michael adams wrote:
"John Rowland" wrote in
message ...
Richard J. wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
In Thames Rd aka Strand On The Green, just west of the railway
bridge is an alley called Post Office Alley which contains a small
old floodgate at the river end. Set into one wall of this alleyway
is a line of solid metal knobs which are shaped like carpentry
dovetails. The line is level (i.e. level with a spirit level
rather than level with the rather sloping ground). There is
nothing in the other side of the alley. I presume they serve some
flood defence purpose but I can't figure it out. Any clues?

I can't help with your question, but just to correct one point in
your post:
Thames Road is not "aka" Strand on the Green. The name Strand on
the Green is applied both to (a) the riverside village just
downstream from Kew Bridge, and (b) within that village the highway
along the river bank. That highway starts as a road but the road
soon veers away from the river at which point it becomes Thames
Road. Strand on the Green (the highway) continues along the river
bank as a mere towpath, but still has houses fronting on to it
(with postal addresses of xx Strand on the Green) whose land
reaches back as far as Thames Road, sometimes with separate
buildings fronting on to Thames Road.
Buildings or gates on the south side of Thames Road may therefore
carry either Thames Road numbers or Strand on the Green numbers,
usually without specifying which. As far as I remember, the
situation is not helped by the numbers on the two roads running in
different directions.
Finding house number X in Thames Road can be difficult!

"What is the name of this road" is often a surprisingly difficult
question to answer: it is not rare for the two sides of a road to
have different names, although this is a particularly unusual
example, because there are Thames Road properties on both sides of
the road, and there are Strand On The Green properties on both sides
of the road, and the experience of someone driving along the road is
that both sides of the road are changing name back and forth. In
particular, there are some properties numbered as Strand On The
Green on the north side of the road east of the point where Thames
Road starts, which defeats your argument. Therefore I don't consider
my original post to be in need of correction.

Just a thought.

What you see on Strand on The Green are the backs of the houses. Same
as the top end of Park Lane whose "actual address" is far less
prestigeous.
So possibly in both cases the owners have taken advantage of the fact
that their houses stand on two thoroughfares and have chosed the
better one - even fitting a letter box if necessary.

As you say, "just a thought". If you'd actually been there, you would
realise that your thought doesn't match the architecture and position of
most of the buildings. Was your previous post pure conjecture as well?

--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

On Mon, 28 Jul 2008, michael adams wrote:

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...
Richard J. wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
In Thames Rd aka Strand On The Green,

I can't help with your question, but just to correct one point in your
post: Thames Road is not "aka" Strand on the Green. The name Strand on
the Green is applied both to (a) the riverside village just downstream
from Kew Bridge, and (b) within that village the highway along the
river bank. That highway starts as a road but the road soon veers away
from the river at which point it becomes Thames Road. Strand on the
Green (the highway) continues along the river bank as a mere towpath,
but still has houses fronting on to it (with postal addresses of xx
Strand on the Green) whose land reaches back as far as Thames Road,
sometimes with separate buildings fronting on to Thames Road.

"What is the name of this road" is often a surprisingly difficult
question to answer: it is not rare for the two sides of a road to have
different names, although this is a particularly unusual example,
because there are Thames Road properties on both sides of the road, and
there are Strand On The Green properties on both sides of the road, and
the experience of someone driving along the road is that both sides of
the road are changing name back and forth. In particular, there are
some properties numbered as Strand On The Green on the north side of
the road east of the point where Thames Road starts, which defeats your
argument. Therefore I don't consider my original post to be in need of
correction.

Just a thought.

What you see on Strand on The Green are the backs of the houses. Same as
the top end of Park Lane whose "actual address" is far less prestigeous.
So possibly in both cases the owners have taken advantage of the fact
that their houses stand on two thoroughfares and have chosed the better
one - even fitting a letter box if necessary. And just so lang as
there's no intention to decieve that's presumably o.k.

Here's another thought: if you had a letterbox on both sides, could you
have two addresses? Do addresses in fact belong to letterboxes, and not
houses?

That's true, mutatis mutandis, of internet addresses and network
interfaces. I was very confused when i realised that my computer didn't
actually have an internet address, but my network card did! And am still
slightly confused by the fact that it's my computer which has the domain
name ... isn't it?

tom

--
an optical recording release. copyright digitally mastered. .,

"Richard J." wrote in message
om...
michael adams wrote:
"John Rowland" wrote in
message ...
Richard J. wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
In Thames Rd aka Strand On The Green, just west of the railway
bridge is an alley called Post Office Alley which contains a small
old floodgate at the river end. Set into one wall of this alleyway
is a line of solid metal knobs which are shaped like carpentry
dovetails. The line is level (i.e. level with a spirit level
rather than level with the rather sloping ground). There is
nothing in the other side of the alley. I presume they serve some
flood defence purpose but I can't figure it out. Any clues?

