In the property pages of one of our quality Sunday newspapers today there is a feature on a converted former chapel in Hackney, East London. It looks superb, the conversion has been done very tastefully and the outside of the building gives nothing away about what lies inside - the price is a bit steep though, at between £5 and 6 million, which isn't bad for the borough that consistently figures in the most deprived charts and which is officially recognised as the UK borough with the most deprived living environment.
What caught my eye at the bottom of the advert however was the claim that the property is in 'West Essex'. What? When did that happen? Hackney is, and always has been, to the west of the River Lea, the traditional boundary between the historic counties of Essex and Middlesex. Stratford and West Ham, were in the old county of Essex, but became Newham in 1965 and that borough forms the eastern boundary of Hackney.
Estate Agents are forever messing with the geography of an area to attract potential buyers as I think I have mentioned before but moving something over a river to be part of another county is the most extreme example I've seen for a while.
4 comments:
It's not just estate agents, Paul. I once had dealings with a local bloke who claimed to live in South Hylton which is quite a nice area.
The street where he lives is actually in nearby Ford Estate which is a shithole.
Brilliant - I know somebody who did the same in Bournemouth, glad it's not just me.
Ditto, in Bristol, amazing the difference a couple of streets makes!
Well I know the Bournemouth and London area quite well because of time spent there or hearing local radio so I can visualise or think of where is being discussed.
I often find myself asking when did that area become part of London. I hear parts of Kent and Essex included and not for the sake of just traffic reports either.
As some areas spread out and merge
I guess it happens...
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