The Borough of Enfield is London's most northerly and can trace its origins back to Roman times when it lay along Ermine Street, the great Roman route leading the length of the country up to the strategic centres of Lincoln and York. Enfield town made an early appearance in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was just a small town a day's journey from the capital; since then London has continued to expand and in doing so has swallowed up the town relegating it to a mere suburb. Enfield has a rich industrial past, known for a long time as the home of english arms manufacturing including the famous Lee-Enfield rifle, as well as for the colour television, first Hotpoint Dishwasher and the first ATM (Cash Machine).
The population of Enfield is younger than average, better educated than average and made up of proportinately more students than average. Much of this is likely to be down to the presence of three University of Middlesex campuses in the Borough. Although there are areas of relative wealth in the Borough, Enfield is also home to some of 10% most deprived in England, mainly in the south and east of the borough. These areas also suffer from poor housing and overcrowding as a result of council housing stock which is below the 'Decent Homes Standard.' Despite these downsides to urban living, two thirds of Enfield is open spaces or designated green belt land with a wealth of country and urban parks, farmland and fields which everyone can enjoy.