Preservation of the Edwardian character of Muswell Hill in subsequent years has fortunately been successful and very few properties have been demolished. Between the wars, an Odeon cinema was built opposite St James’s Church. It displaced the pre-1894 terrace and was built as part of a corner complex with an extensive parking area behind. This Odeon is now listed Grade II by the Department of the Environment - mainly for its fine Art Deco interior - and has been described as the best Odeon built by architect George Coles.

Films were shown also in the Athenaeum and in the Summerland Electric Cinema but these were displaced by the Odeon and by another new cinema built in 1936 at the top of Muswell Hill, called the Ritz. This was demolished in the 1980’s and a brick office block was built in its place, opposite the Green Man – this block has a small section of penthouse flats which have some of Muswell Hills finest views across London.

A fine block of flats built in the new architectural style of the 1930’s is Whitehall Court in Pages Lane; this replaced some Victorian almshouses.

In nearby Tetherdown, a short terrace of infill 1930’s houses are to be seen, one of which was occupied by film star Peter Sellars.

The Odeon cinema, Muswell Hill, which operates in Fortis Green Road, is a Grade II Listed Building, largely because of its fine art deco interior. Opened in September 1936, it is considered the finest Odeon designed by the architect George Coles.(Photo by courtesy of David Cook.)

West of Tetherdown, interwar housing diminished the size of ancient Coldfall Wood - with new roads built for both the public and private sectors. Behind the Victorian houses on the West side of Tetherdown lies Fortismere comprehensive school, on land which once formed part of Coldfall Wood and Hornsey Common. Some pretty 1860’s built cottages also survived here on the corner of Pages Lane.

Queens Avenue is now the location for Muswell Hill Library, which was built in 1931 on the site of the former fire station. Some residential properties in this avenue, the widest and most imposing of Edmondson’s development, have been adapted to serve as hotels.

Muswell Hill suffered some bombing during the Second World War and in the 1950’s the John Baird public house was built in Fortis Green road on a bomb site. Otherwise no major architectural changes have occurred.

Muswell Hill remains primarily residential with 87 percent of the houses privately owned, 55 percent owner-occupied and 32 percent rented. The area has continued to be the most sought after village by people working in London in the professions and the arts.