Norway House and Norway Yard. By the beginning of the 19th century this fine house set in its own large garden, had become a famous boarding academy for young gentlemen. We know that in 1805 the school was run by Bidmead & Johnson, but by 1840 control was in the hands of James Hessey. There is a story in Mary Hill’s “Hampstead in Light and Shade” of bread and apples being smuggled in to the hungry pupils by a kindly maidservant. The house and garden underwent further changes of use before being swept away in 1931 to make room for a garage. Later this was known as the Blue Star garage.
British History Online gives: "...Norway or Burford House had been built by 1754 when its occupier Thomas Osborne, a London bookseller, held a party there, followed by a duck-shoot on the heath and entertainment at the Long Room. The house stood back from High Street..", "There were a lot of bricklayers, presumably employed by builders such as George Potter in Gayton Road, James Burford at Norway House with 50 men...", "Old buildings demolished included Norway House on the east side of High Street, replaced by a garage in 1931...", " the 1¾-a. site of the Blue Star garage, formerly Norway House, was replaced after 1974 by Spencer Walk, a mixture of shops, flats, and studios by Ian Fraser and John Roberts."
