- Thames Tunnel
- Transport in the historic county of Surrey
- Thomas Wallis
- Trams are coming, bus stops are changing
- Richmond and Kingston
- Listed railway stations
- Alexandra Palace
- New River Action Group
- Thames rail link to Kent
- Obscure gas works
- Reminders of early telegraphy in London
- Letters to the editor
- 157news.pdf - part 1
- 157news.pdf - part 2
The Society, among many others, has been involved in the debate over the listing and future of Brunel's tunnel from Rotherhithe to Wapping.
Correspondence and articles in the national press followed the announcement that the line was to be closed for seven months to allow among other things the inside of the bore to be lined in sprayed concrete, covering the original brickwork and detailing.
This was an 'own goal' for everyone involved in conservation because, like Tower Bridge before it, everyone assumed it was listed. In fact only the Tunnel Portal and the descent stairs at Wapping were listed until, on Friday 24th March, it was announced, following another U-turn by a Government Minister that the Tunnel had been Listed Grade II*.
Many GLIAS members, wearing many hats from Civil, Structural and the History of Engineering, wrote to ministers and the press and found support from as far afield as the USA and Japan.
Dr. David Perrett adds, however, that the Thames Tunnel, whilst the first example of modern shield-tunnelling techniques, is not the 'world's first' underwater tunnel opened to the public; that distinction belongs to the traditionally driven Victoria Tunnel at Newcastle on Tyne, completed 8th January 1842 and opened on 7th April but only started in 1839. Unless anyone knows different...? Danny Hayton
Transport in the historic county of Surrey — GLIAS/SIHG joint meeting
Until the formation of the London County Council the County of Surrey extended to the south bank of the Thames. With the advent of the GLC even more of Surrey came within Greater London. There is therefore a large area of South London of interest to both GLIAS and the Surrey Industrial History Group. This meeting, the idea for which originated with the Surrey Group, was planned to exploit this overlap and it was to stress this that we used 'the historic county of Surrey in the title.
Neither society had any idea what the response might be to a meeting on a Saturday afternoon at the end of January in Croydon for which there was an admission charge, albeit only £2. In the event, any fears were unjustified - over 60 people turned up to listen to two excellent talks.
Dr Gerry Moss, who has spoken in the GLIAS Winter Lecture Programme, was the Surrey Group's choice and he covered many aspects of land and water transport in Surrey, in particular the Surrey Iron Railway and the Croydon Canal. After a tea-break John Bagley, as the GLIAS speaker, gave us a fascinating account of early aviation in Surrey with particular reference to many sites connected with ballooning.
We are most grateful to both speakers for their efforts. Thanks are also due to all those who helped, in particular our colleagues in SIHG, especially their secretary Peter Tarplee, who took their share in the organisation, and Glenys and Alan Crocker who provided the refreshments. The success of this meeting has encouraged both societies to start considering further joint meetings. Does anyone have any ideas? Bill Firth
It is not clear if Thomas Wallis (GLIAS Newsletter February 1995) ever had a partner called Gilbert. The latter may have been an American or Canadian involved with Wallis very early on when Wallis, Gilbert and Partners was being set up.
The subject of Thomas Wallis seems to have provoked some interest. Wallis the man was apparently quite a character. After a poem and cartoon ridiculing Wallis, Gilbert and Partners and the Hoover Factory in Perivale was published in the Architectural Review in July 1932, Wallis is reported to have entered the Review office 'brandishing a horsewhip'. He is said to have had a number of mistresses and there is a story of one lady being dumped in the bath at Roland Gardens SW7 where the Partnership had offices including a glamorous lounge with private bathroom.
As a businessman Wallis was very successful and he included a number of the famous industrialists of the age among his friends. For Derby Day a bus was provided at the racecourse with food from Harrods to entertain his clients to lunch. For some his personal image is strongly reminiscent of 1930s Hollywood cinema.
