Description
Although Wood Green Crown Courts are of recent date, the site was formerly that of the Royal Masonic Institute for Boys, built in 1865 on the site of a large house. When the school moved, the building had a number of uses, including as the headquarters of Eastern Gas. Early C20th photographs show gardens in front of the building. In 1974 the site was purchased by Haringey Council largely for housing development and the Crown Courts opened here in 1989, set behind landscaped gardens on Lordship Lane.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Woodall House; Royal Masonic Institute for Boys |
|---|---|
| Site location | Lordship Lane |
| Postcode | N22 |
| What3Words | ///brief.remote.hike |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Haringey |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Wood Green (Piccadilly). Bus 144, 243, 243A, W3 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2003 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Crown Courts were constructed behind the C19th façade of the former Royal Masonic Institute for Boys, a school for the sons of poor or deceased Freemasons, which was built by Edwin Peace and Stephen Barton Wilson & Son in 1865 on a 10 acre site previously occupied by a large house. In 1898 the school moved to Bushey and the building was then used for the Home and Colonial School Society Training College. The school is shown c.1902 with gardens in front of it. In the 1930s the building became the headquarters of Eastern Gas who renamed it Woodall House after their Chairman. In 1974 the site was purchased by Haringey Council largely for housing development; the Crown Courts opened here in 1989, with gardens in front onto Lordship Lane. The building was remodelled in 1992 to provide 10 more court rooms.
The well-kept gardens in front of the Courts have various beds and shrubberies, paths, areas of lawn, paving and seating. To the east of the Courts the gardens continue to Winkfield Road, with grass, some trees and shrubs and a winding path.
The well-kept gardens in front of the Courts have various beds and shrubberies, paths, areas of lawn, paving and seating. To the east of the Courts the gardens continue to Winkfield Road, with grass, some trees and shrubs and a winding path.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ314906 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.3 |
| Site Ownership | LB Haringey |
| Site Management | Parks Service (Woodside Neighbourhood) |
| Dates | C20th |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Haringey |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Chapman's Green was probably laid out as a public garden between 1913-1935 on an area of former common land identified as Chapman's Green as early as the Earl of Dorset's survey of 1619, and the site of an early settlement in 1391. The park remains much as it appeared on the 1935 OS Map, with a bowling green, tennis court, lawns, formal beds, shrub borders and ornamental trees. The bowling green was the home of Noel Park Bowling Club until 2018, and a new use now needs to be found for the green and pavilion. There is also an example of 3-dimensional bedding in the form of an ivy basket.
Crescent Gardens were laid out on former rural open space, and by 1894 there were curving paths in the north part, and by 1910 the whole was laid out with serpentine paths, trees, shrubberies and formal bedding. The WWI war memorial on High Road was in place pre-1935. The south end of the gardens was renamed King George VI Memorial Garden and opened on 25 April 1953, laid out with shrub beds behind stone retaining walls, seating and a small circular rose bed in the centre.
Riversdale Gardens was laid out as public gardens between 1894 and c.1912, possibly at the same time as the nearby Crescent Gardens to the south-west. The original layout included curving paths with dwarf fencing around areas of turf inset with trees and shrub beds.