The fading Crick's Corner sign on the corner shop has long been a feature on the corner of this road. It's good to see that the developers currently renovating the shop and flats above haven't completely obliterated it.
The left-hand side of the street as you go down consists mainly of 2/3 storey Victorian terraces, many converted into flats, but there are a few odd ones out. My favourite is 'The Red House', dated 1907, number 32 1/2. I was once collecting photos of doors numbered with halves (or even quarters) for a notional project called 'London by halves' but I must have been too half-hearted to finish it...
On the corner with Junction Road is the recently renovated gastro-pub, the Oak and Pastor; formerly the slightly seedy Drum and Monkey (must have a photo somewhere!) where I remember having a good dance on a friend's birthday a few years ago. The old green tiles were revealed during the renovation and it's nice to see that at least a few of them have been preserved even though most have been painted over.
The right-hand side of the street is less uniform. At the top is Dartmouth Park; only given that name as it's off Dartmouth Park Hill - it's actually the Maiden Lane covered reservoir - which has one of the best panoramic views across London anywhere, beats Parliament Hill! It makes a stunning close to my Archway guided walk (just before we exit through the Gift Shop).
Next comes Bickerton House, a former industrial building now converted into studios and workshops (not sure what it was originally).
Then a run of terraces much like those on the opposite side until you reach the '70s flats, Silver Court, at the bottom. They're currently converting the former car-parking spaces beneath into more flats. The block was built on the site of the short-lived Odeon Highgate; building started 1939, opened in 1955, demolished to make way for the flats 1974.
See all photos from Bickerton Road
Half-way back up on the right you come to...
Tremlett Grove
Starting from junction with Bickerton Road, walking along and down.
Tremlett Grove has several branches. There's a bit straight across at the top which leads into an estate - the complexities of which I have never fully fathomed even though I delivered telephone directories in there once. Then there's the part that turns right and becomes a crescent around the church at the bottom with each end exiting into Junction Road.
The church looms like a giant spaceship that's landed at the bottom of the hill. This was the Junction Road Congregational Church, built in 1866. It became a United Reformed Church after the union of the Congregationalists and Presbyterians in 1972. This church closed in 1978 and the building was then a hindu temple for a while. It was then left semi-derelict before being converted into flats, probably during the 1990s.
Houses in the street are 3/4 storey Victorian terraces. Those along the right have semi-basements with the front doors approached by steep steps. Fabulous views from the top floor.
See all photos from Tremlett Grove
Turn right into Junction Road and then right again into...
Poynings Road
Another street of terraced houses, this time two-storey. It leads up to the other side of the Tremlett Grove Estate and ends at the bottom of the reservoir park. I decided against walking up just to come back down, especially as my favourite feature of the street is right on the bottom corner - the Auction Rooms & Depository ghost sign (which I've taken better photos of in the past...).
The shop attached to it is now a wine and spirit merchant.
That's all I took of Poynings Road but who knows, I might be back there another day.
Continue along Junction Road and turn right into...
Cathcart Hill
Apart from a detached house at the bottom and the flats that are being built on a site formerly occupied by a junk shop on the corner with Junction Road, this street is Peabody, Peabody, Peabody; mainly Victorian mansion blocks although at the bottom it leads into a 1970s (ish) Peabody estate that fronts on to Junction Road.
At the top of Cathcart Hill turn left into Dartmouth Park Hill, down the hill and then left into...
Wyndham Crescent
The first thing I saw when I turned into Wyndham Crescent was an abandonned dolls' house. It must be a cue for a joke about the bedroom tax but I haven't quite worked it out yet.
And a bit further down this rather oddly positioned diversion sign - pointing straight in to someone's front room. Be all right if they bagged a Porsche or two.
Other than that, Peabody all the way again.
And that's the last of today's streets. Yes, of course, in the process I took pics in both Dartmouth Park Hill and Junction Road but these are both long streets and I'm planning to give each of them a blog entry in their own right in due course.
Ended with a pizza and a glass of wine at the Spaghetti House, Tufnell Park, the start of Dartmouth Park Hill. Previously green, recently re-opened with brown decor under new ownership as the previous owner, Dino, is sadly terminally ill and had to retire.
(A note to those who might be thinking she's good at starting series but does she ever finish: I-Spy (1960s) London will be continuing soon. I hope to have a bit more time to spend on it when I'm off work for a few days over Easter.)
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