Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Anyone know what used to occupy this plot behind Conway Road?
I walked down Conway Road yesterday evening and saw an entrance to a site which I imagine must have been a workshop/light factory. It's now housing, called Priscilla Place. I read that it used to be a fire station, which would fit in since the fire station building is the one fronting on to Conway Raod, by the bend in the road at the western end of the plot. A practice yard, stabling for the horses before mechanisation? Anyone know the story?
Below are a couple of photos from ground level:
By the by, I also noticed this nice old survivor shop front just opposite, on Conway Road:
And it's companion a few doors down:
Seems like there was a thriving little area of shops - here's an old picture of one just round the corner in Etherley.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Shulver on
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Great to hear two old never to be forgotten teachers names....Mr Lunny and Mr Shepherd.
Mr Lunny had such a great voice in school assemblys etc. Mr Shepherd hailed from Yorkshire area and thrilled me with his boyhood tales and probably is responsible for my liking of nature and countryside. Both could be strict when they felt it needed. I was there 56-60. But great recollections from you "old timers". Loving it. But I am a few years behind your posts.
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Excuse me but who are you ? I went to Woodlands about same time as you, leaving in 1960. I also remember Messrs Lunney and Shepherd. I lived in Harringay Road, end of St Anns/Green Lanes junction. The old Coliseum was at end of our road. However I don't recall those tunnels either ? So just interested in finding out your name if you don't mind that is ??
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Permalink Reply by Carol Tennant on
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I've got a question for you all: I live around the corner from the old fire station (in Woodlands Park Rd) and used to walk my kids to school at Woodlands Park Infants (as was). When we first moved here, there was a building on the opposite corner to the fire station - imagine standing with your back to the station looking into the second bend, as you walk from Woodlands Park Rd. It now looks like this picture. When we moved here, it was a red brick building with metal framed windows, tucked in to the corner. A developer bought it around 10 years ago and it's now 2 houses, and the outside has been hideously rendered and painted. Anyone know what it used to be?
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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What an intriguing building. Were it not for the context, from the front, I'd hazzard a guess at their being a pair of eighteenth century houses. But there? And look at the very odd shape - Bing Bird's eye view shows the following:
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That's the one - it used to be quite pretty, as I say, with red brick and lovely metal framed windows. It's now fairly unattractive. The houses sold for higher-than-average at the time, and seem to have been made quite modern. They also look as if they will have interesting internal layouts. But I wonder what it once was? It used to look like some kind of former factory/workshop, but was disused when we moved here, 17 years ago now.
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That circular shape must have been made with a very particular use in mind and I don't have a clue what!
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I know, right? With luck someone will see this and it will ring a bell...
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It was definitely one building before the developer got to it. I wish I had a picture of how it once looked… From memory, I don't think it had conventional doors, but something more like garage type doors. The ground floor doors and windows have been reconfigured and in fact, you can see that you walk down a slight slope to the doors - I have a memory that that area might formerly have been cobbled but is now concrete - you can see the remnants of the cobbled front which remains and crosses the pavement. Curiouser and curiouser.
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OK, well this might help a little. the 1892 map shows that area just pre-urbanisation, but your building was already there, suggesting that it may well be eighteenth century.
You can look at the map overlaid on a Google map yourself here.
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Mmm, running into problems with the eighteenth century theory. It's not shown on the either the 1798 or 1869 maps, However, below is a snippet of the 1869 map. I think that the building you see today stands at the convergence of several field boundaries shown in the centre of he image below. I wonder if the odd shape may have been to fit within old boundaries? I think this spot was also directly on the course of the Stonebridge Brook. Just to the east of the spot where the field boundaries converge, you can see a pond. Perhaps the presence of water may offer some clue?
(Just to the south you can see Rose Cottage next to what is today St Anns Road. Chestnuts Primary School now stand on this site.
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I've obviously intrigued you, Hugh! But that aerial photo reveals something very interesting. I admit, I've no idea how to find out more... It looks as if the building went up before the houses (1892ish?) but after 1869... For some purpose...
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Val Crosbie or Deborah Hedgecock at Bruce Castle Museum may be able to offer of procure some insight.
Tel 020 8808 8772
Email museum.services@haringey.gov.uk
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