Notes and news — April 1994
London's Freysinnet Bridge
- London's Freysinnet Bridge
- All human life
- Iron and Steam
- Hendon Aerodrome
- De Dion Bouton Factory
- Battersea Power Station
- Olympic Games
- The Davy Down Project
- The New River Action Group
- Letters to the editor
- 151news.pdf
Barking Bridge on the A13 over the River Roding (also known as Barking Creek) is a concrete bridge of about 1930, designed by Eugene Freysinnet, with the help of an architect (unknown) who designed the pylons, ballustrades and ornamental lamps etc. to mask the structure below.
Its setting amongst tidal mud flats, smelly factories and heavy traffic was never very good, and little has changed for the better. The architectural treatment considered 'an excellent example of the advantages obtained by the collaboration of the architect and the engineer' at the time, has since been badly mutilated. The pylons were lost long ago as were the ornamental lamps and the embellishments to the parapets. What remains of the parapet is in a very poor state. But underneath, the structure is still sound largely, and whilst not beautiful the structure has a certain structural logic and elegance, particularly with the delicate cantilever currently masked by heavy concrete parapets.
Work to strengthen the bridge and increase the capacity of the road is proposed. Following discussions, it is now proposed to retain the bridge, clear away the few last remains of the architectural embellishments, and all the clutter around and under the bridge, and restore the Freysinnet structure, exposing it to view. Lighter more delicate parapets and pedestrian walkways will emphasise the cantilevers, and the removal of the unsympathetic alterations and arcade infill, will expose the underside to view for the first time.
The opportunity should be taken to see the bridge as it is now, and to watch out for new opportunities to view the interesting structure during the works. Jon Wallsgrove
Though the Hulton Deutsch Collection exhibition at the Barbican is not primarily about either Industrial Archaeology or London, there is much of both to be seen. Amongst the earlier photographs (1855) is an internal detail of a transept roof of the Crystal Palace when it was reconstructed at Sydenham. Another gem is a view of the covered Engineering and Dry Dock at Thames Iron Works Shipbuilders (1867). In many of the later pictures industry just helps to set the scene - the view of the chimneys of the London Brick Company through a 1949 fog. Gracie Fields singing to the steel erectors on the framework of the new Prince of Wales theatre (1937) and a darkly atmospheric view of the entrance to the Central and Metropolitan station at Liverpool Street, the result of spring sunshine - a reminder of the effects of the Clean Air Acts. A view of the drying pans at the Salt Union Company, Cheshire, in 1929 shows them working flat out; a picture of John Harrison, the singing cooper, shows him with barrels and tubs and the tools. A heart stopping picture shows five LNER streamlined engines lined up in London to be tested. The few hundred pictures here come from some 15 million in the collection. One wonders what gems remain to be discovered! 'All Human Life' is at the Barbican Art Gallery until 24th April. Charles Norrie
Wednesday afternoon, 2nd March, brought the curtain down on the Iron and Steam Concert with the donations to the museums in London for which the event was run. The representatives were entertained to coffee and biscuits, courtesy of The Kirkaldy Testing Museum and by videos made by or for several of the museums. Donations were given to: The Crystal Palace Foundation; the Musical Museum; Kew Bridge Engines Trust; Crossness Engines Trust; The Brunel Exhibition, and the Kirkaldy Testing Museum.
Thanks were expressed to Denis Smith and GLIAS for organising the concert, and managing to turn a profit. The informal discussions afterwards were also productive, with a number of reciprocal visits being arranged. The final act of the production is still under way, the audio tape of the concert is still in hand but without a deadline (or definite price) as yet. Danny Hayton
In the early 1980s GLIAS joined with many other bodies in protesting at the proposal of the Ministry of Defence to demolish the historic, listed Grahame-White hangar at Hendon Aerodrome (GLIAS Newsletter February 1984). As a result, not only was the hangar saved but three other buildings at Hendon were listed.
After the RAF finally left Hendon in 1987 LB Barnet Council produced a planning brief for the site which included the preservation of the listed buildings. Unfortunately the recession intervened and no development has taken place. There is a Parliamentary Select Committee inquiring into English Heritage and, as part of its investigation, the local MP John Gorst, arranged a visit to Hendon as an illustration of the neglect of listed buildings, not only at Hendon, by the Ministry of Defence. Mr Gorst referred to six years of neglect of the buildings but the neglect is much longer because the RAF admitted in 1979 that the Grahame-White hangar was in a poor state of repair. GLIAS has written to Mr Gorst about this. There is hope that the site may, after all, become part of the RAF museum, but it is a pity that no-one took action about the neglect of the buildings when it was drawn to their attention in 1980. Bill Firth
Another historic factory in LB Barnet has disappeared recently. On the corner of High Road N12 and Woodside Grove there was a factory with an ornamented facade which was occupied by the McCurd Lorry Manufacturing Company in 1913. The McCurd Multiplane, an early unsuccessful aeroplane, may have been assembled here. However, the facade clearly bore the date 1916. The French de Dion Bouton motor car company is believed to have assembled cars here for a time after the 1914-18 war.
The factory, unoccupied for some time, was badly fire damaged a few years ago and recently it was demolished. Bill Firth
This time last year we were all agog at the news that Battersea Power station was being sold to Chinese buyers (GLIAS Newsletter June 1993). So far has very much happened?
