Harringay - Geography and Geology

Geography and Geology

Harringay is just under 5+1⁄₂ miles (8.9 km) from the centre of London sitting on a chalk bed covered by a thick layer of London Clay. The western part of the district is hilly, rising to 138 feet at its highest. Further to the west, beyond Harringay, the ground rises steadily to one of the highest points in London at Hampstead Heath about 3+1⁄₂ miles (5.6 km) away. The eastern part of Harringay is low-lying, at between 60 and 90 feet, as the land descends towards the Lea Valley, 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east.

Harringay covers an area of approximately ¾ of a square mile (2 km2). The land use for the area is shown in the table below.

The only waterway still running above ground is the man-made New River, constructed in 1619 to bring water into London from Hertfordshire. However, two natural rivers still flow through Harringay beneath the ground. These are just two of the many springs and streams that used to flow through this part of London from the high ground to the west and into the River Lea. Stonebridge Brook ran above ground meandering eastwards just to the north of the old Harringay House. It crossed the estate, running roughly beneath present-day Effingham and Fairfax Roads, ran along Green Lanes for a short way and then eastwards north of St Ann's Road and on to the River Lea. Although still flowing underground today, the Harringay section was fully culverted by 1885. Hermitage Brook flowed roughly along the southern boundary of the western part of Harringay and then, staying close to its southern edge, under where the Arena Shopping Park stands today. It was eventually culverted and now flows underground just to the south of the shopping park.

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