Harringay

Summary

Harringay[2] (pronounced /ˈhærɪŋɡ/ HARR-ing-gay) is a district of north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey.[3] It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the New River, where it crosses Green Lanes by Finsbury Park, and Duckett's Common, near Turnpike Lane.

Harringay
Harringay is located in Greater London
Harringay
Harringay
Location within Greater London
Population22,627 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceTQ316678
London borough
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLONDON
Postcode districtN4, N8, N15
Dialling code020
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°34′55″N 0°05′58″W / 51.5819°N 0.0994°W / 51.5819; -0.0994

Location edit

The boundaries of Harringay form a rough boot shape in the extreme southern centre of the borough of Haringey.[4] The western boundary of Harringay is formed by the East Coast Main Line. The northern boundary is to the south of Turnpike Lane, running parallel to it, somewhere between Sydney Road and Fairfax Road. In the northeast, the boundary roughly corresponds with a line drawn between the south of Duckett's Common and the north end of Warwick Gardens. A line due south of this point, as far as Eade Road, forms the eastern boundary. Southeast of here a line to Finsbury Park completes the southeastern limits. Finsbury Park is officially part of Harringay[5] and forms the south western boundary.

From north to south, between the tip of Finsbury Park and the top of Ducketts Common, Harringay measures about 1+34 miles (2.8 km).[6] At its widest point, from east to west, it measures about 12 mile (0.80 km).[7][8]

Locale edit

 
A section of Grand Parade, Green Lanes, Harringay

Harringay's main shopping street, Green Lanes, is a busy, cosmopolitan high street. Some shops have a long-established presence. Others reflect the more cosmopolitan nature of Green Lanes and include a large number of Turkish bakeries, grocers, cafes and a growing cluster of restaurants. There are several pubs including the Grade II listed[9] and Pevsner-noted 'Salisbury'.[10] Parts of the 1980 film The Long Good Friday[11] and the 1992 film Chaplin[12] were shot there.

 
One of the residential streets on the Harringay Ladder, looking due east.

Towards the southern end stands the well-preserved, Victoriana-laden 'Beaconsfield' public house. Opposite is the Arena Shopping Park which contains a handful of national multiples outlets, a Sainsbury's supermarket, and one of Britain's first "drive-thru" McDonald's restaurants.

A large section of the eastern side of Green Lanes is called Grand Parade. Interrupted only by the gaps introduced by the residential roads running eastwards, Grand Parade runs for nearly half a kilometre from just north of Harringay Green Lanes railway station to St Ann's Road.[13]

The streets to the west of Green Lanes are known as the 'Harringay Ladder' (due to their similarity to a ladder when seen on a map). The streets to the east behind Grand Parade are known as 'The Gardens'. To the south of 'The Gardens' and Sainsbury's is Harringay's 'Warehouse District'; to the north is 'Woodlands Park'.[14]

Geography and geology edit

 
The New River passing between the houses of the Harringay Ladder

Harringay is just under 5+12 miles (9 km) from the centre of London[15] sitting on a chalk bed covered by a thick layer of London Clay. The western part of the district is hilly, rising to 138 feet (42 m) at its highest. Further to the west, beyond Harringay, the ground rises steadily to one of the highest points in London at Hampstead Heath, about 3+12 miles (6 km) away.[16] The eastern part of Harringay is low-lying, at between 60 and 90 feet, as the land descends towards the Lea Valley, 2 miles (3 km) to the east.[17]

Harringay covers an area of approximately 34 square mile (2 km2).[18] The land use for the area is shown in the table below.

Land use in Harringay[18]
Land use type Percentage of total area
Domestic gardens 22.54
Green space 20.36
Road 18.06
Domestic buildings 17.31
Other land uses 6.69
Non-domestic buildings 5.76
Rail 3.32
Path 1.06
Water 0.55

The only waterway still running above ground is the man-made New River, constructed in 1619 to bring water into London from Hertfordshire. However, two natural rivers still flow through Harringay beneath the ground. These are just two of the many springs and streams that used to flow through this part of London from the high ground to the west, down into the River Lea. Stonebridge Brook ran above ground meandering eastwards just to the north of the old Harringay House. It crossed the estate, running roughly beneath present-day Effingham and Fairfax Roads, ran along Green Lanes for a short way, and then eastwards north of St Ann's Road and on to the River Lea.[19] Although still flowing underground today, the Harringay section was fully culverted by 1885. Hermitage Brook flowed roughly along the southern boundary of the western part of Harringay and then, staying close to its southern edge, under where the Arena Shopping Park stands today. It was eventually culverted, and now flows underground just to the south of the shopping park.[20][21]

History edit

Historical outline edit

 
Tympanum style ornamentation with a bas-relief green man decoration on one of the Grand Parade Buildings

In the Ice Age Harringay was on the edge of a huge glacial mass that reached as far south as Muswell Hill.[22]

 
Boundary marker on Seymour Road. Note paving to the east (ex-Tottenham), tarmac to the west (ex-Hornsey)

