Can anyone help identify this 50's/60's road/path?

I bought this unknown road/path frame a while back, and it was advertised as having "some Mercian-like features". Having had a trawl through the Mercian Frame Registry, I can agree that's true, but there's nothing to really nail it as one.

On the one hand, similar lugs, 'ridged' seatstay caps and rear brake bridge can all be found found on Mercians of the era, and while most of their road/path frames had brazed-on rear mudguard eyes, there are a couple of late 50's examples that have drilled eyes like this.

On the other hand, I can't find any match for the fork crown - there's one or two that are similar, but all Mercian crowns seem to have at least some degree of 'tang'.
There's also no trace of a frame number on the BB shell, dropouts or steerer tube, and I can't help but think the similarities are simply confirmation bias, a consequence of Mercian being documented better than most other marques.

I've been gathering parts to build it up in a late 50's style, and would like to have a better idea of what exactly I've got before deciding what to do about a respray (the current paint is a DIY effort and partial removal offers no trace of any decals underneath, just the hint that it was originally black).

So, can anyone help shed any light on it?

Nice looking frame . If ithad a curved rear brake bridge Holdsworth would have sprung to mind. As its straight then it has a look of Ephgrave / O'Brien / Vic Edwards........

Shaun

Re:

Any serial numbers on it? Bottom bracket or matching number on the fork steer tube? Nice looking frame indeed. No head badge holes so something with a transfer. I have an R O Harrison with similar lugs but don't think they used those type seat stays.

Re:

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll do some more digging in those directions...
And no, no sign of frame/serial numbers of any type as far as I can see - I've stripped the bb shell, track ends and steerer tube, but not a whisper there :?

Re:

Seen on good old ebay a Granby road frame with similar fork crown as yours. A possibility?

There's a similar Claud Butler in the for sale section. Different lugs but similar detail on the seat stays.

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=319468

Well spotted! I have previously seen a couple of Holdsworths with similar seatstay caps too, so that family is certainly a possibility (I've also seem similar 'ridged' caps on Mercian & Bates frames).

I think the problem here is that without a frame number or former decals to go by, definitively pinning it down is a real challenge - it seems a lot of the identifying features (lugs,caps,crown,bridge,ends) weren't unique or necessarily uncommon in themselves, but I'm yet to see more than one or two combined on another frame.
FWIW, the lugs seem to be Nervex Serie Legere - close to the 85/172 variant, but not bang-on. Possibly lightly modified I guess.

Another potential pointer is a former owner's name handlettered on the toptube (P. Nall, LVRC), but while Google shows another couple of LVRC members with the same surname, I've no real desire to start pestering strangers about an old frame that may have belonged to a relative...

Re:

Hi, I think the Holdsworth direction is worth looking into, the lack of a serial number is not making it easy, is it a track version of http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-1950 ... 1c58b0e48a worth looking into. Terry

It looks to my eye like it is actually lugged, not bi laminate, which would probably rule out Claud Butler. I think you'd probably be able to see for sure if it was taken back to bare metal, but they look like lugs. Pretty sure all theirs were stamped too.