The North Circular before the North Circular, 1933

Comment by Ivor Blight on September 19, 2024 at 23:14

I went to Bowes Road School whenI was 5 in 1952. I remember crossing the North Circ. during the great smog to get to school. There were bonfires on either side of the road at the crossing near Arnos Grove to show where the road turned.

Comment by John Shulver on September 27, 2024 at 16:14

Sad comparing those views Hugh.  I had an uncle, aunt and cousins living along right hand side of Bowes Road after turning off of Green Lanes.  Lovely big old house with a nice garden. That would have been 1950's-70's. Following your Google Street view it seems the entire row of houses were cleared to make way for a bus filter lane and grassed verge.

Comment by Andrew on September 28, 2024 at 10:12

I lived at 26 Palmerston Crescent from 1961 and would walk to my friend's house along the right-hand side of Bowes Road passed the railway bridge. I think it was 92 Bowes Road. He and I are still good friends. With another friend (now sadly passed away), probably in the mid 60's, we climbed over the fence just along Russell Road onto the bank of the new river to do a spot of fishing. And success, we caught a pike that was large enough for my mum to cook for us to eat. Dogs and their handlers used to patrol the new river then, but I have no idea now as I moved away over 40 years ago.

Comment by David Todd on October 5, 2024 at 10:32

Once upon a time in 1870-1890 Thomas Sidney, a tea merchant from Stafford lived on the estate that was Bowes Manor and after becoming Lord Mayor of London started to develop the area along which is now Palmerston Road, the estate was put up for sale eventually becoming the local streets which are here today.

Plan of Bowes Manor c1890 with Palmerston Road on the left

Sale Notice for Bowes Manor, 1890

Comment by Hugh on October 5, 2024 at 12:16

Thanks for sharing those images, David. As I understand it, Bowes Manor House was a moated farmhouse dating from the 14th century.

Given that it survived into the period when the photographic record and survey movement was in full swing, there should be a photo of it somewhere. Part of the movement in this area was the North Middlesex Photographic Society (which started off as the Stroud Green and Finsbury Park Amateur Photographic Club headed up by George Martin who ran a shop on Green Lanes in Harringay). The Society's photographers did photograph old houses in the 1880s. For example they made an image of Harringay House in the mid 1880s. Sadly that was stolen from Hornsey Library in the days when, unthinkably, the photos were left in an unlocked filing cabinet in a public room on the first floor. 

It seems likely that they may have also photographed Bowes Manor house. Do any photos or paintings the house survive as far as you're aware? I've checked the catalogues of the Hornsey Historical Society and London Metropolitan Archives and couldn't sede anything. 

I think it was John C Hill who bought and developed the manor, or part of it at least. He planned a hotel at the junction of Lascotts Road and Green Lanes to be called the Grand Hotel, I assume along the lines ofd The Salisbury in Harringay. The application originally made in 1900, eventually refused in 1905 and finally abandoned in 1907. Strangely the plot has never been fully used. It remained empty until after the war when part on Green Lanes was used for an Inland Revenue office and a small part on Lascotts Road for an electricity substation. The section directly on the corner remains empty to this day.

Comment by David Todd on October 5, 2024 at 14:44

Thanks for the extra details Hugh, great stuff. Regarding Bowes Manor House I believe I may have a few images, if so I will forward them to you on here. You mention Finsbury Park Amateur Photographic Club, and George Martin, the name rings a bell?....do you know which shop he ran? I only ask because my late father Aubrey lived in Burgoyne Road, Harringey working in his early years earning a crust as a professional photographer he was also a member of the Finsbury Park Cycling Club for many years both as a keen cyclist in his teenage years then as photographing cycling events as well as working at nearby Collins Music Hall. As a young boy I also remember going to a shop called Harringay Photographic with my father, sure it was on Green Lanes but cannot remember the year.

Comment by Hugh on October 5, 2024 at 18:48

I do indeed know which shop. If you click the link in my last comment, you’ll see a photo of it with the number over the doorway.

I look forward to seeing your pictures.

Harringay Photograpgic Supplies was at 435 Green Lanes. (Unfortunately the page linked to from that page has gone AWOL).

Comment by Hugh on October 6, 2024 at 1:17

Below is an image of the Bridge at Bowes Manor. I assume this was a retrospective bit of nostalgia. Judging by David's plan, it could be showing one of three bridges.

Comment by John Shulver on October 13, 2024 at 20:05

That's all interesting stuff thanks.

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