The area was then largely covered with forest until the Middle Ages when it was developed as agricultural land. From 1750 to 1880 Harringay experienced the pressures of the burgeoning population in London. Gradually inroads into the pastoral landscape were made, first for the leisure and then for the settlement of Londoners. By 1900 Harringay had become a respectable outer London suburb with all the land built over and only Finsbury Park remaining as a hint of its former character. It remained part of Middlesex and was not within the jurisdiction of the County of London until 1965. Identified as a single unified urban area from 1900, Harringay was originally split between the old boroughs of Hornsey and Tottenham with the boundary between the two running slightly to the west of Green Lanes The unification of the two boroughs in 1965, as the London Borough of Haringey, brought all Harringay under the control of a single unit of local governance for the first time in more than a thousand years. On many of the roads in West Harringay, it is still possible to see the old Tottenham - Hornsey boundary where the paving stones give way to tarmacked pavement. The old parish / borough boundary markers are also still in place on some roads (see picture, right).

Etymology edit

The name Harringay has its origin in the Saxon period and is derived from the name of a Saxon chieftain called Haering. Haering's Hege meant Haering's enclosure. The earliest written form of the name was recorded as Harenhg’ in about 1195. Its development thereafter gave rise to the modern-day names of Harringay (the district of London), the London Borough of Haringey and Hornsey (another nearby district of London).

Sources:[23]

Entertainment edit

From 1750 until the second half of the 20th century, Harringay became a destination for Londoners seeking to relax. Hornsey Wood House, Finsbury Park, Harringay Stadium and Harringay Arena were all hugely popular leisure destinations in their day. The stadium and arena site is now occupied by Sainsbury's and the Arena Shopping Park. In the 21st century, Harringay continues to attract visitors from across London and beyond to visit the ever-growing number of popular restaurants, bars, festivals and live music venues. In the years since 2010 the festivals, bar and music studios of the creative hub in the Harringay Warehouse District is also attracting people to Harringay as an entertainment centre.

Transport and communications history edit

There is little doubt that the history of transport communications through Harringay had a significant effect on its shape today. In Roman times, a great roadway through the area to the north was established.[24] This roadway endured as a great communication passage to the north and brought much activity through the heart of the area. It also acted as the rough dividing line for land ownership, identifying Harringay's position on the edge of manorial and subsequently borough boundaries.

In the mid-19th century, the arrival of the Great Northern Railway (GNR) cleaved western Harringay from the rest of the Borough of Hornsey and set it fair for its subsequent union with the southwesternmost slice of the Borough of Tottenham. The subsequent construction of the Tottenham & Hampstead Junction Railway (THJR) almost defined Harringay's present-day southern boundary.

Demographics edit

 
The striking Modernist St Paul's Church & Vicarage, Wightman Road, Harringay - called the dazzling St Paul's by The Guardian's Simon Jenkins

At the 2011 census, the population of Harringay was about 22,136.[25]

The ethnic breakdown is: 64% white, 12% black, 12% Asian, 6% Mixed and 5% other. 71% of its inhabitants were born in Europe, with 12% in Asia, 7% in Africa (mainly eastern & southern), and 1% in North America. Within this mix 3% were born in Turkey.[25]

About 41% of the population report themselves as Christian, 14% as Muslim, 1% as Jewish and 40% as not religious or no religion stated.[25]

60% of residents are classified as being in the A/B & C1 NRS social grades.[25]

Of a total of around 9,199 dwellings in Harringay, approximately 39% are owner-occupied and about 44% are privately rented accommodation. 14% are public or other council housing. About 40% of the dwellings are houses, with the remainder being flats, most often converted from the largely Victorian housing stock.[25]

Education edit

There are four generally well regarded schools located within Harringay. These are shown below together with the number of places available in 2018:[26]

Inspection reports on Harringay's four schools are available at the Ofsted website.

Sport edit

Harringay became both nationally and internationally famous for the sporting events that were held in the Harringay Stadium and the Harringay Arena from the late 1920s until the 1980s. Greyhound racing, boxing and speedway were the main attractions. Today, Harringay is home to the London Meteors who are based in the former cricket pitch in Finsbury Park, at the corner of Endymion Road and Green Lanes.

Green Harringay edit

22.5% of Harringay is open space:[18]

 
Behind busy Wightman Road - the New River Path
 
A haven of tranquility on Green Lanes - Railway Fields, Harringay

Also close by are:

People from Harringay edit

See Category:People from Harringay

Harringay on film and television edit

Films shot in part or in their entirety in Harringay include:

TV productions in Harringay include:

