Ghost Doors - A Primer

When you see ghost doors like these it's only natural to wonder what it was that caused that particular entrance to be abandoned. Was it because Uncle Albert died in that doorway after a raucous night at the Dog & Fox and ever since then there was a deathly chill on the threshold? Well, sadly not. Actually there can only be one reason, that internal restructuring - enlarging rooms or removing passageways - must have rendered them either a nuisance or obsolete. The answer is to then brick them in - only some do it with more care than others!

So to help spot the different types of ghost doors placed in descending order of attractiveness (personal opinion only of course) we have

A fine, sensuous arch from just off Tooting High Street. What I think is a really attractive example whose brickwork is beginning to merge into the background. It's not too obtrusive and the setting has been carefully enhanced by the use accessories such as telephone exchange boxes and fire alarms to allow it to nestle comfortably in its surroundings
This example below from Villiers Road, Surbiton looks fairly recent and is a nice example of the sort of thing that intrigues me. An attractive and distinctive piece of ornamentation now cast up on the Beach of Time by the Seas of Fashion. Slightly too angular to take top spot for me though
This is a more typical example from Hawkes Road, Kingston which is typical of almost every corner shop in a Victorian building. It's plain and utilitarian and I assume it used to go to the flat upstairs however extending the shop floor space means it's no longer required, so in go the bricks. Competent but not very inspiring.
Of course there's subtle and then there's subtle. And then there's breize block...
This pretty ugly example on Kingston Road, South Wimbledon comes in way down the field. Enough said really...
... but if they think sticking a totemic head next to such shoddy work can turn it into something post-modern and ironic I'd have to disagree. A gargoyle would have been a far more acceptable choice.
A couple of late examples have recently been spotted in Mitcham, including this fine example of a ghost door and window double. Not only was the door surplus to requirement but it seems that the window was as well. Twice the poignancy...
And finally another example from Mitcham, this time of 'brazen blockage' where not only has a fine and ornate doorway been filled, but those responsible have made no attempt to cover up their handicraft. In fact brickwork and a concrete skim almost make this a statement in its own right and give it air of a 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Harry Potter'. Maybe the muttering of an incantation or the reading of a rune or two might cause it to swing open unexpectedly? In many ways the cream of the crop...