Crouch End Festival, 1900

Comment by cavendishmark on November 18, 2024 at 18:15

It is almost Ravensdale Mansions - but I can't get a perspective that works.

Comment by Hugh on November 18, 2024 at 22:22

Thanks for the guess. Looking again, I see the building is creeper-covered. I assume that the building was one of the remaining big houses of Crouch End.

Comment by cavendishmark on November 19, 2024 at 9:43

Are there any other pictures from the collection? This has been bugging me for the past few months. It looks like a Victorian Mansion (i.e. block of flats). From a search of the British newspaper archives there was a block of flats called Carlton Mansions on park road, described as at the bottom of muswell hill - but no idea what these looked like. Could also be a candidate.

Comment by Hugh on November 19, 2024 at 13:56

No More photos, I'm afraid. Carlton Mansions was between Cranley Gardens and Etheldene Road, on the corner of Etheldene. On the other side of Etheldene was Park Mansions. The latter still survives. My guess is that they would be a very good indicator of how the former looked. Like the surviving block, Carlton Mansion had shops at the ground floor level with two floors of residential accommodation above them. However, they weren't built until 1907. So the Festival photo predates them.

Carlton Mansions disappeared along with 2 Cranley Gardens after the War to be replaced with Dale Court. So I assume they suffered bomb damage.

Comment by Trumper on November 24, 2024 at 13:48

Thanks for this Hugh. I bet that you've noticed the sign on the extreme right of the image - a sign for Hornsey Vale ***** Club!

On the location, the foot of Muswell Hill/Ally Pally Gate was always the assembly and start point for the Hornsey Carnival: perhaps they inherited the practice from the Festival?

Comment by Hugh on November 24, 2024 at 16:00

Yes, I noticed that sign!

Comment by cavendishmark on November 25, 2024 at 9:59

This extract from the Islington Gazette - Wednesday 11 July 1900 - shows the authorised route. This view is presumably somewhere on this route.

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