h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Does anybody know how the ladder roads got their names, or the origins of any of the other street names in the area.

the roads are named after captains of the british navy

On the Western side of Green Lanes, the streets South of the Gospel Oak - Barking Railway, but North of and including Endymion Road are all named after, or have connections with Benjamin Disraeli's novels. Including Lothair, Coniston, Alroy, Venetia, Tancred as well as Sybil, which was included later.

This is fantastic - we'll have to incorporate that into the entry too. Is there anything else you can tell us?

Small correction: Coniston should read Coningsby.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRdisraeli.htm

The only scetion of streets whose names origins is without doubt are those on the southern part of the ladder named after Disraeli novels. I have seen no list definitively able to link all remaining ladder roads to captains - would love to see a list if someone has it. I think that a couple of the streets north of the Disraeli ones - Atterbury & Woolaston are named after local notables. Most of the streets on the northern part of the ladder, built up as the Hornsey Station estate are, I believe named after Elizabethan soldiers, seaman, or parliamentarians. The central part, built as the Harringay Park Estate, seem in the main to be named after 19th century military leaders with a few Elizabethans thrown in. If your previous poster can evidence his claim (and I've had ttrouble finding the evidence), I'd be genuinely delighted to see it.

I just found a really useful discussion on this on the HArringay Community Website at http://harringay.ning.com/