At long last, a name for the lane

Published: 12 July, 2012
by ALICE HUTTON

A STREET that has caused “chronic” problems for 999-callers finally has a name – more than 200 years after it was built in Kentish Town.

For decades, residents have waited in vain for the emergency services to locate the footpath between Leighton Grove and Torriano Avenue because it did not appear on maps.

But this week it has been officially named Joshua Lane following a three-year campaign by Kentish Town Safer Neighbourhoods team.

After a public consultation, it was named in honour of Joshua Torriano, the 18th-century landowner who inherited large swathes of Kentish Town.

Torriano infant and junior schools are named after him.

Local historian Gillian Tindall, who first suggested the name, told the New Journal that she chose it to tie in with the 18th-century practice of naming streets after landowners.

She added: “Torriano sounds exotic but in fact he was a perfectly respectable owner of a soap factory who owned a lot of land in the Kentish Town area.

“He gradually disposed of the land or developed it but the name ‘Torriano’ has remained in the area because of him.

“So Joshua seemed like a logical choice and keeps the area steeped in its historical roots.”

For Sergeant Paul Ryan, of Kentish Town Safer Neighbourhoods team, the new name was a way of tackling a long-term problem of police, fire and ambulance services driving around in circles.

He said: “There used to be a problem with burglary in the area around the new Joshua Lane but when people rang police or ambulance they often couldn’t find it because it wasn’t on maps.

“It became a bit of a chronic problem and we wanted to do something to change that and help keep people safer.”

He added: “Also, to think we had some small part in changing a little piece of London’s history is heartening.”