Then and now photos of Edmonton, north London

A set of comparison photographs, comparing the early 1900s photographs on this website with more recent ones (2009) taken from the same vantage point. The page was started with contemporary photographs taken by John Cunningham whose help and interest I gratefully acknowledge. Note in particular:

The absence of cars on the road in the early 1900s.
The absence of line markings on the roads.
The absence of satellite dishes.
The different street lamps which were almost certainly gas.
The black and white versus colour photographs.

See the right-hand menu for these old photos with commentaries.



Left, the old Bull Pub on the corner of Lopen Road and Silver Street which was demolished in 1904; and right, the 'new' Bull pub today (2009). This would have been the Bull pub that my mother knew - although without the cars outside and the satellite dish.

Then and now: changes in Silver Street, Edmonton in the last hundred years

The corner of Silver Street and Bulwer Road, left in the early 1900s and right today (2009).

Pymmes Villas in 1935 taken from inside Pymmes Park

A 2009 photo of a part of old Edmonton that has changed unrecognisably

Whereas most of the 'now' locations on this page are still recognisable as the 'then' locations of a century ago, the changes in the Pymmes Villas area are dramatic. Lyndsey Besemer who took the 'now' photograph has given the following explanation:

Some of Pymmes Park was taken away when the North Circular Road was widened, and this has changed the whole look of the area. Where the gates to the park were is now in Victoria Road. So it was difficult to gauge exactly where the 'then' photo was taken from. To take the 'now' photo, I stood with the railings of Pymmes Park behind me on what is now the junction of Silver Street and Victoria Road.

The road that goes from left to right was the original Silver Street and is now a part of the North Circular Road called Sterling Way. There is an underpass under Sterling Way which carries the main bulk of the North Circular Road traffic.

The large building is the telephone exchange and the smaller building in the distance (in between the exchange building and the signpost on the left of the photo) are flats and, although you can't see it, the railway line runs in between them. Out of sight to the right of the exchange are block of flats, a grassy area and Gloucester Road.

Then and now photos of Edmonton (now Enfield), north London (from early 1900s to 2009)

This website Join me in the 1900s is also known as Join me in the 1900's and is © Pat Cryer.


Left, Tanners End Mission, Bull Lane in the early 1900s; and right, today (2009). Note the blue notice above the main window: 'Tanners End Free Church' and the different railings / hedge. It also looks as if there have been replacement windows in the original openings.


Left, the corner of Haselbury Road and Silver street in the early 1900s as a grocer's shop; and right, today (2009). Note that the chimney and the upstairs window are still the same. It is currently a young offenders half way house.


Left, Warwick Road in the early 1900s; and right, today (2009).