THE LITTLE HOUSE IN THE WOODS HAS BEEN SAVED!
Queen’s Wood Lodge is the greenest spot in the whole of Haringey. It is a delightful sanctuary in the woods where one can go for a coffee and a snack, but it is more than just a café in the woods. In the 1990s it was turned into an Eco Show House with modern insulation made from recycled sustainable materials, electricity provided by photovoltaic cells and an organic garden to support the daytime restaurant. Refurbishment with new double glazing and the addition of the internal wall insulation has not affected the look of the Edwardian building. It has a conservation order on it and when you compare the photo of the building and grounds from the early 20th century and the up to date photo they look identical!
The warden/caretaker, Murray Shelmerdine, was granted a 20 year lease for a peppercorn rent and he made it into a thriving centre of good food and environmental interest. It was therefore a nasty surprise when the Council served a notice on him to forfeit the lease unless he stopped living there! They presumably wanted to let the property more profitably elsewhere. But with strong support from the Muswell Hill Sustainability Group and the Friends of Queen’s Wood, he defended his right to be there 24 hours a day and won!
So the delights of Queen’s Wood Lodge will be with us for the foreseeable future. You must pay it a visit.
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