Upper Clapton
Encyclopedia
Upper Clapton is a district in the London Borough of Hackney
. It is bounded by the Hackney districts of Stamford Hill
to the west, Lower Clapton
and Lea Bridge
to the south and the Haringey
district of South Tottenham
to the north. To the east is the River Lea
(spelt Lea or Lee), on the other side of which is the expanse of the Walthamstow Marshes
, part of which is in the Lee Valley Park
.
As is frequently the case with London districts, these boundaries have become uncertain because of the meeting of the developing expansion of the original settlements. Western parts of the area are often considered part of a wider Stamford Hill, understandable perhaps because of the public transport junction and shopping area at Stamford Broadway, and that the Hassidic Jewish community identified as being located in Stamford Hill extends into Upper Clapton.
Road as Upper and Lower Clapton, and those names soon passed into general use. Hackney Lane came to be known as Lower and Upper Clapton roads, until in the late 19th century the stretch through the common to Stamford Hill was named Clapton Common.
The area, along with Lower Clapton, was known in the 1990s and early 2000s for drug and gun related crimes
, gaining it the nickname "Murder Mile." As well as being featured in the film Bullet Boy
, Clapton's reputation was highlighted in an episode of Channel 4's satirical TV show Brass Eye in 1997, which claimed that the petrol station is shoplifted every 30 minutes.
One of the most pleasant amenities in Upper Clapton is Springfield Park
, running down the hill eastwards to the Lea. This park was created in 1905 out of the extensive grounds of three mansions, of which only Springfield House survives, now known as the White House, housing a café and the municipal rangers station. The park's sports facilities include five tennis court
s, and a cricket pitch while to the north just across Spring Hill in the recreation ground there are rugby fields (home of the Hackney RUFC
), more newly resurfaced tennis courts and football pitches. It received a Green Flag award
in July 2008. Across the Lea, on the ancient Essex
and modern London Borough of Waltham Forest
border is Springfield Marina, a packed mooring for narrowboat
s and other waterway craft, while back on this side is the Lea Rowing Club.
Aside from the mansion, another — and very popular — survivor is the Anchor and Hope pub at the southeast corner of the park. The area along the Lea was heavily bombed in the Second World War
, and the pub is one of the few survivors of the terraced housing that once dominated the area. It is now quite overshadowed by pre- and post-war blocks of flats.
Besides Springfield Park, Upper Clapton is delineated to the west by the long leafy strip of Clapton Common, distinguished by the recently regenerated Clapton Pond (not to be confused with Clapton Ponds, two much smaller ex-reservoirs in Lower Clapton). The pond is a favourite with bird watchers — besides the usual variety of ducks, geese and swans, such shy birds as grebes and other waders may often be seen feeding in the reed beds.
Upper Clapton is home to one of London's more unusual churches, the Church of the Good Shepherd, which was used as a place of worship by the Ancient Catholic Church and now is used by the Georgian Orthodox Church. However, the church was originally built by the Agapemonite cult in 1892 as the Church of the Ark of the Covenant.
The Agapemonites, who held decidedly unconventional views on marriage and the role of women, relocated to Upper Clapton from their spiritual community in Spaxton
, Somerset
, and had clearly prospered by this time. Although it is fairly conventional in floor plan, the outside of the church is a riot of statuary and symbolism. The main doorways sport large carvings of angels and the four evangelists symbolised by a man, an eagle, a bull and a lion. The same four figures, cast in bronze, look out over the four quarters of the Earth from the base of the steeple. The two flanking weather vanes show a certain symbolic debt to William Blake
's Jerusalem depicting, as they do, a fiery chariot and a sheaf of arrows (presumably of desire), while the main steeple is clearly surmounted by a spear. The stained glass windows betray the unconventional nature of the sect as they illustrate the 'true station of womankind'.
The church was completed in 1895, by J. Morris, in a Gothic style; and was designated a Grade II listed building on 12 September 1969 — for its "curiosity value".
