Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
The Origin of Mayes Road, Wood Green
I've been digging round in the history of Wood Green somewhat recently. As part of that I've turned up more historic images of Wood Green. After posting one of those, I got into a discussion about Mayes Road which sparked my interest.
It wasn't a road I'd given much thought to before. It was just another road full of Victorian buildings. But, having dug around a little for a while now, I've come to realise that it's a very old road.
Though unnamed, it is clearly shown on the Dorset Survey map of 1619. This takes it back at least 500 years. However, other pieces of evidence regarding buildings around Wood Green Common, suggest that it might go back a few hundred years more at the very least. (More of that another time).
Given that it's such an old road, I wondered where its name came from and when it was adopted. I haven't had much luck on the when so far, but I think I may have a good suggestion for the why.
The earliest printed mention of the road named as Mayes Road that I've been able to turn up so far is from 1860 in this advert in the Clerkenwell News:
As far as the why is concerned, here's what I think. But first a word about my chief source of reference, the Dorset Map. The map is an invaluable source, but it's a bit of a pain to work with because, like most maps at the time, it was published with north towards the bottom of the page. In our 21st Century minds, it's upside-down. So I'm never sure whether to produce the map in its original orientation or one that suits our way of looking at things. On this occasion, since reading what's written on the map is the primary focus, I'm going for original orientation (but if you want to see the larger map excerpt re-oriented for the 21st century mind, click on my second link above).
Extract from Dorset Survey Map, 1619, ©Bruce Castle Museum
In the map above, what became Mayes Road is the roadway leading diagonally from Ducketts Meade to Wood Greene.
Looking at the map, I noticed a field (just below the 'RN ' of 'Harnsey'), which I'm pretty sure says 'Nayes'.
In his book of 1840*, William Robinson writes of a piece of land he calls 'Naves' as being in the possession of one of the big land owning families in 1600. I've found inaccuracies in the work of mid-Victorian historians before and the writing on the map isn't clear, but comparing other letters 'v' and 'y' on the map, if I had to stake my life on it, I'd say Robinson (or his printer) is mistaken and the word is definitely Nayes and not Naves.
If this is so and that was indeed Nayes field, with how names shifted over time and/or given the odd transliteration, that probably gives us the origin for Mayes road.
I also found a mention of the road in a newspaper of 1862, referring to it as Mayes Lane. Lanes were often routes that were named after places they to which led. So this supports the idea that Mayes Road was named after a destination, in this case, Nayes Field.
During the development of Shopping City in the 1970s, Mayes Road was truncated and its ancient southern section connecting to the High Road was built over.
With regards to the v or y issue, decide for yourself.
Nayes/Naves
Another letter 'v' on the map
Another letter 'y' on the map
*The History and Antiquities of the Parish of Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex: Volume 1 - Link
Tags for Forum Posts: mayes road, wood green history
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Richard Woods on
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Tottenham Lane in Hornsey was always a bit of a puzzle (although on some maps Turnpike Lane is also called Tottenham Lane). However does the Tottenham Wood have anything to do with it anyway?
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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I guess that road names used to take their name from their function - as in the lane that leads to Tottenham or the lane that leads to Mayes Field.
Not sure what your comment about Tottenham Wood means.
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Permalink Reply by Straw Cat on
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1 Tottenham Lane leads towards Tottenham?
2 Tottenham (parish) once used to stretch north of Hornsey, and include most of where Ally Pally is now. Most of Ally Pally Park and hill was woodland, hence the name Tottenham Wood.
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Up to as late as the1860's, whilst there was a footpath right of way directly between Hornsey and Wood Green, the only established road or trackway linking Hornsey and Crouch End to any part of Tottenham was......Tottenham Lane.
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Permalink Reply by Martin (Woodside) on
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Interesting map.
One of the few existing names on there is half of Chapmans Green (two thirds down far left on map) which is in Lordship Lane along with a block called Coldham Court a little further up. Deducing from that, Elses Green is now the main junction of Lordship Lane and the High Road, south of which splits between White Hart Lane and the High Road (Roundaboats). The open space of Wood Greene would be roughly where the park and open ground is up to Alex Pal Station, the river's course correct at the time, hence The Jolly Anglers PH. Where the Moselle river is would now be Moselle Ave (Noel Pk est), where it kinks and runs up to Hornsey would be about where Argos is. I wonder what the house is just above Ducketts Meade?.
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Yes, Wood Greene is what was then known and is still known as Wood Green Common, the original centre of settlement for Wood Green.
Elses Green is now Spouter's Corner.
Smyths Cross/Roundabouts is now the junction of the High Road and Bounds Green Road (with White Hart Lane running along the edge of the field marked Widow Pearson. The road running off it alongside Highfield Grove was called Blind Lane up to the end of the last century. All that remains of this road now is a short stretch today called Douglas Road)).
The house above Duckett's Meade was Duckett's Manor, later known as Duckett's Farm then Dovecote House. The Tottenham Parish Rates Map, drawn over 200 years later shows that the old moat remained intact around the house.
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How close to Ducketts Common would Ducketts Manor have been?
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I put it on Google maps last week.
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Crescent Radio was the option shop for radio/TV stuff in the 50s to the one round the corner from us on the corner of Falkland Road - I am struggling to recall the name but will get it (unless someone can beat me to it).
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I was told that the south side of Noel Park (Russell Avenue area) was built on a cherry orchard.
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A long way up from the 'common' - do I assume the farm stretched that far and more?
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