The history of
Harringay
Harringay (pronounced ) is a district of north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. 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 ...
tells the story of the development of the district of
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
five miles from its centre, affected by, but not always part of, the great city's history.
Toponymy
It is very probable that the name ''Harringay'' has its origin in the Saxon period, most likely derived from the name of a Saxon person, probably a local chieftain, called ''Hering'' – ''Heringes-hege'' in Old English means the enclosure of "Hering". The earliest written form was ''Harenhg'' in about 1195. It gave rise to the names Harringay (the district of London), the
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey (pronounced , same as Harringay) is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of t ...
, and Hornsey (a nearby district of London). Its development into these three forms was complex and included at least 162 variations. Since the history of Hornsey is mostly common with that of present-day Harringay and the etymology is shared, both are covered in this section. The name of the London Borough of Haringey is included to explain spelling differences.
In 1243, the name was recorded as ''Haringesheye'', an intermediate form between the Saxon ''Heringes-hege'' and its three present-day forms. With the second ‘g’ pronounced as ‘y’ in Old English, it can be seen how close the two versions were. In 1371 ''Haryngeay'' was recorded, and 16 years later ''Haringey'' appeared for the first time, making it the oldest of the three present-day forms. ''Haryngay'' appeared in 1393 and ''Harringay'' in 1569. The variant that became Hornsey developed the addition of an 's' in the middle with the use of ''Harnsey'', recorded in 1392, and ''Hornsey'' appeared in 1646.
Until the close of the eighteenth century all variants referred to the same area, around present-day Harringay and Hornsey, but from the late
Tudor period
The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in History of England, England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in Englan ...
Hornsey took precedence in common usage: Harringay survived more as a legal entity and in the records of the Manor of Harringay.
The building of the large mansion of ''Harringay House'' in 1792 at the top of the hill between present-day Hewitt and Allison Roads saw the divergence of meaning of the names. Hornsey referred to the present-day district and subsequently the parish and Middlesex borough; Harringay to the house, its surrounding park and finally the present-day district, and continued as the common name in manorial records.
Whilst the early residents of Harringay continued to use that name, in official documents from the early twentieth century the
Borough of Hornsey referred to it as Haringey, which became the name of the London Borough of Haringey, created in 1964 when the Boroughs of Hornsey, Wood Green and
Tottenham
Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...
merged. A letter from a council officer in 1983 said, "When Tottenham and Hornsey were joined to form the new borough in 1964, the choice of name rested with a special panel which, after public consultation, opted for one of the spellings of the modern Borough of Hornsey. We are not aware of the reasons for that choice". Pupils in local schools at the time were taught that the new borough's name should be pronounced with the same ending as Finchley, Hackney and Hornsey.
Prehistory to 1750
In the
Ice Age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
, Harringay was at the edge of a huge glacial mass that reached as far south as Muswell Hill.
There is evidence of both
Stone Age
The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
and
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
activity in the immediate vicinity.
In the 5th and 6th centuries the
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
invasions brought Haering, the chieftain whose name still lives on today in
local placenames. At the time of
Domesday
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
, the western part of modern Harringay was within the Manor of Harengheie and part of the
Bishop of London
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
's principal Manor of
Stepney
Stepney is a district in the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The district is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name appl ...
.
[ The eastern part was within the Manor of Tottenham held by ]Waltheof II, Earl of Northumbria
Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria ( enm, Wallef, on, Valþjóf) (died 31 May 1076) was the last of the Anglo-Saxon earls and the only English aristocrat to be executed during the reign of William I.
Early life
Waltheof was the second son of Siwa ...
, the last of the great Anglo-Saxon Earls.
From Domesday to the middle of the eighteenth century, Harringay was transformed from a mainly forested area to a pastoral one. It remained sparsely inhabited. Beyond the clearance of the forests, few incursions were made into Harringay lands save for the New River, the building of which presaged the more drastic developments to come.