The cult had always been surrounded by scandal during its sojourn in Somerset and, after the move to Clapton, this degenerated into sheer farce. The original leader, Henry James Prince, who claimed to be immortal, died in 1899 and was succeeded by the charming but philandering John Hugh Smyth-Pigott, who wasted no time before declaring himself as The Messiah. Challenged by a jeering mob to prove his godhood by walking across Clapton Pond
, Smyth-Pigott declined and retired to Somerset, where he was said to enjoy the favours of as many as seven 'spiritual brides' a week. Smyth-Pigott who, of course, also claimed immortality, died in 1927, after which the cult went into decline. The Clapton church had already been abandoned by the cult, was acquired by the Ancient Catholic Church in 1956 and the Georgian Orthodox Church in 2005.
Close by the Good Shepherd is the stately New Synagogue, on the eastern side of Clapton Common. This Grade II listed building is a little deceptive, appearing much older than it actually is. In spite of its handsome Georgian
-style exterior, this is actually post-Edwardian, built in 1915. It is, however, a faithful replica of an earlier building, the Great St Helen's Synagogue in the City of London
, which was designed by John Davies in 1838. The current building contains a number of original fixtures from its predecessor. Endangered for a while, the synagogue was restored in 2005.
A large house known as the King's House stood on the site now occupied by BSix Sixth Form College
, as early 1476. The house was within a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) estate, which was described as the Manor of Hackney from about 1532 to the early 17th century — although there were two other manors in the south of the Parish.
In 1532, Henry Algernon Percy, Earl of Northumberland
, acquired the estate from Sir Richard Neville. However, in January 1535 the land was taken by Henry VIII
; in settlement of a debt. The King visited the house in April 1535 and on 24 September 1535 he granted his "manor or principal messuage of Hackney" to Thomas Cromwell, his chief minister. Cromwell refurbished the house, and on 1 May 1536, returned the house to the King. In July 1536, Ralph Sadleir brought Mary I of England
to the house to swear the Oath of Supremacy
before her father, and Jane Seymour
, the Queen. Henry continued to own the house until his death in January 1547. The famous Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
died in the house in Hackney known as the "King's House" on the 24th June, 1604 (Edward de Vere is viewed by some as the most likely candidate alternative to the Stratford-Upon-Avon Shakespeare).
The name of the house derives from its purchase by Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke
in 1621 — which led to ownership by the family for over 200 years. The house became tenanted after 1724, but in 1758–9 the house was modified by a leasee, William Clarke who converted it to a lunatic asylum. The site remained in this use until 1940.
The remains of the house were destroyed by enemy action
in October 1940. 5.5 acre (0.02225773 km²) of Brooke House were purchased by the London County Council
in 1944, and further bomb damage occurred that year. The house was finally demolished in 1954, and archaeological investigations of the Tudor palace took place in 1955–6. New school buildings were erected in 1960, designed by Armstrong and MacManus.
is a sixth form college
on a site near the Lea Bridge roundabout in Clapton.
About 2 miles by bus, the nearest London Underground stations are Tottenham Hale, Manor House
and Seven Sisters.
Nearest railway stations
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
. It is bounded by the Hackney districts of Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill is a place in the north of the London Borough of Hackney, England, near the border with Haringey. It is home to Europe's largest Hasidic Jewish and Adeni Jewish community.Stamford Hill is NNE of Charing Cross.-History:...
to the west, Lower Clapton
Lower Clapton
Lower Clapton is a district within the London Borough of Hackney.It is immediately adjacent to central Hackney - bounded, roughly, by the western side of Hackney Downs , the Lea Valley , Clifden Road and the Lea Bridge Road...
and Lea Bridge
Lea Bridge
Lea Bridge is a district of the London Borough of Hackney. It is situated to the northeast of the borough and bounded by Upper Clapton to the north, Lower Clapton to the south, and the River Lee Navigation to the east...
to the south and the Haringey
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
district of South Tottenham
South Tottenham
-Location:South Tottenham occupies parts of the N15 and N17 postal districts. It is bordered in the south by Stamford Hill, the west by St Ann's and West Green, the north by Tottenham, and the east by the Lee Valley Reservoirs.-Character of the area:...
to the north. To the east is the River Lea
River Lee (England)
The River Lea in England originates in Marsh Farm , Leagrave, Luton in the Chiltern Hills and flows generally southeast, east, and then south to London where it meets the River Thames , the last section being known as Bow Creek.-Etymology:...
