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Can anyone tell me about the sentence from (Sherlock Holmes series) Norwood Builder by Conan Dolye?

Mr. Oldacre is a bachelor, fifty-two years of age, and lives in Deep Dene House, at the Sydenham end of the road of that name.

Here, the last part, "the road of that name", is what I am unsure of.

My understanding is "at the Sydenham side of Sydenham road." But can this be interpreted as "at the Sydenham side of Deep Dene road" too?

Is what "that" indicates obvious here, or can it be ambiguous?

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    Please remember to always invert subject and verb in English questions
    – tchrist
    Aug 26, 2018 at 16:52
  • Sydenham Road runs through the district of Syndenham.
    – Lambie
    Aug 26, 2018 at 19:52
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    I lived there in the 1970s, briefly. Aug 26, 2018 at 19:54
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    Factually I think all the commenters are right. But it could be ambiguous on a purely grammatical level.
    – S Conroy
    Aug 26, 2018 at 21:26
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    Lambie, no-one has expressed a view contrary to that. Aug 27, 2018 at 15:35

2 Answers 2

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Note: the house is at the Sydenham end of the road, not the Sydenham side.

I do not see any ambiguity. "Of that name" refers to the last preceding name, Sydenham. As confirmation, you may note that Doyle used an existing house in the story.

Jonas Oldacre "lived in Deep Dene House at the end of Sydenham Road"

The London of Sherlock Holmes By Thomas Bruce Wheeler

A picture is available, although since the house has been rebuilt, I do not know if what you can see is the 'staring brick' mentioned by Doyle, but I suspect it is the same type.

Sydenham Road - 'Deep Dene House', Jonas Oldacre's house - rebuilt (picture)

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Quote:

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Mr. Oldacre is a bachelor, fifty-two years of age, and lives in Deep Dene House, at the Sydenham end of the road of that name.

**

Sydenham Road runs through the district of Syndenham.

Sydenham end of the Sydenham Road, as opposed to the Crystal Palace end of the Sydenham Road road, for example.

Google maps

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  • @TimLymington The answer chosen does not even answer the question properly. What is the matter with everyone?
    – Lambie
    Aug 27, 2018 at 14:21
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    In what way does it not answer the question properly? Aug 27, 2018 at 15:36
  • It is not clear in your answer that there is a Sydenham Road and a place (district?) called Sydenham.
    – Lambie
    Aug 27, 2018 at 16:49

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