Palmers Green Art Trail
1. Palmers Greenery community cafe: Canada Geese mural by Laura McKendry
Jointly commissioned by the Palmers Greenery community café and Palmers Green Action Team and created in 2021.
Inspired by the wildlife of Broomfield Park, this lovely painting brings a flash of colour to the community run café. Commissioned by Palmers Green Action Team in partnership with the café.
Four geese and their goslings were added to the walls of the Palmers Greenery in the summer of 2021 by artist, Laura McKendry - made possible thanks to profits generated by the café.
In many respects canada geese are seen as pests: aggressive, noisy, defecating park dwellers. Their ubiquity and their unimpressive markings - compared to other species - make them one of the less celebrated aquatic birds.
But for many of us during 2020, local pockets of nature grew to be our sanctuary. One precious daily walk, and all its offerings, gave new witness to the evolving dramas of the natural world on our doorstep.
In the mundanity of the every day, the seasonal habits of these previously unappreciated urban creatures provided entertainment and solace, fascination and momentum.
This work is a celebration. Of the unremarkable. Of the familiar through new eyes. Of community and locality.
2. Broomfield Community Orchard
The first trees in the orchard were planted in 2009 by the Friends of Broomfield Park. There are 44 different varieties of apple, as well as other trees including peach, quince, medlar, mulberry, plum, hazel, damson and pear. It's open on Sundays between 2pm and 4pm. The new mural A Rhythm of Broomfield Park (No 11 below) celebrates the orchard's beehives and lavendar.
3. Matchbox Collective murals on the old changing rooms
Artists: Will Redgrove, Ellie Fryer and Gavin McPhail, with beautiful hand drawn lettering by Trin Brierly, assisted by Chelsea Frew and Melissa Hartley.
The Cat in the Aviary by Will Redgrove
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On the wall of the changing rooms in Broomfield Park and one of the four new murals that will be officially launched this week, created by the Matchbox Collective as part of the Curate Enfield project.
“This piece was inspired by hearing about the old aviary that used to be in the park*, an amazing collage of a cat and birds by a student at Laurel Park School and a beautiful drawing by workshop participant Richard, who drew some chicory flowers in one of the sessions. The real aviary was closed after a number of the exotic birds were stolen one night, the cat in the piece becomes a metaphor for this story. But in my version, the birds escape into the night sky.”
*The Aviary was built in 1960 and housed several exotic species of parrots!
Fire and Flight by Ellie Fryer
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The poem is by Will Redgrove.
"This piece took inspiration from all of the community workshops. The birds from Starfish Loves Coffee, fruits and flowers grown in the Community Orchard, colour palettes and layering images from Laurel Park School and history and heritage from the coffee morning at Ruth Winston Centre. In this piece, the story continues, the birds that have escaped the aviary and fly into the night, over the burning of Broomfield house.”
Sanctuary by Gavin McPhail
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Poem by Will Redgrove
‘Continuing the narrative of Will and Ellie’s pieces, the parrots fly away into the glowing sky. Their pattern evoking a bombing formation drawing association from the wartime role* of the building; the glow a sunset, the fire, a bomb? While the parrots in the story were exotics, these are the now ubiquitous ring-necked parakeet, tying the piece back to the wildlife of the area.’
*During the Second World War, the building was a decontamination and cleansing centre of the Civil Defence. People were helped here in case of an enemy gas attack.
4. Starfish Loves Coffee
Starfish Loves Coffee are a key partner in the Curate Enfield project for Palmers Green and at recent Palmers Green Festivals have organised the art show alongside the park railings on Aldermans Hill.
5. New River Life by ATM
Click on the image to read more about it and for close-ups
Created in 2020 and commissioned by Palmers Green Action Team.
From left to right the mural is a representation of the interconnectness of the natural world. All of the species within the mural could be present within an environment such as the New River. Shown within the mural are the orange-striped stonefly; caddis fly; mayfly; grey wagtail; smooth newt; cyclops copepod; grass snake; daphnia water flea with eggs; gammarus freshwater shrimp; water shrew; pike; three-spined stickleback; banded demoiselle damselfly and a kingfisher.
6. Finding the Green in Palmers Green
A series of station mosaics designed and created by Alex McHallam with Tamara Froud and students from Laurel Park School. A wonderful addition to the station, commissioned by Palmers Green Action Team and funded by Govia Thameslink Railway from the Passenger Benefit Fund.
7. Luna Woman Power Totem by Lauren Baker
Commissioned by Hive Curates
The installation was commissioned as part of Enfield’s Winter Lights Festival in 2022, supported by Enfield Council. The artwork celebrates the suffragettes' historical gathering on the triangle in 1914, part of the campaign which led to women gaining the right to vote.
8. Philanthropy CIC
Stop off and say hi to the lovely staff at Philanthropy, a second-hand shop that gives back to the community. Staff and volunteers from Philanthropy took part in engagement sessions to create and share ideas for the designs of the Matchbox murals.
9. Ruth Winston Community Centre
The Ruth Winston Community Centre, has been providing services to the community since 1961! They hosted workshops to enable local residents to create and share ideas for the designs of the Matchbox murals.
10. The Pleasure of Friendship sculpture by Ruth Hallgarten
A memorial to one of Palmers Green’s most famous former residents, renowned poet Stevie Smith. Commissioned by Palmers Green Action Team and supported by Enfield Council’s Stories of Enfield programme.
11. A Rhythm of Broomfield Park by Bec Dennison
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Another of the four new Create Enfield/Matchbox Collective murals, this time painted on the side of Greens Kitchen in Green Lanes. Artist: Bec Dennison assisted by Chelsea Frew and Melissa Hartley. .
“Bees pollinate not only food for humans, like apples, but trees and flowers which provide homes for other wildlife that we cherish and depend on. We consume both honey from the bees and apples from the orchard.
Lavender provides nourishment for bees in the form of both pollen and nectar. It typically blooms during a midsummer gap when bees are usually the hungriest but have fewer pickings.
When we humans tend to the land in a positive way, planting lavender for example, we’re actively becoming part of the cycle, giving back and helping to sustain the cycle for another season.”
12. Mural outside Arbeit Studio by Eloisa Henderson-Figueroa
A vibrant mural to celebrate the opening of Arbeit Studios in Palmers Green. Between now and 2025, Arbeit will deliver a creative, community programme to support residents and local communities in Palmers Green.
13. Stevie Smith Can it be? poem painted by Trin Brierly
Done as part of Enfield Council’s meanwhile development of Devonshire Square and delivered in partnership with Palmers Green Action Team and Jan Kattein Architects.
Devonshire Square regularly hosts pop-up community markets, outdoor dining and live events. Enfield Council is working with the local community to define the long-term vision and deliver a redesign of this square, which will be launched in early 2025.
14. Hazelwood Lane Mural by designers Ginger & Green at Kiva Coffee House
Stop by Kiva Coffee House to take in this stunning floral mural. Commissioned by Palmers Green Action Team.
15. Stitch!
To finish off, why not head in to this lovely arts and crafts shop? Stitch! Is a social enterprise and crafts hub delivering regular sewing circles, classes and workshops.