Wallis never became Sir Thomas, perhaps because he was never considered quite respectable enough. Could the fact that his main business had been the design of façades for factory buildings have had anything to do with it? Bob Carr
Trams are coming, bus stops are changing
If you go to East Croydon railway station you may be interested to learn that the new station has received the Pilkington Glass Award for the best use of glass. There is quite a lot of it. Leaving the station you may soon be able to catch a tram on the 17-mile system about to be constructed in south London. The Croydon Tramlink Bill was passed by a House of Commons Committee in June 1994. The large West Croydon bus station has recently reopened after extensive refurbishment.
Fifty new-type aluminium bus stops designed by London Transport are being erected as a trial in Ilford, New Addington and Richmond. The Royal Fine Arts Commission has given the new design its blessing and if trials are encouraging large-scale replacement of current ferro-concrete designs is likely. One wonders what the vandals will make of aluminium bus stops.
Way out east, the East Thames Corridor will stretch to the Estuary. Here there are plans for trams in Barking and guided buses for Dartford. A guided-bus scheme is proposed for the re-use of the abandoned railway line from Luton to Dunstable. Bob Carr
A thin vertical slice of the main building of Kingston B power station (GLIAS Newsletter December 1994) was just surviving, consisting of open steel framework containing what looked like remains of the coalbunkers. By the time you read this the whole site will probably be cleared. Unlike some power stations Kingston B retained its original generating plant until the end.
The foundation stone was laid on 15 May 1946 and it was the first station to be opened after the 1948 nationalisation of the electricity supply industry. Being built in a sensitive partly residential area great care was taken in the design to make it visually and environmentally attractive. Opened by the King the only other electric power station to receive this honour was Barking opened by King George V in 1924.
Prominent ice-rink campaigner Mr Richard Meacock was due to have his case heard by the European Court of Appeal in Strasbourg on 10 January this year but we heard shortly after that the European Court had dismissed Mr Meacock's case against Richmond Council without a hearing. Mr Meacock claims that planning permission for the building of flats on the site of Richmond Ice Rink lapsed in October 1994 and work by present site owners Delta (UK) Ltd should not be allowed to continue. A petition with more than 58,000 signatures calls for the reinstatement of the ice rink. In a recent incident a ball-bearing gun was fired through the window of Mr Meacock's shop, The Gallery on Richmond Hill, causing £1,040 worth of damage. At present the Ice Rink case is being prepared for presentation to the (English) High Court. For the second time the Local Government Ombudsman has cleared Richmond Council of charges of malpractice over the handling of the closure of Richmond Ice Rink. Bob Carr
A number of London Transport railway stations have recently been listed. A substantial proportion of these are by architect Charles Holden. It is to be hoped the future operators of London's transport (whoever that will be) will not be saddled with too great a burden of historic fabric to maintain. At a national level British Rail were in the unhappy situation of having to maintain a large number of listed buildings and structures while being in the business of running a railway service.
At present 46 London Transport stations are listed grade two. There is currently a great fashion for buildings in 1930s style in which many LT stations were built and one would not like to see a disproportionate number of stations in the London area listed for this reason. In contrast local Victorian and Edwardian surface railway stations in Greater London have received little protection and more attention could well be given to these cinderellas of the railway scene. Let us hope a sense of balance will prevail.
Newly listed LT stations include Acton Town, Ealing Common, Eastcote, Farringdon (pictured), Holloway Road (GLIAS Newsletter June 1993), Hounslow East, Loughton, Northfields, Rayners Lane, Sudbury Hill and Turnpike Lane. This is plenty for a GLIAS member with a travel card to ride around and examine. Bob Carr
There are plans to establish a National Television Museum at Alexandra Palace (GLIAS Newsletter October 1994), which is at present in a debt-ridden and moribund state. The world's first public television broadcasts to the London area started from here in 1936 and Alexandra Palace can justly claim to be the cradle of television. Really substantial funding will be necessary both to clear huge debts (the Palace is currently losing more than £1 million a year) and to carry out the necessary works. Sources of finance considered are the National Lottery and the Millennium Commission.