1750 to 1880
In 1750 the area that was to become Harringay was almost all agricultural land with only a few buildings. Over the 130 years to 1880, significant parts were brought into a more modern use, either as comfortable houses or as parkland. Most notably, Harringay House was built at the top of the hill between the present-day Hewitt and Allison Roads. At the southern end of Green Lanes Green Lanes may refer to:
*A green lane (road), a type of road, usually an unpaved rural route.
*Green Lanes (London), a major road running through north London
*Harringay, a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of ...
, a large tile kiln and pottery was developed. But by 1880, fewer than two dozen buildings existed. Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park is a public park in the London neighbourhood of Harringay. It is in the area formerly covered by the historic parish of Hornsey, succeeded by the Municipal Borough of Hornsey. It was one of the first of the great London parks ...
and nearby Alexandra Park were laid out during this period. And, perhaps most significantly, two railways were built, which, more than anything, presaged the next chapter in Harringay's history.
1880 – present day
The last 20 years of the nineteenth century saw the disappearance of Harringay House with the surrounding parkland and farmland under the advance of late Victorian urbanisation.
From 1900, Harringay was spread across the borders of the urban districts, later municipal boroughs, of Hornsey
Hornsey is a district of north London, England in the London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey (pronounced , same as Harringay) is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner Lo ...
and Tottenham
Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...
in Middlesex.
Following the Second World War, Harringay began to change as immigration altered the character of the district.
In 1965 it was unified under one local authority with the creation of the London Borough of Haringey.
Harringay and entertainment
From 1750 until the second half of the twentieth century Harringay gained fame as an entertainment centre. In the second half of the eighteenth century Hornsey Wood House was developed as a private leisure park and became one of the most popular places for Londoners to escape from the city at the weekends. Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park is a public park in the London neighbourhood of Harringay. It is in the area formerly covered by the historic parish of Hornsey, succeeded by the Municipal Borough of Hornsey. It was one of the first of the great London parks ...
, the development of which swept the old tavern away, was the first major metropolitan park in England and was hugely popular in its heyday. In the early twentieth century Harringay Stadium
Harringay Stadium was a major greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway venue in Harringay, north London. It was built and opened in 1927 and closed in 1987.
Construction
Harringay Stadium was the third greyhound racing stadium to open in Br ...
and Harringay Arena
Harringay Arena was a sporting and events venue on Green Lanes in Harringay, North London, England. Built in 1936, it lasted as a venue until 1958.
Construction
Harringay Arena was built and owned by Brigadier-General Alfred Critchley under t ...
drew crowds to the area.
Economic history
Relying on agriculture for most of its recorded history, Harringay had a busy tile kiln, pottery and brickfields from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century.
Transport & communications history
The history of transport and communications through Harringay had a significant effect on shaping it today.
Early roadways
In Roman times, a great road to the north was established.[See Early history page.] This endured as a great line of communication 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.
Rail
In the mid-nineteenth century, the arrival of the Great Northern Railway (GNR) cleaved Harringay from the rest of its ancient borough. The subsequent arrival of the Tottenham and Hampstead Junction Railway
The Tottenham & Hampstead Junction Railway was a railway line in north London, formed by an Act of Parliament of 28 July 1862, which today is mostly part of the Gospel Oak to Barking line. It was effectively part of an attempt by the Great East ...
(THJR) almost defined its present-day southern boundary. Harringay's development in the late nineteenth century was of a markedly different nature from what occurred to the west of the GNR and to the south of the THJR.
The Tube
On two occasions in the early twentieth century, a Tube
Tube or tubes may refer to:
* ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film
* ''The Tube'' (TV series), a music related TV series by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom
* "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Soccer AM television show
* Tube (band), a ...
station was almost built in Harringay.
External links
* Harringay Online'
Harringay Timeline
Bruce Castle Museum
A2A – Access to Archives
A Vision of Britain through Time
Historic England's Images of England
Motco UK Directory and Image Database
City of London Collage online Historical Picture Database
Directory of London Photographers 1841 – 1905 (Now maintained as an archive only)
Harringay online
– Website for Harringay residents with much information on Harringay and its history.
References & notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harringay, History of
History of the London Borough of Haringey
History of London by locality
History of Middlesex
Harringay