(spelt Lea or Lee), on the other side of which is the expanse of the Walthamstow Marshes
Walthamstow Marshes
Walthamstow Marshes, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest SSSI. It was once an area of lammas land — strips of meadow used for growing crops and grazing cattle....
, part of which is in the Lee Valley Park
Lee Valley Park
Lee Valley Regional Park is a long linear park, much of it green spaces, running through the northeast of London, Essex and Hertfordshire from the River Thames to Ware in Hertfordshire, England through areas such as Hackney, Tottenham, Enfield, Stratford, Tower Hamlets, Walthamstow, Cheshunt,...
.
As is frequently the case with London districts, these boundaries have become uncertain because of the meeting of the developing expansion of the original settlements. Western parts of the area are often considered part of a wider Stamford Hill, understandable perhaps because of the public transport junction and shopping area at Stamford Broadway, and that the Hassidic Jewish community identified as being located in Stamford Hill extends into Upper Clapton.
History
Clapton was from 1339 until the 18th century normally rendered as Clopton, meaning the "farm on the hill". The Old English clop - "lump" or "hill" - presumably denoted the high ground which rises from the River Lea. Eventually encompassing the north-eastern quarter of the parish, Clapton grew up along the way which in 1745 was called Hackney Lane, part of which ran through Broad (later Clapton) Common. Building spread to meet streets east of the high road and north of Homerton in the 19th century. Manorial courts from the early 19th century distinguished the parts north and south of Lea BridgeLea Bridge
Lea Bridge is a district of the London Borough of Hackney. It is situated to the northeast of the borough and bounded by Upper Clapton to the north, Lower Clapton to the south, and the River Lee Navigation to the east...
Road as Upper and Lower Clapton, and those names soon passed into general use. Hackney Lane came to be known as Lower and Upper Clapton roads, until in the late 19th century the stretch through the common to Stamford Hill was named Clapton Common.
The area, along with Lower Clapton, was known in the 1990s and early 2000s for drug and gun related crimes
Crime in London
Greater London is served by three police forces; the Metropolitan Police which is responsible for policing the vast majority of the capital and is geographically divided into 32 Borough Operational Command Units, the City of London Police which is responsible for The Square Mile of the City of...
, gaining it the nickname "Murder Mile." As well as being featured in the film Bullet Boy
Bullet Boy
Bullet Boy is a 2005 film directed by Saul Dibb, written by Saul Dibb and Catherine Johnson, and stars Ashley Walters. The film's original music was composed and performed by Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack, who released it as an album...
, Clapton's reputation was highlighted in an episode of Channel 4's satirical TV show Brass Eye in 1997, which claimed that the petrol station is shoplifted every 30 minutes.
On the waterfront
Springfield Park (London)
Springfield Park is a park in Upper Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney in north London. The park was formed in 1905 from the grounds of three private houses, one of which still survives as a cafe...
, running down the hill eastwards to the Lea. This park was created in 1905 out of the extensive grounds of three mansions, of which only Springfield House survives, now known as the White House, housing a café and the municipal rangers station. The park's sports facilities include five tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, and a cricket pitch while to the north just across Spring Hill in the recreation ground there are rugby fields (home of the Hackney RUFC
Hackney RFC
Hackney Rugby Football Club is a rugby club based in Hackney, London, England.Hackney currently field three senior men's teams as well as one women's team. The men's 1st XV compete in Herts/Middlesex One . The 2nd XV play in the Hertfordshire Merit League 5, while the 3rd XV have entered Merit...
