Avengerland and the Holy Grail

[Anthony McKay]

This is major location seen in RANDALL AND HOPKIRK [DECEASED], GIDEON'S WAY, THE BARON and THE CHAMPIONS. We have been looking for it for years and have still drawn blanks. Can anyone out there help?

[Anthony McKay]

Some clues - which may help you, but have not helped us so far.



The RANDALL AND HOPKIRK [DECEASED] also featured the area between North and South Mimms.



The GIDEON'S WAY also feature South Mimms and Radlett



THE BARON also featured Burnham Beeches and Chorleywood



THE CHAMPIONS also featured Tykes Water Lake, Grim's Dyke Hotel and Stanmore Hall

[Mikey]

Tony, I take it that you have searched the Welham Green and Colney Heath areas for this locations?



They would seem to be the logical area near to South Mimms and North Mimms.

[Anthony McKay]

name='Mikey']Tony, I take it that you have searched the Welham Green and Colney Heath areas for this locations?



They would seem to be the logical area near to South Mimms and North Mimms.

Yes - but we've done a lot of scanning everywhere and drawn blanks every time - a fresh pair of eyes may do better.

[mariocki]

name='Mikey']Tony, I take it that you have searched the Welham Green and Colney Heath areas for this locations?



They would seem to be the logical area near to South Mimms and North Mimms.

I live in that area Mike and also thought it must be around here somewhere but after years of searching have drawn a blank. None of the local estate agents can place it either.

[Anthony McKay]

Just to refresh the search here are some more detailed photos. The entance used in episodes is to the left of the house. The bench and willow tree seen in the foreground could indicate a stream or pond.

Sweetroom1.jpg

Sweetroom2.jpg

[mariocki]

Whew! Just for a moment there.......

I got my bike serviced last week in Kennel Works Lane, Welham Green & got chatting to the owner. His premises are quite unusual, the sort of thing that would crop up in Avengerland, and when I asked him he said that they had been the kennels for a large manor house that was demolished in the 70's on what is now Welham Manor. It did cross my mind that this could have been it but unfortunately he didn't have any photographs of the house. I've contacted the local Historical Society to see if they can help.

[Alan Hayes]

That's interesting, Mariocki, and would certainly prove why we've all had no luck finding it despite padding around the streets and poring over Google Earth and the like.

Interested to hear if you come up with anything from the history society. It certainly sounds a likelihood.

Cheers!

Alan

[Anthony McKay]

I've done some quick research, and the 'manor' was not there in 1883:

http://www.welhamgreen.com/wg/graphics/wgmap1883.gif

So a 'modern' mock-tudor (late Victorian/Edwardian) building would fit with what we see on screen.

On the other hand the outline of Welham Manor seen on the Oldmaps Site does not fit with the footprint of what we see on screen. The manor looks like a big squarish house overlooking the road with a short driveway passing the side of the house towards a yard at the back between the stables and the house.

[Arfur Teacake]

A relative maybe? or the backside what do you think..?

fetch.php?w=600&media=leighlife:homesteads:bedford_hall.jpg

[ghughesarch]

A relative maybe? or the backside what do you think..?

Attachment 6338

That's Bedford Hall Farm in Leigh, Lancashire. Rather a long way to go from the studios for each appearance?

[Westengland]

There are at least two local societies covering the history of the area you are searching: one for Welham Green and one for North Mymms, Welham Green considering itself a separate place from North Mymms.

Add the various Hertfordshire whole-county and sub-county societies and groups and it's difficult to see how a building that large could vanish from the records, even if it did disappear physically (has the County Record Office been able to help?).

[Mark O]

A long shot, but there's many large houses in Radlett, could be worth a scour with 'birds-eye view' on a map site.

[mariocki]

Been doing that for as long as Birds Eye has been up and running Mark!

[Arfur Teacake]

That's Bedford Hall Farm in Leigh, Lancashire. Rather a long way to go from the studios for each appearance?

Really? you dont say?

as I said in my first post it was suppose to summon some lateral thinking -same builder- design etc.
that type of thing.
but usually contributing to these location threads is a thankless task however helpful people are trying to be, perhaps that is why some things remain unanswered ?

[ghughesarch]

Really? you dont say?

as I said in my first post it was suppose to summon some lateral thinking -same builder- design etc.
that type of thing.
but usually contributing to these location threads is a thankless task however helpful people are trying to be, perhaps that is why some things remain unanswered ?

Well, Bedford Hall Farm is a 17th century manor house in Lancashire, by an unknown designer, though not untypical of medium sized country houses of that period, in that area. The Avengerland "holy grail" is a 19th or early 20th century house which is almost certainly in the commuter belt round London, in a style which derives from a generic "Tudorbethan", characterised especially by extensive use of black and white half-timbering, that was popular at that time, in that area. I find it difficult to see how posting a photo of the former is supposed to help at all in identifying the latter. The sum total of your first post, except for the photo, was "A relative maybe? or the backside what do you think..?", nothing about lateral thinking...

I certainly hope and expect that the "holy grail" will eventually be identified, but it will only be by looking at the right period, and the right area.
Sorry if that's too grumpy.

[Anthony McKay]

Hi guys - any contribution to the search is appreciated.

I would say 'let's not get things out of proportion', but some of us have spent 15 years looking for a house that appears for 30 seconds in a tv series!

[CliveT]

Hi Anthony

For what it's worth, here's my contribution(?) Have you looked at Totteridge Village area? Google shows some nice, big houses and I believe one or more of the "Randall & Hopkirk' episodes used locations in this area! I know the feeling about looking for a location, I'm still trying to establish the art deco mansion used in "The Secret Place"!

[wadey]

It's "Mock Tudor" and could well be a B&B but put an appeal on Geograph and somebody will sort it for you

[Anthony McKay]

Hi Anthony

For what it's worth, here's my contribution(?) Have you looked at Totteridge Village area?

Too many times. I'm not saying it was never there, but it's not been there for at least 10 years.