I can't help with your question, but just to correct one point in
your post:
Thames Road is not "aka" Strand on the Green. The name Strand on
the Green is applied both to (a) the riverside village just
downstream from Kew Bridge, and (b) within that village the highway
along the river bank. That highway starts as a road but the road
soon veers away from the river at which point it becomes Thames
Road. Strand on the Green (the highway) continues along the river
bank as a mere towpath, but still has houses fronting on to it
(with postal addresses of xx Strand on the Green) whose land
reaches back as far as Thames Road, sometimes with separate
buildings fronting on to Thames Road.
Buildings or gates on the south side of Thames Road may therefore
carry either Thames Road numbers or Strand on the Green numbers,
usually without specifying which. As far as I remember, the
situation is not helped by the numbers on the two roads running in
different directions.
Finding house number X in Thames Road can be difficult!

"What is the name of this road" is often a surprisingly difficult
question to answer: it is not rare for the two sides of a road to
have different names, although this is a particularly unusual
example, because there are Thames Road properties on both sides of
the road, and there are Strand On The Green properties on both sides
of the road, and the experience of someone driving along the road is
that both sides of the road are changing name back and forth. In
particular, there are some properties numbered as Strand On The
Green on the north side of the road east of the point where Thames
Road starts, which defeats your argument. Therefore I don't consider
my original post to be in need of correction.

Just a thought.

What you see on Strand on The Green are the backs of the houses. Same
as the top end of Park Lane whose "actual address" is far less
prestigeous.
So possibly in both cases the owners have taken advantage of the fact
that their houses stand on two thoroughfares and have chosed the
better one - even fitting a letter box if necessary.

As you say, "just a thought". If you'd actually been there,

I've been there any number of times.

The houses with the oriel windows are similar in style
to those in Park Lane. The rear of the house was intended to
provide a view - Park Lane into Hyde Park Strand on The Green
onto the River.

Weren't you aware of that?

Zoffanys House faces the River IIRR. At the time
the various houses were built there was no thoroughfare
only the Green behind, and houses were built facing in
either direction. All were identified simply as Mr X's Hse
on the Strand on the Green.

When artisan cottages were built on the site of the fornmer
Green in the 19th century a thouroughfare was created known
as River Road. Occupants of the existing houses on the river
side of the road had the option of choosing either address.

Over the ensuing years occupants on the opposite side of River
Road took advantage of the ambiguity on the Strand on The Green
side and upgraded\renamed their properties so as to enhance
their percieved value. As advised by their Esarate agents
quite possibly.

,
you would
realise that your thought doesn't match the architecture and position of
most of the buildings. Was your previous post pure conjecture as well?


Are you denying that some houses on the river side of River Road were
originally built facing in opposite directions ? Some facing
the river and some backing onto it ?

If necessary I can post one of of any number of snaps of oriel windows
with doors added later to adjacent houses, plus frontages such as
Zoffanies house.




michael adams

....



--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
h.li...
On Mon, 28 Jul 2008, michael adams wrote:

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...
Richard J. wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
In Thames Rd aka Strand On The Green,

I can't help with your question, but just to correct one point in your
post: Thames Road is not "aka" Strand on the Green. The name Strand on
the Green is applied both to (a) the riverside village just downstream
from Kew Bridge, and (b) within that village the highway along the
river bank. That highway starts as a road but the road soon veers away
from the river at which point it becomes Thames Road. Strand on the
Green (the highway) continues along the river bank as a mere towpath,
but still has houses fronting on to it (with postal addresses of xx
Strand on the Green) whose land reaches back as far as Thames Road,
sometimes with separate buildings fronting on to Thames Road.

"What is the name of this road" is often a surprisingly difficult
question to answer: it is not rare for the two sides of a road to have
different names, although this is a particularly unusual example,
because there are Thames Road properties on both sides of the road, and
there are Strand On The Green properties on both sides of the road, and
the experience of someone driving along the road is that both sides of
the road are changing name back and forth. In particular, there are
some properties numbered as Strand On The Green on the north side of
the road east of the point where Thames Road starts, which defeats your
argument. Therefore I don't consider my original post to be in need of
correction.

Just a thought.

What you see on Strand on The Green are the backs of the houses. Same as
the top end of Park Lane whose "actual address" is far less prestigeous.
So possibly in both cases the owners have taken advantage of the fact
that their houses stand on two thoroughfares and have chosed the better
one - even fitting a letter box if necessary. And just so lang as
there's no intention to decieve that's presumably o.k.

Here's another thought: if you had a letterbox on both sides, could you
have two addresses? Do addresses in fact belong to letterboxes, and not
houses?

