Finsbury Park tube station isn’t somewhere most people want to loiter. The transport hub is a maze of brightly-lit tunnels and concrete staircases, flanked by two bus stations, all of which most commuters are eager to escape quickly.
Those who surface from this underground labyrinth at the southernmost exit will be bathed in an unmistakable red and blue glow. “Rowans Tenpin Bowl,” reads an almost obnoxiously large neon sign. “24 Lane Bowling Alley.”
Opened in its current form in 1988, Rowans has been a rather unlikely cornerstone of north London’s nightlife for nearly 40 years. Anyone who grew up in Haringey in the 1990s or 2000s will have attended a classmate’s birthday party there. Countless couples on first dates have drowned their nerves at the bar behind the lanes. Friends have woken up time and again, fuzzy-headed, with vague memories of embarrassing themselves at karaoke there the night before.
Long before nearby Blackstock Road was named one of Time Out’s coolest streets in the world, Rowans had been one of the venues to put Finsbury Park on the map, cementing its status as a fashionable part of town long before the wine bars and small plates restaurants moved in.
Like many late-night venues in the capital, however, Rowans’ future could be under threat. A redevelopment proposal has been put to Haringey Council, with a public consultation over the plans having ended on 19 December.
The proposals, timetabled for 2032-2041, would provide “190 new homes alongside replacement leisure and community uses”. “Existing community, culture and leisure uses should be re-provided as part of redevelopment and a mix of other town centre uses and homes provided,” the application reads.
“Existing public benefits arising from Rowans bowling alley must be re-secured including providing affordable and inclusive facilities which cater to a full range of people including young people.”
Despite these reassurances, the plans appear to be relatively thin on details at present, leaving north London’s bowling enthusiasts and arcade-goers wondering whether they’ll be able to get their fix in years to come, and what that might look like in the future.
Plans for the redevelopment were made public in 2017, but news of the latest consultation has caused an uproar on social media. A petition has even been set up to ‘save’ the venue, and had topped 5,300 signatures at the time of writing.
Next door, The Twelve Pins - a pub which is uncharacteristically affordable for the area and favoured by Arsenal fans breaking up the journey to the Emirates - could also be affected by the plans. While they wouldn’t cause the venue to close, its exterior may be affected by construction work.
Haringey Council does not own the land where Rowans is located. For years, the site has been one of more than 200 ‘site allocations’ in the borough, meaning it has been earmarked for a particular type of development or use.
Haringey Labour said in an Instagram comment: “Our Draft Local Plan safeguards the site for ‘community and leisure’ (which includes a bowling alley) should the owner - of their own accord - choose to re-develop the site for housing.
“While we are absolutely committed in Haringey to building as many affordable and social homes as possible, our Draft Local Plan actively protects facilities such as Rowans which hold meaning - community, leisure, historic - for residents and communities in Haringey.”
For now, Rowans remains open and fans are free to bowl another day. In an Instagram post titled ‘Our response to all the hoo-ha’, Rowans bosses said they ‘ain’t going anywhere’. “Firstly, we have no short-term plans for change,” the post read.
“Secondly, we understand the opportunity that redevelopment could offer to Finsbury Park and our community. Thirdly, we support the allocation of leisure facilities within any redevelopment scheme.
“Fourthly, any redevelopment schemes are in the mid to long term therefore there are no immediate or short term plans.
“And finally, we have been sincerely moved by the outpouring of love from everyone worrying about the future of Rowans. So just to let you all know… we ain’t going anywhere!! See you on the lanes and the dancefloor!”
Rowans isn’t the only late-night venue in north London fans claim is facing an existential threat. Over the Haringey/Hackney border, a petition to save MOTH Club reached a staggering 30,000 signatures earlier this month.
The venue on Valette Street has received support from the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Tame Impala and Green Day after planning applications for two separate blocks of flats were submitted to the council.
One of the blocks would have balconies directly overlooking MOTH’s smoking area and will back onto the stage wall, which club operators say will lead to noise complaints and limit the venue’s ability to run as normal.
MOTH's programmer, Keith Miller, said emerging artists “rely on rooms like ours to take their first steps.”
“This isn’t just about MOTH Club; it’s about protecting the future of live music in London and beyond,” he said.
Cllr Sarah Williams, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning at Haringey Council, said: “The council does not own the building and should the owner of Rowans come forward at a future date with plans to redevelop, inclusion of the site in the Local Plan explicitly safeguards provision of community, culture and leisure facilities.
“Our Draft Local Plan was recently out for consultation and was an opportunity for residents to have their say. We will carefully consider all the feedback before finalising the next draft of the Local Plan, which we will further seek views on.”
