod Stewart have all lived in the area. More recent singers who have made the district their home include Paul Young, Louise Redknapp, Emma Bunton (of the Spice Girls), and Myleene Klass (the television personality formerly of pop group Hear'Say).

One part of Winchmore Hill - specifically, the Broad Walk area - is so popular with the rich and famous it has been dubbed ‘Millionaire’s Row.’

3. It’s Not Unique

Winchmore Hill isn’t just a leafy, desirable suburb in north London; it’s also a village in Buckinghamshire, close to Amersham. Like its capital namesake, the village has a central green which forms the centrepiece of the area (and, in the case of the Buckinghamshire version, it’s the focus for a lot of social activities); and the two places are both on the same line of latitude - so if you look due west from the London version then the village is 21 miles away.

However, the village is much smaller than its London district counterpart. The former has a population of around 500 people, whereas London’s Winchmore Hill is close to 14,000. And the village doesn’t have all the shops, restaurants and other facilities (including transport connections) that the larger one can boast.

4. It is Officially a Great Place to Live

The London Winchmore Hill was voted one of the Best Places to Live by the Sunday Times as recently as 2021. This widely respected list uses a variety of judging standards, including school Ofsted reports, broadband speeds, high street shops and local amenities, as well as transport links.

The district scored well in all these areas, and the newspaper noted that – thanks in part to the central green, as well as the public open spaces of Grovelands Park – it has a ‘villagey’ feel even though central London is within easy reach.

5. It Has Its Own Place in Popular Culture

Winchmore Hill’s history has been chronicled in a number of local history books; however it’s also been the subject of a piano solo composed by Argentine Juan Maria Solare. It was dedicated to his friend and mentor, James MacAonghus, who lived in the area. Winchmore Hill was first played in public in Stuttgart in 2002.

The district also features in the 1996 Mike Leigh film Secrets and Lies. Timothy Spall’s character, Maurice Purley, had a photographic studio; this was shot at a real-life studio in The Green, Winchmore Hill.

Residential Home Sales in Winchmore Hill with Anthony Pepe

Anthony Pepe are estate agents covering North London and Hertfordshire. So if you have a house for rent (or sale), and live in Winchmore Hill, or are looking to move into the area, then contact us by following this link and filling in the online form on the right-hand side of the page.'

You can rely on us for a high level of service and our highly experienced local team prides itself on getting the right result for the customer.