_railway_station.gif)
Crystal Palace (High Level) railway station
Encyclopedia
Crystal Palace railway station was a station in the London Borough of Southwark
in south London
. It was one of two stations built to serve the site of the 1851 exhibition building, the so-called Crystal Palace
, when it was moved from Hyde Park
to Sydenham
Hill after 1851.
The Crystal Palace and South London Junction Railway was promoted by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
(LCDR); by 1860 the LCDR had a line running to Beckenham Junction
via Loughborough Junction
, some three miles to the north-west of the Crystal Palace site. In order to capture traffic from the LBSCR, the LCDR constructed a branch line from the latter station, with a junction at Nunhead
to run directly to the Crystal Palace site. The line opened on 1 August 1865. The station was designed by Edward Middleton Barry
as a lavish red brick and buff terra cotta
building. The station was excavated into the ridge below Crystal Palace Parade requiring major engineering works. The line was one of the first of the former South Eastern and Chatham Railway
to be electrified
by Southern Railway
, under "South Eastern Electrification – Stage 1" in July 1925.
After the Crystal Palace was destroyed by fire in 1936 traffic on the branch declined. During World War 2 the line was temporarily closed after bomb damage. Although temporary repairs were made and the line subsequently reopened the decline in traffic and a requirement for heavy reconstruction work led to the decision to close the station and branch on 20 September 1954, although it was not demolished until 1961.
Although the site of the station was developed for housing in the 1970s, the retaining walls below Crystal Palace Parade and the ornamental portal of Paxton Tunnel to the north are still readily visible.
The High Level Station was connected to the Palace by a fan-vaulted pedestrian subway
in finely detailed red and cream brickwork. This subway and an adjacent courtyard survived the 1936 fire, and was used as an air raid shelter during World War II
. It is now a Grade II listed building . Although the subway is now sealed off, it is sometimes opened to allow organised visits.
These stories are an example of the extraordinary persistence of local urban legend
. The story of the entombed train was apparently current in the 1930s. Back then it referred to the abandoned 1860s pneumatic railway on the north side of the grounds of Crystal Palace Park. See Crystal Palace pneumatic railway
for more information.
Most traces of this had almost certainly been destroyed by the building works for the 1911 Festival of Empire, but there was an unsuccessful archaeological dig for the train sponsored by the BBC
's Nationwide
current affairs programme in the 1970s.
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
in south London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was one of two stations built to serve the site of the 1851 exhibition building, the so-called Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
, when it was moved from Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
to Sydenham
Sydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
Hill after 1851.
History
London, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
(LCDR); by 1860 the LCDR had a line running to Beckenham Junction
Beckenham Junction station
Beckenham Junction is a railway station and a tram terminus in Beckenham, south east London. It is in the London Borough of Bromley and Travelcard Zone 4, 8.6 miles from London Victoria....
via Loughborough Junction
Loughborough Junction railway station
Loughborough Junction railway station is in Brixton in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is between Elephant & Castle and Herne Hill stations and is served by First Capital Connect and at peak hours by Southeastern.-History:...
, some three miles to the north-west of the Crystal Palace site. In order to capture traffic from the LBSCR, the LCDR constructed a branch line from the latter station, with a junction at Nunhead
Nunhead railway station
Nunhead railway station is a railway station in the Nunhead area of the London Borough of Southwark. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
to run directly to the Crystal Palace site. The line opened on 1 August 1865. The station was designed by Edward Middleton Barry
Edward Middleton Barry
Edward Middleton Barry was an English architect of the 19th century.-Biography:Edward Barry was the third son of Sir Charles Barry, born in his father's house, 27 Foley Place, London. In infancy he was delicate, and was placed under the care of a confidential servant at Blackheath...
as a lavish red brick and buff terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
building. The station was excavated into the ridge below Crystal Palace Parade requiring major engineering works. The line was one of the first of the former South Eastern and Chatham Railway
South Eastern and Chatham Railway
The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Companies Joint Management Committee , known by its shorter name of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway was a working union of two neighbouring rival railways, the South Eastern Railway and London, Chatham and Dover Railway , that operated services between...
to be electrified
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
by Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
, under "South Eastern Electrification – Stage 1" in July 1925.
After the Crystal Palace was destroyed by fire in 1936 traffic on the branch declined. During World War 2 the line was temporarily closed after bomb damage. Although temporary repairs were made and the line subsequently reopened the decline in traffic and a requirement for heavy reconstruction work led to the decision to close the station and branch on 20 September 1954, although it was not demolished until 1961.
Although the site of the station was developed for housing in the 1970s, the retaining walls below Crystal Palace Parade and the ornamental portal of Paxton Tunnel to the north are still readily visible.
The High Level Station was connected to the Palace by a fan-vaulted pedestrian subway
Subway (underpass)
In England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong and some Commonwealth countries , the term subway normally refers to a specially constructed underpass for pedestrians and/or cyclists beneath a road or railway, allowing them to reach the other side in safety.The term is also used in the...
in finely detailed red and cream brickwork. This subway and an adjacent courtyard survived the 1936 fire, and was used as an air raid shelter during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It is now a Grade II listed building . Although the subway is now sealed off, it is sometimes opened to allow organised visits.
The train entombed in the tunnel myth
There is a rumor that in one of the sealed tunnels in the area, an engine or carriage remains hidden collecting dust. Another version of the story, popular amongst local schoolchildren, claims that the High Level station was closed because a commuter train was trapped by a tunnel collapse, entombing the passengers who remain there to this day.These stories are an example of the extraordinary persistence of local urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
. The story of the entombed train was apparently current in the 1930s. Back then it referred to the abandoned 1860s pneumatic railway on the north side of the grounds of Crystal Palace Park. See Crystal Palace pneumatic railway
Crystal Palace pneumatic railway
The Crystal Palace pneumatic railway was an experimental atmospheric railway constructed near Crystal Palace Park in South London c.1864.-History:...
for more information.
Most traces of this had almost certainly been destroyed by the building works for the 1911 Festival of Empire, but there was an unsuccessful archaeological dig for the train sponsored by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Nationwide
Nationwide (TV series)
Nationwide was a BBC News and Current affairs television programme broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the early evening news. It followed a magazine format, combining political analysis and discussion with consumer affairs, light entertainment and sports reporting...
current affairs programme in the 1970s.
Further reading
- Crystal Palace (High Level) and Catford Loop by V Mitchell & K Smith, Middleton Press, 1991
- The Railway through Sydenham Hill Wood, From the Nun's Head to the Screaming Alice by Mathew Frith, The Friends of the Great North Wood and London Wildlife Trust leaflet 1995
- London's Local Railways by A A Jackson, David & Charles, 1978
- The Crystal Palace (High Level) Branch by W Smith, British Railway Journal 28, 1989
External links
- London's Abandoned Stations – Crystal Palace branch
- Crystal Palace High Level & Upper Norwood Station at Subterranea Britannica