Schemes under consideration include a television archive, hotel and multiplex cinema within the existing building and an indoor real-snow ski slope (real snow unlike the Beckton Alps and its companions). Planning permission has already been obtained for a multi-storey car park. It has been proposed to connect the Palace to Wood Green underground railway station by cable cars. The real-snow ski slope which would extend into the park is an integral part of current draft proposals and this has provoked opposition from environmental groups who insist the park is sacrosanct. It also seems likely that cable cars would be objected to on environmental grounds. Bob Carr
Thames Water held their annual Conservation Meeting on 18th January, which was attended by EH, CPRE, NRA, CBA and NRAG. TW said that conservation work had been carried out at Crossness and Abbey Mills, and that EH were to contribute funds towards the work on the engines at Kempton Park. Concern was expressed that TW had not appointed a successor to their Archaeological Officer, Mike Hall. NRAG asked that action be taken to prevent further decay to the Clarendon Arch on Bush Hill in Enfield.
TW have offered to sell the West Reservoir at Stoke Newington to Hackney Council for £1 and to provide some endowment from the proceeds of the planned housing development on the nearby Filter Beds.
The cost of a scheme to improve the New River Walk in Canonbury is estimated to be £150,000. TW have offered to contribute £5,000 and to provide technical help. An appeal for funds will be made by the Friends of the New River Walk to the Heritage Lottery. TW have agreed with developers a plan to convert the Office Block at New River Head into offices and residential units. Application for planning permission is to be made.
The Haringey UDP proposes that the New River is scheduled as an Ancient Monument. An objection by TW has been overruled by the Inspector at his Public Enquiry who said that a decision would be made by the Secretary of State.
Concern is mounting over the possible fate of Alexandra Palace where debts are now approaching £50 million. Don Munday
A study is underway into proposals to drive a rail tunnel under the Thames to link the North London and North Kent lines. The study is promoted by the LDDC and London Transport into the possibility of using an immersed tube in the river bed, at a cost of £150 million, rather than a bored tunnel at a cost of £220 million. A new station at Silvertown, with a travelatur link to the London City Airport, would be built. The line would divert from there under the Thames and connect to the Woolwich Arsenal line west of the Woolwich Ferry. It is predicted that 10,000 passengers would use it during the morning peak period. The loss of North Woolwich station could be offset by the introduction of a light tramway from Canning Town through the Royal Docks which would use the redundant rail east of Silvertown.
'THE FRIENDS OF SHIRLEY WINDMILL' group was launched on January 25th. Contact Jess Steel or Adrienne Black, Heritage Officers, on 0181 760 5400 Ext. 1142.
Charlie Thurston
One way not to find out about old gas works sites is to ask Friends of the Earth. In 1991 FOE published a list of old gasworks sites as part of a campaign on contaminated sites. It was full of inaccuracies. They said that it came from a secret document prepared by the GLC although why they didn't just read E G Stewart is anyone's guess. They have since released (Time Out 1276) a list of old gas works sites which, they say, the boroughs have not got listed. Most of these sites only exist in the imagination of FOE.
One such site is the one they describe as 'King Street, Newham'. I think they must mean the site now covered by road widening in Ming Street, Poplar (once called 'King Street' and, before that, 'Back Lane'). The gas works site can clearly be seen on Crutchley's New Plan of London (1829). It was known as Poplar Gas Works and was built by members of the Barlow family on behalf of a Mr Wheatcroft.
William Wheatcroft had previously been employed as a foreman with the City of London Gas Co. but is otherwise unknown. He was probably one of many contemporaries who thought that they were onto something good with a gas works. In 1824 17 people living in Robin Hood Lane signed a petition urging Poplar Vestry to buy gas for street lighting. The Barlows were one of a number of companies specialising in ready made gas works. John Barlow was from Sheffield and he had set up an iron foundry at Wenlock Iron Wharf, City Road Basin. He had eight sons and as a result few early gas companies were without a Barlow somewhere. One of them founded and edited 'Journal of Gas Lighting'. In the 1830s John Barlow fitted up 19 Colebrook Row, Islington, as an 'all gas' house - cooking, heating, lighting.
