Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Allotments and footpath south of Harringay West station, July 1955
There used be allotments both at the point shown in the photo above as well as where the north-facing block of Chettle Court, the car park and play area now are.
What I hadn't realised is that a footpath used to stretch from Dagmar Road along the railway, emerging by the last shop on the south side of Quernmore Road before continuing along the escarpment above the railway to the other allotments previously mentioned. I'm assuming that the footpath is what is shown on the photo between two lines of fencing and looking rather overgrown and out of use.No footpath is shown in this position on the 1869 OS map but it does shown on the 1895 as far as a Quernmore Road.
I guess this is the path where all those local boys used to go for train-spotting.
The 1955 OS map (west to the top) show the first part of this footpath including the area shown in the photo.
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Comment by Chris Barker 16 hours ago
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The footpath must have crossed the single track railway on the level, a thing which would be frowned upon nowadays.
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Comment by John Leeming 16 hours ago
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The allotment was probably just for railway employees - I remember being told that areas of railway land were used for that purpose during the war. I used to live in Quernmore Road, What a pity the path had disappeared at that time.
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Comment by Hugh 16 hours ago
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I'm not up on railways much, Chris, but from the map (click to enlarge - I've just added a higher res version), it looks like there are steps indicated either side of the single track. That along with the accompanying "FB" suggests a footbridge.
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Comment by Arkady 16 hours ago
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I'd heard of this but never seen a picture - remarkable!
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Looking at the Google aerial view, there are still be seen vague hints here and there that there was once an accessible route. It would be fascinating to explore that little wooded area (now off limits). I wonder if anything is visible from the bottoms of the gardens that abut that area?
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Comment by S Williams 13 hours ago
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So interesting, thank you. We live on Uplands on west side of the tracks and knew about the allotments from neighbours who remember them. When gardening we discover all sorts of building material and old trees: assume trees may have been from the allotments and the rubble from demolition of the sidings when the industrial estate was built? Also,can anyone explain what the ridge of grass is in the left of this picture https://harringayonline.com/photo/from-hog-s-back-towards-hornsey-r...
not there now Thanks again Hugh
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S, I've added an answer in a comment under the photo about which you were asking. Hope that helps.
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Yes, thanks.
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My two older brothers plus my cousin used to trainspot from this path and footbridges during the 1950s (I was too young to go). I was told a story, later in life, that they dropped stones down locomotive chimneys as they passed under the connecting line footbridge with goods trains from the Midland line to Ferme Park sidings. One driver got wise to this and let go a column of smoke as the chimney passed under the bridge and my mother went ballistic when my brothers arrived home covered in black soot, smuts and smelling of smoke!
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