), more newly resurfaced tennis courts and football pitches. It received a Green Flag award
Green Flag award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
in July 2008. Across the Lea, on the ancient Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and modern London Borough of Waltham Forest
London Borough of Waltham Forest
The London Borough of Waltham Forest is in northeast London, England. Officially, it forms part of Outer London as it borders Essex. However, it can be seen that the NE London boundary does not extend far compared to elsewhere in the city...
border is Springfield Marina, a packed mooring for narrowboat
Narrowboat
A narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of Great Britain.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
s and other waterway craft, while back on this side is the Lea Rowing Club.
Aside from the mansion, another — and very popular — survivor is the Anchor and Hope pub at the southeast corner of the park. The area along the Lea was heavily bombed in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the pub is one of the few survivors of the terraced housing that once dominated the area. It is now quite overshadowed by pre- and post-war blocks of flats.
Besides Springfield Park, Upper Clapton is delineated to the west by the long leafy strip of Clapton Common, distinguished by the recently regenerated Clapton Pond (not to be confused with Clapton Ponds, two much smaller ex-reservoirs in Lower Clapton). The pond is a favourite with bird watchers — besides the usual variety of ducks, geese and swans, such shy birds as grebes and other waders may often be seen feeding in the reed beds.
The Abode of Love
The Agapemonites, who held decidedly unconventional views on marriage and the role of women, relocated to Upper Clapton from their spiritual community in Spaxton
Spaxton
Spaxton is a small village and civil parish on the Quantocks in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, South West England.-History:Spaxton was part of the hundred of Cannington....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, and had clearly prospered by this time. Although it is fairly conventional in floor plan, the outside of the church is a riot of statuary and symbolism. The main doorways sport large carvings of angels and the four evangelists symbolised by a man, an eagle, a bull and a lion. The same four figures, cast in bronze, look out over the four quarters of the Earth from the base of the steeple. The two flanking weather vanes show a certain symbolic debt to William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
's Jerusalem depicting, as they do, a fiery chariot and a sheaf of arrows (presumably of desire), while the main steeple is clearly surmounted by a spear. The stained glass windows betray the unconventional nature of the sect as they illustrate the 'true station of womankind'.
The church was completed in 1895, by J. Morris, in a Gothic style; and was designated a Grade II listed building on 12 September 1969 — for its "curiosity value".
Clapton Pond
thumb|300px|Clapton Pond from the South West cornerClapton Pond is a pond and garden, located in Hackney, east London.The name ‘Clapton’ or ‘farm on the hill’ is derived from the Old English words ‘clop’, a lump or hill, and ‘ton’ farm....
, Smyth-Pigott declined and retired to Somerset, where he was said to enjoy the favours of as many as seven 'spiritual brides' a week. Smyth-Pigott who, of course, also claimed immortality, died in 1927, after which the cult went into decline. The Clapton church had already been abandoned by the cult, was acquired by the Ancient Catholic Church in 1956 and the Georgian Orthodox Church in 2005.
The New Synagogue
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
-style exterior, this is actually post-Edwardian, built in 1915. It is, however, a faithful replica of an earlier building, the Great St Helen's Synagogue in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, which was designed by John Davies in 1838. The current building contains a number of original fixtures from its predecessor. Endangered for a while, the synagogue was restored in 2005.
Brooke House
BSix Sixth Form College
BSix Sixth Form College: Brooke House is a sixth form college located in Upper Clapton, London in the United Kingdom. It officially opened in September 2002, giving students in Hackney the opportunity to study at a college close to where they live. Brooke House has previously been the site of other...
, as early 1476. The house was within a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) estate, which was described as the Manor of Hackney from about 1532 to the early 17th century — although there were two other manors in the south of the Parish.