Poplar works cost £16,000 to build and was adjacent to the West India Dock wall. The Dock Company, frightened of fire, insisted on certain standards of gas holder design. Barlow seems to have 'failed' before 1827 and the works was run by a committee of unnamed proprietors - 'William Smith, Clerk'. They were under pressure of competition from both the Commercial and British Gas Companies and in 1846 lost the parish lighting contract. The works was closed in 1852. Stewart says that between 1840 and 1849 it was run by F J Evans of the Gas Light & Coke Co. and sold to the Commercial Company in 1849. Poplar was typical of many small gas works which mushroomed up in the early 1820s, suffered a bankruptcy and were gone within a few years.
The above information is taken from E G Stewart (Historical Index of Gasworks, NT Gas, 1957), Sterling Everard (History of the Gas Light & Coke Company, Benn, 1949), Poplar All Saints Vestry Minutes and with last minute additions from the new (wonderful) Poplar volume of the Survey of London. If Friends of the Earth are serious about identifying polluted sites they should start doing the hard work by looking at sources like these and not muck about with dodgy anonymous reports. Mary Mills
Reminders of early telegraphy in London
GN 148, 150
At the end of Founder's Court, a narrow courtyard off Lothbury in the City of London, is a substantial remnant of a building associated with an important. company in the commercial exploitation of telegraphy - a development in communication arguably at least as significant as the railway. The entrance facade of the nineteenth century building has now been incorporated in the . structure of a much new newer building. According to Pevsner, the original architect was J.A. Hunt. The building was the central telegraph station of the Electric Telegraph Co. or 'Electric' as it was usually known.
The company incorporated in 1846, having purchased the Cooke & Wheatstone patents on telegraphy, started business at 345 Strand. Business grew rapidly and in 1847 the company started on the construction of a central station at Founder's Court to be officially opened on 1st January 1949.
The list of shareholders and directors of the company and the engineers who served it included a galaxy of Victorian engineers and contractors. Their names also serve to illustrate the very close association between the development of railways and telegraphy. Board members included George Parker Bidder, who played a major part in the commercial exploitation of telegraphy and was the prime mover in setting up the company. He was also its largest shareholder and one of the first Directors. Robert Stephenson was another Director and for a short period, its Chairman. Also on the board were Joseph Paxton, and contractors Samuel Morton Peto, W T Henley. Thomas Brassey and W F Cooke. Notable engineers to the company included Edwin Clark, his younger brother - Latimer, and Cromwell Varley. Edwin Clark, although best known as Robert Stephenson's resident engineer on the Menai and Conway tubular bridges, perhaps more importantly took a leading role in telegraph development. He was a major shareholder of the 'Electric' and a director, and also its engineer for a few years. It was Edwin who devised the arrangements for distributing Greenwich Mean Time to London and the provinces; the much-illustrated 'time ball' in the West Strand was on the Electric's branch office. Josiah Latimer Clark, Edwin's assistant on the Conway Bridge, became Engineer to the 'Electric'. Latimer Clark took out a number of patents related to atmospheric railways and pneumatic tubes, and was closely associated with the laying of the first trans- Atlantic telegraph cable. Also much involved with that cable was Varley who also made notable contributions in electrical engineering, both to telegraphy transmission and electro-magnetism. He followed Latimer Clark as Engineer to the 'Electric' from 1860. Like many Victorian engineers, these men were involved in a variety of projects. For example, in 1849, Latimer Clark and Varley offered to replace the South Devon Railway's troublesome Brunel atmospheric tube with their own design - an offer not taken up. Latimer Clark and T W Rammell were joint engineers to the Pneumatic Despatch Co's which built the parcels tube between Euston and St Martins-le-Grand (see N/L 148) and Edwin Clark was a Director of that company. Latimer Clark introduced the first pneumatic telegraph tube (See N/L 150) which was to become widely used first by the 'Electric' then by the Post Office. W H Preece, perhaps the most famous of Post Office Engineers-in-Chief, started out as a clerk in the 'Electric', only to be promoted two weeks later to be Assistant Engineer to the company. Latimer Clark, Varley and Preece were all elected in due course to become Fellows of the Royal Society.