The power station is now in a rather poor state — not surprising as the roof has been missing for six years. Even the superb pre-war A station control room once used as a Dr Who film set and the most important surviving item has reportedly had problems from rain leakage.
If the centre-spread article in the Evening Standard (Monday 31 January 1994) is anything to go by press opinion could be turning in favour of demolition. There is a proposal to use Battersea as a rubbish destructor for South London burning rubbish to generate electricity and it is claimed opinion polls repeatedly show Battersea Power Station is one of London's favourite landmarks. Against this can be set the proposal to clear the site and turn it into a pleasure garden along the lines of the old gardens at Vauxhall. In any case conservationists are now likely to have a difficult uphill struggle.
One hopes that the tide is not turning against the retention of this famous London building. With demolition starting recently at several power stations further down-river Thameside power stations are becoming scarce. Compare the present situation with the list of stations in 1979 complied by Doug Cross (GLIAS Newsletter April 1980). Bob Carr
As well as the 1948 Olympics (GLIAS Newsletter February 1994) London also hosted the Games in 1908 when they were a somewhat smaller affair with only 19 nations taking part.
The athletic events then took place at the White City stadium and the aquatic ones in the swimming bath at Northampton Polytechnic, presently celebrating its centenary as City University.
The swimming bath in the basement of the A building (the original College Building by Edward W Mountford) is still in use and well worth a visit even if only for its period decoration. The university can claim to have an Olympic swimming pool but such pools have increased in size since 1908.
No Olympiads took place between 394 and 1896 but from 776BC to 394AD the games continued to be held (as now) at four-year intervals with relatively short gaps. In modern times there were no games between 1936 and 1948. Bob Carr
On the North Bank of the Thames, next to the Dartford Crossing, "an area of the Mardyke Valley has been identified as a site for an Industrial Archaeology Centre (Essex Archaeology, Issue 10). The site contains Stifford Pumping Station, once used by the Essex Water Company, and containing two Sulzer Diesels from the 1920s. Work is in hand to conserve the diesels and there are plans to incorporate some of the machinery from South Ockendon Windmill in a display of Essex Industrial Archaeology, including aspects of the electronics industry, clay mining and cement manufacture.
The combination of the industrial site, the surrounding land and the proximity of Thames Chase Community Forest offer some interesting possibilities and interested members can see for themselves at the Open Day on May 15th.
Thurrock Council is looking for help with the project and can be contacted through the Policy and Environments Section, Planning Division, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Thurrock. Tel : (0375) 390000 Ext. 2275. Danny Hayton
The Thames Water Ring Main is now taking 30 million gallons a day from the New River. It is routed to the King George V Reservoir at Chingford and onwards for treatment at Coppermills. The section of the New River between Bulls Cross and Stoke Newington now has much reduced flow of 10 million gallons a day. This also ends up at Coppermills via the East Reservoir at Stoke Newington and the Amhurst Main. A flow of 100,000 gallone a day is pumped into the Enfield Loop, a quantity which is insufficient to keep it adequately scoured.
The Hornsey Waterworks are scheduled for closure in 1996, and 'The Castle' - Stoke Newington Pumping Station, may be used as an Indoor Climbing Centre. Negotiations between Thames Water and High Performance Sports Ltd. are in progress. Don Munday
From Austin Burgess, who writes:
With reference to the L.T.C. Rolt Book Review in Newsletter No. 150, Green Books Ltd. Fox Hole, Dartington, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6EB (tel: (0803) 863843) reprinted 'High Horse Riderless' by Tom Rolt as a paper back. I purchased a copy at the end of last year and they had a few left.I am trying to collect a set of his pamphlets so I am well aware of the odd scrap of information helping would-be collectors. The above book completed my set of his books, and it was well worth the effort.
Thanks for an excellent Newsletter.
And from Don Clow, who writes re. pneumatic despatch parcels tube:
Further to my article in Newsletter 148 on the above subject and the subsequent letter from Mr Knight in GLIAS Newsletter December 1993 - the car which was in the Bruce Castle Museum is now on loan to the National Railway Museum and is part of the 'Mail by Rail' exhibit at York.This car is not from the St Martins-le-Grand to Euston system and no cars are known to exist from this 3ft 8½ in line. The railcar now at York is of 2 ft gauge and from the Battersea experimental line which was later laid underground for the short distance between Euston Station and the PO North Western District Office in Eversholt Street. The NRM car is one of several found during road works in 1930 (see Lee's paper p82)
And a letter to Nigel Sturt, our Publications Officer, from Geoff McGarry:
I am a member of the organisation, Napier Power Heritage, and our aim is to research, record and preserve Napier Co. engineering history. Napier & Sons Ltd, who were aero engine manufacturers, moved from Acton to Liverpool in the mid 1960s and again in 1970 to Lincoln where today they manufacture turbochargers. It was during these moves that most of the company history was dispersed. We have collected a large amount of material which we display at exhibitions.However apart from Napier's engineering history their earlier history is also of interest. For example, they made gold coin weighing machines and bank note printing machines for the Bank of England. When David Napier came to London early in the last century he set up a factory at Lloyds Court, St Giles, Soho and in 1836 he moved to Vine Street, adjacent to York Road, Lambeth, and his son James Murdoch was there until 1895. It passed to his son Montague Stanley, who produced motor cars and moved to a newly built factory in the Uxbridge Road opposite Acton Park in 1903. Should any of your Newsletter readers be able to supply further information I would appreciate hearing from them.
© GLIAS, 1994