In 1532, Henry Algernon Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, KG was an English nobleman, active as a military officer in the north. He is now primarily remembered as the betrothed of Anne Boleyn, whom he was forced to give up before she became involved with King Henry VIII.-Early life:He was eldest son of Henry...
, acquired the estate from Sir Richard Neville. However, in January 1535 the land was taken by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
; in settlement of a debt. The King visited the house in April 1535 and on 24 September 1535 he granted his "manor or principal messuage of Hackney" to Thomas Cromwell, his chief minister. Cromwell refurbished the house, and on 1 May 1536, returned the house to the King. In July 1536, Ralph Sadleir brought Mary I of England
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
to the house to swear the Oath of Supremacy
Oath of Supremacy
The Oath of Supremacy, originally imposed by King Henry VIII of England through the Act of Supremacy 1534, but repealed by his daughter, Queen Mary I of England and reinstated under Mary's sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England under the Act of Supremacy 1559, provided for any person taking public or...
before her father, and Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
, the Queen. Henry continued to own the house until his death in January 1547. The famous Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, lyric poet, sportsman and patron of the arts, and is currently the most popular alternative candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's works....
died in the house in Hackney known as the "King's House" on the 24th June, 1604 (Edward de Vere is viewed by some as the most likely candidate alternative to the Stratford-Upon-Avon Shakespeare).
The name of the house derives from its purchase by Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke
Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke
Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke, de jure 13th Baron Latimer and 5th Baron Willoughby de Broke , known before 1621 as Sir Fulke Greville, was an Elizabethan poet, dramatist, and statesman....
in 1621 — which led to ownership by the family for over 200 years. The house became tenanted after 1724, but in 1758–9 the house was modified by a leasee, William Clarke who converted it to a lunatic asylum. The site remained in this use until 1940.
The remains of the house were destroyed by enemy action
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
in October 1940. 5.5 acre (0.02225773 km²) of Brooke House were purchased by the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
in 1944, and further bomb damage occurred that year. The house was finally demolished in 1954, and archaeological investigations of the Tudor palace took place in 1955–6. New school buildings were erected in 1960, designed by Armstrong and MacManus.
Education
BSix Sixth Form CollegeBSix Sixth Form College
BSix Sixth Form College: Brooke House is a sixth form college located in Upper Clapton, London in the United Kingdom. It officially opened in September 2002, giving students in Hackney the opportunity to study at a college close to where they live. Brooke House has previously been the site of other...
is a sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
on a site near the Lea Bridge roundabout in Clapton.
Transport and locale
Manor House tube station
Manor House tube station is a station on the Piccadilly line of the London Underground, on the boundary between Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3. It straddles the border between the London Boroughs of Hackney and Haringey, the postal address and three of the entrances being in the former, and one...
and Seven Sisters.
Nearest railway stations
- Clapton railway stationClapton railway stationClapton railway station is on a suburban line operated by National Express East Anglia located on Upper Clapton Road.It links Upper Clapton to Liverpool Street in central London and Chingford....
- Saint James Street railway stationSt James Street railway stationSt James Street railway station is in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in north east London, and is in Travelcard Zone 3, on the Chingford branch of the Lea Valley Lines. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia....
- South Tottenham railway stationSouth Tottenham railway stationSouth Tottenham is a railway station on the east-west Gospel Oak to Barking Line. It is located on the eastern side of the north-south A10 High Road in Tottenham, North London, between and...
- Stamford Hill railway stationStamford Hill railway stationStamford Hill is a railway station in Stamford Hill, in the London Borough of Hackney, east London.The entrance hall of Stamford Hill railway station on Amhurst Park lies within the London Borough of Hackney, but the platform area lies within Tottenham in the London Borough of Haringey in north...
External links
- History of Clapton (British History Online)
- Clapton at freeservers.com
- The Lee Valley Park
- The Spark Café
- BSix College Brooke House Website
- The Clapton Messiah The Agapemonites - Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action Group
- The Agapemonites - Clapton Freeservers
- The New Synagogue (from oldsynagogues.org - shows the impressive interior)