London A-Z

What interests me about these signs is that although they appear to date from the same time there are subtle differences. They are situated opposite each other at the junction with Bayswater Rd. Presumably the lower one is slightly narrower to fit in the space between the pillars but why two lines for the leading to ... section and why is Bark Place underlined? (And is it actually interesting, I find myself wondering...)

What interests me about these signs is that although they appear to date from the same time there are subtle differences. They are situated opposite each other at the junction with Bayswater Rd. Why the colon after the leading to... on the upper sign? Why have the postcode twice on the lower one (which also appears to use a narrower font)? Also, on this pair, both streets are given the same prominence whereas in the Orme Court sign (previous pic) the leading to... is in a smaller font (which is generally the case I seem to recall).

There's the trace of an older painted sign above this one that looks as if it reads (something) Park, suggesting that this street might have been renamed at some point. Maybe it was previously a continuation of Hargrave Park that runs up from Junction Rd almost opposite?

Enfield Lock Looks old but no apostrophe!

Formerly Euston Buildings

At junction of Stroud Green Road/Seven Sisters Road. On the left going north. Even though you can only see the ROUD GRE at the top that's obviously Stroud Green (especially as that's the road it was in!). The remains of the lettering at the bottom fits with ISLINGTON once you've puzzled it out...

Sometimes street name signs seem to be a reflection of the area in which they find themselves. Neglected is the way I would characterise this one at the junction of Stroud Green Road and Seven Sisters Road

Highgate, N6. Leading from the bottom of West Hill by Parliament Hill Fields up to South Grove, Highgate Village. Highgate Cemetery and Waterlow Park bound each side towards the top end. "This thoroughfare is mentioned as far back as the year 1492 as "Swayneslane," though the less euphonious form usually employed until last century was "Swines Lane." It was one of four parallel routes up the hill to the village, viz. West Hill, Bromwich Walk, Swain's Lane and Dartmouth Hill. Bromwich Walk never developed beyond a footpath and has disappeared. The use of Swain's Lane was mainly to provide access to the adjacent farm lands on either side and there were no dwellings in it except at a few yards from the upper end." From 'Swain's Lane', Survey of London: volume 17: The parish of St Pancras part 1: The village of Highgate (1936), pp. 39-40. In British History Online