The continued rapid growth of telegraph traffic caused the 'Electric' to outgrow the Founder's Court office and they established a new central station in Bell Alley, a short distance away, off Moorgate. An engraving in 'The Illustrated London News described the office as 'new' in 1859. The sole reminder of that rather mundane-looking building today is in the street name, for that part of Bell Alley had become 'Telegraph Street' by 1873.
The company not only made major contributions to engineering but also in the social sphere for it recruited women as telegraphists - by 1868, 200 women were employed at Telegraph Street. Hitherto, it had been claimed that, apart from marriage, the only occupations open to 'girls of respectable parents of moderate means? were those of nursery governess or milliner. The telegraph companies were astonished by the flood of applications for employment. A hoax advertisement in 1862 drew 400 respectably dressed females' to the Electric's office and the police had to be called to clear the place! The employment of women by the 'Electric' was not entirely altruistic for they could be paid rather less than male telegraphists!
The Telegraph Street office suffered the same fate as Founder's Court for by the late 1860s it had become hopelessly overcrowded so one of the first steps undertaken by the Post Office after nationalisation of the telegraph services in 1870 was to acquire a much larger building for a new Central Telegraph Office (CTO) in St. Martins-le-Grand. This was to become the focus of the British telegraph network and in its heyday had a staff of 5,000. It was completed in 1874 and enlarged several times subsequently. There is nothing left of that building, it closed in 1962 and the site was completely cleared to make way for the new head office of BT. Don Clow
It can be invidious to single out a few from among many, particularly when 'still living', but the remarkable contribution of David Thomas to GLIAS's activities deserved specific mention in the recent celebratory booklet. The leader of various canal walks and trips by cheap rail excursion in the early 1970s, he then co-ordinated numerous site recording sessions for the Recording Group, over a period of about 10 years. It was largely due to his drive, enthusiasm and delegating skills that a detailed record was made of so many aspects of London's industrial archaeology before whole sectors disappeared. The Supplements which he produced for the Newsletter and the various 'Separate Publications' (see P.17) provide some evidence of this. There is much more unpublished material on file from those days, notably on wash houses and grain mills. The photograph on page 24 (a 15 cwt. wall crane of 1933 on the dock side of St Katharine Docks 'B' warehouse) recalls the activities of the late Ron Huitson. He bequeathed his records to GLIAS, together with four scale models that he made mainly in metal, of mechanical equipment (including a 'hydraulic devil' from St Katharine's), now on display at the Kirkaldy Testing Museum. Another achievement of GLIAS has been the succession of competent photographic displays put on at most AIA conferences since 1979. The display 'Made in London' for the conference hosted by GLIAS in 1982 was particularly extensive. Elizabeth Wood was a king pin in the creation of many of these exhibitions, and also of 'Cogs, Crafts and Cast Iron' (see page 5), while David Wood, Sidney Ray and the late Derek Holliday did a great deal of dark-room work. David Perrett has all the past disolav panels safely 'under his bed'. They deserve an airing. May I, incidentally, claim the credit for the photo of St Pancras Locks (4/8/73) that formed the basis for the Museum of London poster on page 6? GLIAS's first canal trip, organised by Paul Carter on 6/9/69, was from Camden Town to Limehouse and back, on the newly adapted narrowboat 'Jenny Wren'.
Further to Bob Carr's item on the Belgians in Britain in WW1 at Birtley, Co Durham (GLIAS Newsletter February 1995): An automotive note entered into the history of the area after the Belgians departure in December 1918 (in three trains to Hull and the N. Sea crossing). A section of the munitions factory became the focus of an endeavour to mass-produce cars, emulating Ford at Trafford Park.
The Angus-Sanderson company occupied 53 acres of the plant and by 1920 were producing 48 vehicles a week. A moving production line was not achieved. Woodworking was by batch production on trestles (the company had assured timber supplies by purchasing woodland in Northumberland) although paint spraying was carried out on travelling platforms.
In 1921, financial and industrial difficulties (the workforce consisted largely of ex-soldiers) forced the company into receivership. Production resumed in 1922 but by 1927 the company finally disappeared.
I was interested to read Bob Carr's note about Wallis, Gilbert & Partners in GLIAS Newsletter No. 156. I can add one more to the list of their surviving factories.
