Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Mystery Door on Beresford Road

Calling all architecture sleuths...

There is a house near the bottom of Beresford Road that I walk past every day, which has an extra door.  Not a side door or anything, but an extra door RIGHT NEXT to the front door.  I've taken a picture from Google Maps to show what I mean.  And it's the only house on the street with a mysterious bonus door. 

 

 

So where does it lead?  Does it lead to a strange, thin house sandwiched between the other two?  Does it lead to an abandoned passageway?  Or does it lead to the bottomless pit from which none may return? 

Do you live in the house next door to the door?  Do you live IN the strange thin house to which it leads?

Crazed speculation is of course just as welcome as hard facts.  Does anyone else think we should get it sealed off with holy water and a pentagram - just to make sure?

 

Tags for Forum Posts: denchfield, harringay mysteries, history of harringay

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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on March 4, 2011 at 21:59

Perhaps the area behind the house had a non-residential use?

Although not common on the ladder, entrances like this can been seen on other houses in the Borough, generally on 'main roads'.

For my 'German Eyes' it also looks like it could have just been the 'sevants & tradesmen entrance' (round the back mate!), similar to what we have here. That also may be borne out by the crest? on the building.. something also not that common in the area?  Perhaps the original owners were just  'a little above the rest'?

Which leads me to the question: What happened to the residents of Harringay House after demolition, who were they? and where did they go?

Permalink Reply by Angela on March 5, 2011 at 17:24

According the 1881 census, the last occupant of Harringay House was Frederick William Price. He died in 1888 and his address at the time of death was 20 Russell Square.

His widow, Emma, then moved to Fulham with her 'son'. I haven't yet found out what happened to the younger children.

Frederick's adult son who lived in Harringay House in 1881, then moved to Hertfordshire and ended up at 67 Eaton Place (isn't that where Upstairs Downstairs was filmed?). 

Permalink Reply by StephenBln on March 5, 2011 at 17:35

Thanks Angela for slogging thru' Ancestry? .. Interesting! 

'Son' and 'Brother in Law' were common terms used when couples were 'living in sin'.. and were caught out by the census invigilator**?  It happened in my own family tree, so don't accuse me of pointing fingers.. ! 

and yes, Eaton Place is where Up/Downstairs was filmed. In Germany, the series was known as the House on Eaton Place !

(**I'm sure JohnD will correct me if they are known as something else, but nothing else springs to mind.)

Permalink Reply by John D on March 5, 2011 at 18:12

" Never one to refuse a challenge.... " :-)

" Enumerator " possibly ?

Permalink Reply by StephenBln on March 5, 2011 at 19:06

thank you John D.. I have to admit I don't use enumerator in German very often.. 

Some words just slip to the back of the filing cabinet in the head.. 'active and passive' Wortschatz! 

Permalink Reply by Angela on March 5, 2011 at 20:14

haha, that's interesting!

I can't find a birth record for the 'son' supposedly born in the USA to either Frederick, his 1st or 2nd wife. I'm now interested in finding out what happened to the younger children. 

One thing I've learned through doing family history type stuff is that although our health and wealth may have improved, our relationships are as complex as ever!

Permalink Reply by Angela on March 5, 2011 at 20:34

And one last thing, I have found 3 current properties called Harringay House. I wonder is there is a connection??

Wretton, Norfolk

Bridgewater, Somerset

Culmstock, Devon

Permalink Reply by StephenBln on March 5, 2011 at 21:00

I'm sure the 'HolAdmins'  will be able to help you there, Angela 

and yes, there were some very complicated relationships back then too! and plenty of names (people) who just disappeared..

Permalink Reply by Hugh on March 18, 2021 at 23:21

I've just added some text under the photo here which explains the name of the Culmstock building. I wonder if we could turn up similar links for the other two?

james walshPermalink Reply by james walsh on March 4, 2011 at 22:37
Nick* It looks like it's a side door to the back garden. Not quite as extreme as the famous 'dummy houses' in Paddington. http://www.urban75.org/london/leinster.html
Permalink Reply by HoL Site Admin on March 5, 2011 at 9:38

From the Facebook page, Sandra Sam Roberts comments:

"Ha ha a fellow architecture observer!!  
Have you also noticed that on the same Beresford Road there are not one, but two houses at number 103.  So my theory is that in order to squeeze in the extra No' 103 those naughty ET's squashed the house you have found.

Go check it out......"

and 

Marie Corcoran commented:

"maybe, Harry Potter knows!!! my friend lives in Beresford road, i will ask her."

Permalink Reply by Hugh on March 5, 2011 at 10:31

Sandra's right. What little story of a battle of wills between two neighbouring builders lies behind that, I wonder.


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