It is, almost certainly, unique to Plymouth although the origin of this particular street name may easily have been lost in the mists of time in another decade or two and even now it is not as clear as it might be.
At the beginning of the 1930s, when Corporation Road was around thirty years old, there was an undeveloped “parcel of land” on the western side, a gap, not unlike the present allotments at the top of the road and this plot was purchased by one Leonard Henry Ingram. In 1935 work began on the development of a dozen or so properties that were together to make up what was to become known as Harnorlen Road. Why Harnorlen? Well it would appear that this was a combination of the first elements of each of the names of Mr Ingram’s sons – Harold, Norman and Leonard. Gwen Rendle (widow of Argyle President, Sam) moved in over forty years ago and has always believed, along with one or two other long term residents, that the street was named after the builder’s three sons and although it is not clear whether Mr Ingram was builder or developer or both, it would however seem likely that his Christian names as well as his surname were passed on to his successors, thus making him the most likely candidate to be the man who came up with the quirky name for this quiet little cul de sac.