All I remember reading is that the first 20 or so houses in Park Lane
from the Marble Arch end, aren't actually in Park Lane at all but in
Dunraven Street. I don't know what they put on their letterheads.
And as Park Lane only has houses on one side....I've never bothered to
actually check where No 1 is.

michael adams

....








That's true, mutatis mutandis, of internet addresses and network
interfaces. I was very confused when i realised that my computer didn't
actually have an internet address, but my network card did! And am still
slightly confused by the fact that it's my computer which has the domain
name ... isn't it?

tom

--
an optical recording release. copyright digitally mastered. .,

michael adams wrote:
"Richard J." wrote in message
om...
michael adams wrote:

Just a thought.

What you see on Strand on The Green are the backs of the houses.
Same as the top end of Park Lane whose "actual address" is far less
prestigeous.
So possibly in both cases the owners have taken advantage of the
fact that their houses stand on two thoroughfares and have chosed
the better one - even fitting a letter box if necessary.

As you say, "just a thought". If you'd actually been there,

I've been there any number of times.

The houses with the oriel windows are similar in style
to those in Park Lane. The rear of the house was intended to
provide a view - Park Lane into Hyde Park[,] Strand on The Green
onto the River.

Weren't you aware of that?

Well, of course the river side of the house was intended to provide a view
of the river. That's why it was built in that location. Not sure why you
think that's the back of the house, though.

Zoffanys House faces the River IIRR. At the time
the various houses were built there was no thoroughfare
only the Green behind, and houses were built facing in
either direction. All were identified simply as Mr X's Hse
on the Strand on the Green.

If there was only the Green behind, the only thoroughfare was the towpath,
so why are you denying that the natural "front" was on the towpath?

[snip]

... you would realise that your thought doesn't match the
architecture and position of most of the buildings. Was your
previous post pure conjecture as well?

Are you denying that some houses on the river side of River Road were
originally built facing in opposite directions ? Some facing
the river and some backing onto it ?

Ah, so not all of them backing on to it, as you previously suggested. Since
the houses we are talking about mostly pre-date River Road, I'm not sure how
you define "facing" and "backing on to" the river and its towpath when those
were the only thoroughfares.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

"Richard J." wrote in message
om...
michael adams wrote:
"Richard J." wrote in message
om...
michael adams wrote:

Just a thought.

What you see on Strand on The Green are the backs of the houses.
Same as the top end of Park Lane whose "actual address" is far less
prestigeous.
So possibly in both cases the owners have taken advantage of the
fact that their houses stand on two thoroughfares and have chosed
the better one - even fitting a letter box if necessary.

As you say, "just a thought". If you'd actually been there,

I've been there any number of times.

The houses with the oriel windows are similar in style
to those in Park Lane. The rear of the house was intended to
provide a view - Park Lane into Hyde Park[,] Strand on The Green
onto the River.

Weren't you aware of that?

Well, of course the river side of the house was intended to provide a view
of the river. That's why it was built in that location. Not sure why you
think that's the back of the house, though.

Zoffanys House faces the River IIRR. At the time
the various houses were built there was no thoroughfare
only the Green behind, and houses were built facing in
either direction. All were identified simply as Mr X's Hse
on the Strand on the Green.

If there was only the Green behind, the only thoroughfare was the towpath,

....

What I meant was a named thoroughfare. Obviously the residents will have
used horses and horsedrawn transport in addition, using an unnamed
roadway or pathway around the actual Green. When the houses were built,
the whole thing, towpath, houses, and any road or pathway between the green
and houses were all known as Strand on the Green.

....

so why are you denying that the natural "front" was on the towpath?

....

Because as in the City and Westminster, the watergates amd water stairs were
at the backs of buildings not at the front. As in Somerset House and all
the other large houses which fronted onto the er Strand. Before the
Embankment was built.

....


[snip]

... you would realise that your thought doesn't match the
architecture and position of most of the buildings. Was your
previous post pure conjecture as well?

Are you denying that some houses on the river side of River Road were
originally built facing in opposite directions ? Some facing
the river and some backing onto it ?

Ah, so not all of them backing on to it, as you previously suggested.

....

I was in a rush. And anyway the subsequent influence of Estate agents and the
example of Park Lane certainly come into it somewhere.


....

Since
the houses we are talking about mostly pre-date River Road, I'm not sure how
you define "facing" and "backing on to" the river and its towpath when those
were the only thoroughfares.

....

There was access around the Green. In fact most Greens are deliniated
by having a path or roadway running around them. Otherwise they wouldn't
be Greens.

