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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Finsbury Park Landscape Watercolour, 1905

This picture came with the title Finsbury Park, Landscape Scene With a Red Brick Brick Church (by John Ladds, dated 1905).

Initially I assumed that the view was from the park. But the only church I can match with the one on the picture is Holy Trinity at the junction of Stapleton Hall and Granville Roads.

If it is this church, then the view must have been to its north, perhaps from the Hog's Back (Mountview/Ridge).

Can anyone more familiar with Stroud Green confirm this, or suggest an alternative? It could. of course be a church that has ben demolished. But I can't see any other likely candidates on the 1895 OS map

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Albums: Historical Images of Harringay After 1918 | 3 of 3, Historical images of Stroud Green

Comment by Gordon T on November 25, 2019 at 13:26

Old Holy Trinity had a fleche but right above the west door, not part way along as in the watercolour.

I agree with your first thought, that it's a view from the park,and I'll add that I estimate the viewpoint is where where the running track now is, looking approximately north-west towards St Paul's, which had a fleche at that point along the roof (though the artist has enhanced it a little).

Comment by Hugh on November 25, 2019 at 14:12

Silly me; I didn’t even consider St Paul’s! This image shows what you mean. Were you able to make out any of the other buildings? If it is St Paul’s, I can make out a row of houses that could be Endymion Road. But I can’t place the house in the lower right of the picture (just to the left of the tall tree). I wonder where that could be. 

Comment by andy h on November 25, 2019 at 19:38

I've mulling this over all afternoon.

assuming the church is St. Paul's the viewpoint would have to be between the running track and green lanes or the Manor House entrance to Finsbury Park. With Wightman rd running on the left hand side of the church building. 

So the gable ends are on Endymion rd and the sort of domey thing above the building on the lower right could be the  beaconsfield ??? Allowing for artistic license . I think, ish, maybe. 

Comment by andy h on November 25, 2019 at 19:40

And wouldn't that make the black dome in the middle the crown on the Salisbury ??????

Comment by andy h on November 25, 2019 at 19:56

So what is the building on the far left poking out from behind the tree??? It's so high it would have be somewhere close to the Lawsons site.

Any old pics of that stretch of Wightman Hugh ???? 

Comment by Michele on November 25, 2019 at 22:23

What a beautiful painting - who is the artist? 

And all those fields beyond!!

Comment by Michele on November 25, 2019 at 22:24

Could the building on the far left have been a station house?

Comment by Michele on November 25, 2019 at 22:36

Sorry just seen details of the artist.

Comment by Gordon T on November 25, 2019 at 23:01

Michele & Andy - about the building on the far left, more likely it was the signal box which once was right by the bridge over the railway. Image here with footbridge in view to the right.

Comment by Hugh on November 25, 2019 at 23:08

I still can't quite reconcile it.

  • I can accept the large church as St Paul's - in fact it's a pretty good fit
  • As I said before, I can reconcile Endymion
  • I could be persuaded to accept that the second building with a fleche, just to the right of the supposed St Paul's one is St Augustine's on Mattison (with badly executed perspective)

BUT there are too many buildings that I can't reconcile.

  • There are two rimmed domes, neither of which matches the Salisbury - and the Beaconsfield doesn't have one. 
  • If you take the tall tree in the forground on the right, just further into the picture, there's a line of poplars: I could accept that as the New River leading to Endymion. But the red house just beyond them doesn't match an Endymion house. Behind it there are a cojuple of quite imposing houses that aren't like those on Lothair.
  • On the extreme left of the picture, there's what looks like a large first floor bay that looks like it's glazed on all sides. I can't reconcile that with anything.
  • So the list  goes on. 

So, for me there are too many discrepancies to be able to conclude that this is a view from Finsbury Park across South Harringay. But I'd love to be convinced! 

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