It is in Wheatley Park Road, Doncaster, at about grid ref. SE 585 050 and forms part of a long between-wars industrial estate along the road. The building has a tall plain front with Art Deco window frames. It was built about 1930 for the rayon manufacturers British Bemberg, passed in 1953 to British Nylon Spinners, and now belongs to Du Pont. The large plant extends behind and on either side. Oliver James has written regarding Bob Carr's notes on Wallis Gilbert & Partners, and the Great West Road industrial development:
In 1936 I was a secretarial assistant with R T James & Partners, (no relationship), Chartered Civil Engineers of Bush House. They specialised in structural steel and R.C. construction. Early in the year they were commissioned to supervise the erection of the British Laboratories of Technicolor Ltd. A Mr J S Godwin was put in charge of the job and I was assigned to him as his personal assistant.
The building was designed in Los Angeles by the Austin Company, an architectural firm who did much work for the Hollywood studios. They sent us a complete set of plans, elevations and interior details. They required that we found a 'greenfield site' of about four acres with a water supply of 20,000 gallons an hour. Artesian well borers were engaged to find a suitable site and after a few weeks of trials they came up with land on the north side of the Bath Road close to the village of Harmondsworth, Middlesex, then a very remote spot surrounded with acres of market gardens and gravel pits, which in later years became London Airport.
Once construction began it went ahead very quickly. The building comprised an office and administration block facing onto the Bath Road with the laboratory complex behind. The office block had the horizontal fenestration so popular at the time, but the lab. block was almost windowless as the greater part of it consisted of dark rooms. The structure was steel framed with brick cladding. As the job progressed it was realised that the Austin Company's only oversight had been to omit a chimney for the boiler house. This was designed in reinforced concrete by Mr Godwin and we both spent a happy afternoon drafting a suitable finial for the top of the smoke stack. In the end a suggestion of mine was adopted so every time I go to London Airport I regard the building, still standing, with smug satisfaction!
During the later stages of construction I visited the site several times with. Godwin to take notes of defects to be corrected and variation orders to be issued to the builders. One cause of concern was the design of the WC cubicles. The partitions between them being only three feet or so high and the doors similar to those in saloons as seen in Western films; these swing doors were only 18" or so deep. A system not acceptable to the British sense of decorum.
Godwin and I went down to Harmondsworth for the final inspection on the very day that the first British film to be made in Technicolor was being processed. It was, I think 'Wings of the Morning'. In the dim light of the dark rooms it was a fascinating sight to see the long loops of film passing through the developing tanks. As far as I know the building still stands, although whether Technicolor still own it I am not sure. There are not, I think, very many buildings in Britain entirely designed by American architects.
Congratulations on your interesting newsletter. Issue 154 back page includes a letter from Lesley Bossine lamenting that steam loco Robert is now a lifeless statue at DLR Beckton. The accompanying article records Robert's few days of glory in 1980, which can never be denied him. I have slides of all that passed by at Rocket 150, which could be shown in London by appointment.
Revelling Robert
Rocket 150 was a well organised and joyous festival of railway locomotion. British Rail are to be warmly congratulated on their initiative and success in parading so many beloved engines, vintage trains and other delights for the many thousands of enthusiasts who assembled at Rainhill last month. There were cheers of tribute to the builders (mostly apprentices) of the reproduction locomotives of Rocket, Sanspariel and Novelty, which were the original entrants for the Rainhill trials in 1830. There were many lumps in throats and nostalgic tears as some of the majestic steam locomotives chuffed past, reminding us of when these mighty monsters hauled heavy trains at speeds which then seemed phenomenal, (and isn't the 126 mph which Mallard achieved in 1937 still phenomenal?)
But the loudest cheer of all was for Robert, the little NCB saddle tank locomotive that was so obviously enjoying his first day out ever as a celebrity on public railway tracks. British Rail gave Robert this reward to represent their gratitude to the National Coal Board in whose colliery sidings the grand parade had been assembled, and where Robert has been a working locomotive for nearly 50 years. It was good to see Robert all spruced up and painted for his day out; and may the National Coal Board long preserve their good and faithful servant. (Aug. 1980)