There are no front doors on the river side of a number of the houses
which means that they're backing onto the river. Others have flood
barriers and smaller doors. In the houses such as Zoffany's which
definitely are facing the river, and even with the smaller artisans
cottages further along, the doors are at the top of a flight of steps.
It might be found thet a number of the houses still have impressive
front doors on their north side, which would formerly have faced
the Green.


michael adams



--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:54:47 +0100, "michael adams"
wrote:


Obviously the residents will have
used horses and horsedrawn transport in addition, using an unnamed
roadway or pathway around the actual Green. When the houses were built,
the whole thing, towpath, houses, and any road or pathway between the green
and houses were all known as Strand on the Green.

Was there ever a towpath there? Isn't approaching that bank by boat
impossible at low tide? I think that the towpath now is on the other
side of the river in this length, next to the navigation channel which
has sufficient depth for navigation at low tide.

Adrian

..

Adrian Stott

"Adrian Stott" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:54:47 +0100, "michael adams"
wrote:


Obviously the residents will have
used horses and horsedrawn transport in addition, using an unnamed
roadway or pathway around the actual Green. When the houses were built,
the whole thing, towpath, houses, and any road or pathway between the green
and houses were all known as Strand on the Green.

Was there ever a towpath there? Isn't approaching that bank by boat
impossible at low tide?


It was the OP who first referred to a "towpath" -

quote

"Richard J." wrote in message
om...

Since
the houses we are talking about mostly pre-date River Road, I'm not sure how
you define "facing" and "backing on to" the river and its towpath when those
were the only thoroughfares.

/quote

I simply went along with his usage so as not to confuse the issue any
further.


I think that the towpath now is on the other
side of the river in this length, next to the navigation channel which
has sufficient depth for navigation at low tide.

If you insist -

picky

What's on the opposite bank is a "footpath" - with numerous
trees etc between the path and the river which would have ruled out any
use of rope,

"Towpaths" are most commonly found on canals where horses were used to tow
the barges. And where the more normal means of propulsion i.e sail or oar
weren't available.

/picky


For anyone who's interested the railway bridge in the vicinity may
have suffered bomb damage during the War as some of the piers are different
- plainer and without the original embellishments. This is from the Kew
footpath side. There's also one odd pier on the Strand-on-The Green end
as well

http://i34.tinypic.com/2qicj5t.jpg

picture of bridge

800x600


michael adams









Adrian

.

Adrian Stott

michael adams wrote:
"Adrian Stott" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:54:47 +0100, "michael adams"
wrote:


Obviously the residents will have
used horses and horsedrawn transport in addition, using an unnamed
roadway or pathway around the actual Green. When the houses were
built, the whole thing, towpath, houses, and any road or pathway
between the green and houses were all known as Strand on the Green.

Was there ever a towpath there? Isn't approaching that bank by boat
impossible at low tide?


It was the OP who first referred to a "towpath" -

quote

"Richard J." wrote in message
om...

Since
the houses we are talking about mostly pre-date River Road, I'm not
sure how you define "facing" and "backing on to" the river and its
towpath when those were the only thoroughfares.

/quote

I simply went along with his usage so as not to confuse the issue any
further.

I was using "towpath" to mean the path that runs along the river bank. I
wasn't implying that it was used to tow barges or other boats. The word is
often used in this wider sense, including several examples on the PLA
website.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

On Jul 27, 1:24*pm, "John Rowland"
wrote:
MatSav wrote:
"John Rowland" wrote in
...

In Thames Rd aka Strand On The Green, just west of the railway
bridge is an alley called Post Office Alley which contains a
small old floodgate at the river end. Set into one wall of this
alleyway is a line of solid metal knobs which are shaped like
carpentry dovetails. The line is level (i.e. level with a
spirit level rather than level with the rather sloping ground).
There is nothing in the other side of the alley. I presume they
serve some flood defence purpose but I can't figure it out. Any
clues?

Photograph he

http://americangrey.co.uk/index.php?showimage=489

Thanks!

You find the most secret little wonderful place in London... and then you
find out that several Beetles movies have been shot there. Sigh.

It looks to me like they may just have been some sort of fixing
for shuttering when the render was applied to the brickwork - but
why is the rendering higher on that wall than the opposite wall?
Either that, or there's a mezzanine floor inside the building,
and the dovetail joints are exactly that!

Here's the pic I took... I should have included that with the first post,
but I didn't know how many people would be interested.http://www.geocities.com/pikkulapsi/Rimg0199-mod.jpg

Interested? Well, I am.

The dovetail 'knobs' do seem to be attached to the ends of large
rectangular beams equally spaced. I am wondering whether the building
above and to the right of the photo was built up on these beams to
keep the floor-level above flood-level, though it sees extravagant to
cast them from iron for this purpose. The only function the 'knobs'
could have then, would be to aid slinging them into place.

Strange though.

Tone