A wooden cross was erected at the junction of these roads, roughly where the Clock Tower now stands, and a small settlement developed around it.

[8] From the later part of the eighteenth century, Crouch End became home to wealthy London merchants seeking refuge from the City.

Although the first patch of urbanisation along Park Road (Maynard Street until c1870) was distinctly working-class in character, by the end of the 19th century, the large merchants' villas had been replaced by urban middle-class housing and Crouch End had become a comfortable middle-class London suburb with a varied and popular range of shops.

Many of the older houses in the area lay empty post-war and many were bought cheaply by speculative landlords who then let them out to the growing student populations of the Mountview and Hornsey Art College.

The interior and exterior have been used several times as a location by the BBC series The Hour, written by Abi Morgan, and other TV and films, including a scene in The Crown.

The building is currently undergoing renovation and conversion into a hotel, apartments, restaurant and a contemporary arts centre by the Far East Consortium.

After Williams's retirement the newly designated Hornsey Urban District Council decided to erect a clock tower to celebrate his achievements.

Over a thousand people assembled, and at noon the Earl of Stafford, Lord-Lieutenant of Middlesex, released a blue ribbon hanging from the belfry and the clock struck its first notes.

The Crouch End Hippodrome originally opened on Tottenham Lane in July 1897 as the Queen's Opera House with a production of The Geisha.

[18] The occupation, soon joined by others around the country, and linked with similar events in Paris, offered a major critique of the education system at the time.

[19] After the authorities regained control, known as the "night of the dogs", sympathetic lecturers and students who had taken part (including Tom Nairn and Kim Howells) were dismissed.

Subsequently, it was relocated to a Middlesex campus at Alexandra Palace and the lease of the building taken over by the TUC, which used it as its national training centre.

Further away Heartlands High School which lies between Wood Green and Alexandra Palace was opened by Haringey in 2010; despite not being in Crouch End it is close enough to provide additional provision.

Kestrel House is an independent special school for pupils with autistic spectrum conditions and additional learning and behavioural needs.

The vast majority of pupils are referred by local authorities in London and the Home Counties who pay the fees.

It has recently had a major refurbishment, including the fountain area, but due to RACC the main library building has a temporary crash desk, so full of scaffolding, while the roof is being replaced.

The library contains a large book stock, DVDs, provides free access to the Internet, meeting rooms for adult education classes, the Original Gallery for art exhibitions, literary groups and performers.

[23] Founded in 1971, the HHS has over 400 members and is based in the old school house on the boundary between Hornsey and Crouch End by Holy Innocents.

They have over 21,000 items including articles, books, documents & manuscripts, local newspapers, maps, photographs, postcards and video memories.

A 2016 article in the Evening Standard stated that estate agents liked to call the area "London's Creative Village", and that "ever since the heady days of student protests at nearby Hornsey College of Art in 1968, Crouch End has had an arty reputation".

The choir has worked with many classical and popular music artists including Ennio Morricone, Noel Gallagher, Andrea Bocelli, Katherine Jenkins.

It also has a thriving blues scene and a strong associations with famous bands, including the Kinks, Dave Stewart & Annie Lennox (Tourists/Eurythmics), Bombay Bicycle Club and Pink Floyd who lived in the area in the '60s and played at the Hornsey College of Art.

[26] David Gray acquired ownership in 2004 before UK leading music producer Paul Epworth bought and refurbished the studio in 2013.

It has since been used by notable artists such as Adele, U2, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Annie Lennox, Depeche Mode, Robert Plant, Patti Smith, Elvis Costello, Lana Del Rey, Tom Jones, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Florence + The Machine, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Mumford and Sons, Seal, Spiritualized, The Stones Roses and many more.

In the early 1980s part of the old church on Crouch Hill was converted for use as a studio by Bob Bura and John Hardwick, the animators who worked on Camberwick Green, Captain Pugwash and Trumpton.

It was named The Church Studios, and in the 1990s the space was rented to Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics (but at the time was in the Tourists).

Dave and Annie worked and rehearsed in the Spanish Moon record shop, and lived in the flat above from 76 to 80, opposite what is now the Co-op.

[citation needed] In the 1990s Bob Dylan worked on an album in the studio, and became so fond of the area he looked for a property in Crouch End.

It covers Crouch End, Hornsey and Stroud Green and includes art exhibitions, drama, dance, film, poetry, photography, fringe, music of all kinds, an outdoor cinema, (introduced by Peter Bradshaw).

[32] The London Overground links the area directly to Upper Holloway and Gospel Oak in the west, and to Harringay, South Tottenham, Walthamstow, and Barking in the east.