Transport and local area edit

Nearest places edit

Places of interest edit

Nearest railway stations edit

Nearest Underground stations edit

Buses edit

There are three bus routes that connect Green Lanes with the City and the West End: the 29, 141, and 341. The nearby Turnpike Lane bus station offers further connection to the west, east and north.[34]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "NomisWebsite". Neighbourhood Statistics. University of Durham. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  2. ^ The neighbourhood of Harringay is spelt with two r's and ends in 'ay', whereas the borough of Haringey is spelt with one r and ends in 'ey'. For more information see Etymology subsection of main article: History of Harringay.
  3. ^ Mills, A. D. (2004). Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-860957-5.
  4. ^ Google Map showing the boundaries of Harringay
  5. ^ a b Ward boundaries classify the park as being within Harringay Ward - Haringey Council Map showing the ward boundaries.
  6. ^ Measured between OS Grid Refs TQ 315 896 and TQ 315 868.
  7. ^ Measured between OS Grid Refs TQ 321 886 and TQ 312 886.
  8. ^ Google map showing Harringay's boundaries.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1358865)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  10. ^ "The Salisbury Public House, Harringay, London, UK". July 2004. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  11. ^ John Mackenzie (Director) (1980). The Long Good Friday. Black Lion Films. For additional information see: IMDb website - The Long Good Friday
  12. ^ Richard Attenborough (Director) (1992). Chaplin. Carolco Pictures. For additional information see: IMDb website - Chaplin
  13. ^ Measured between OS Grid Refs TQ 318 882 and TQ 317 887.
  14. ^ Page on Harringay Online showing map of Harringay's sub-districts
  15. ^ This measurement is taken from the point where St Ann’s Road meets Green Lanes to the traditional centre of London, at the statue of King Charles in Trafalgar Square.
  16. ^ This measurement is taken from the point where St Ann’s Road meets Green Lanes to the highest point of Hampstead, near Spaniards.
  17. ^ This measurement is taken from the point where St Ann's Road meets Green Lanes to the nearest point of the River Lea to the east.
  18. ^ a b c Generalised Land Use Database Statistics for England 2005, Office for National Statistics. Figures shown are calculated using 100% of the value for Harringay Ward, 30% of the total for St Ann's Ward and 85% of Super Output Area 31D of Seven Sisters Ward.
  19. ^ 1869 & 1894 Ordnance Survey Maps.
  20. ^ Pinching & Bell, Albert & David (2005). Haringey's Hidden Streams Revealed. Hornsey Historical Society. ISBN 0-905794-35-4.
  21. ^ All elevation measurements are from Google Earth. All distance measurements are taken as a straight line between the two points identified, sourced from the Ordnance Survey.
  22. ^ Madge, Stephen J. (1938). The Earliest Records of Harringay alias Hornsey; From Prehistoric Times to 1216 AD. Public Libraries Committee Hornsey.
  23. ^ Madge, Stephen J. (1936). An Introduction to the Early Records of Harringay alias Hornsey. Public Libraries Committee Hornsey.The information used for this section is derived from this very detailed study carried out by the author over 36 years. In addition to being a historian of local history, Madge was Editor of the British Records Society. Earlier theories proposed the notion of a meaning of "meadow of hares". Madge patiently dedicated a section in his book explaining his scholarly research identifying the true origin and gently sidelining the hares theory.
  24. ^ See Early History page.
  25. ^ a b c d e There is no single figure provided in the census for Harringay. All data used for the total population of Harringay is a close approximation, calculated by using the data for Haringey Output Areas E00010027, E00010029, E00010030, E00010031, E00010032, E00010033, E00010034, E00010035, E00010036, E00010037, E00010038, E00010039, E00010040, E00010041, E00010042, E00010043, E00010044, E00010045, E00010046, E00010047, E00010048, E00010049, E00010050, E00010051, E00010052, E00010053, E00010054, E00010055, E00010056, E00010057, E00010058, E00010059, E00010060, E00010061, E00010062, E00010261, E00010266, E00010268, E00010269, E00010270, E00010271, E00010272, E00010277, E00010278, E00010280, E00010281, E00010282, E00010283, E00010284, E00010285, E00010286, E00010310, E00010311, E00010318, E00010319, E00010323, E00010326, 00010327, 00010328, E00170301, E00170307, E00170308. The number of dwellings was calculated using the same method. All data is sourced from the Nomis website. For the areas used in this calculation, see the Google Map map contributed by Harringay Online.
  26. ^ .gov.uk website
  27. ^ The Conservation Volunteers | Railway Fields
  28. ^ Harringay Access to New River path on Google map - New River Path.
  29. ^ London Wildweb (archived link)
  30. ^ London Community Herbalists website - North Harringay Primary School roof garden.
  31. ^ Haringey Council Green Pennant Gardens page - Doncaster Gardens Community Garden.
  32. ^ London Wildlife Trust page on East Reservoir (Woodberry Wetlands). Archived 16 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine London Wildlife Trust news update on Woodberry Wetlands Development Archived 24 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ a b Ticher, Mike (2002). The Story of Harringay Stadium and Arena. Hornsey Historical Society. ISBN 0-905794-29-X..
  34. ^ Haringey London Borough Council - Travelling around Haringey.

External links edit

  • Harringay Online – double award-winning neighbourhood network for Harringay residents.
  • Google map showing Harringay's boundaries
  • Harringay Online's Harringay Timeline
  • Flickr Photo Pool on Harringay
  • BBC h2g2 Article, Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Named it Twice?
  • Wymondham Learning Centre, Bombs over Harringay. 9 March 2005.