Edgware, Highgate and London Railway
Encyclopedia
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...
. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
's Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the Second World War
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...
. Parts of the line were closed in the 1950s and have since been removed.
Establishment
The company was established by a private act of parliamentAct of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
passed on 3 June 1862. The route ran through parts of rural Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
(now suburban north London) from Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park, London
Finsbury Park is an area in north London, England which grew up around an important railway interchange at the junction of the London Boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney...
through Stroud Green
Stroud Green
Stroud Green may refer to:* Stroud Green, Berkshire* Stroud Green, Essex* Stroud Green, Gloucestershire* Stroud Green, London...
, Crouch End
Crouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
, Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
, Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
and Mill Hill
Mill Hill
Mill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburb situated 9 miles north west of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until it was absorbed by London...
to Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
. Additional acts in 1864 and 1866 granted powers to construct branch lines from Highgate to Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
and from Finchley to High Barnet respectively.
Before the line was opened, it was purchased in July 1867 by the larger Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(GNR), whose main line from King's Cross ran through Finsbury Park on its way to Potters Bar
Potters Bar
Potters Bar is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England, located north of Central London. In 2001 it had a population of 21,618....
and the north. The railway to Edgware opened as a single track line on 22 August 1867.
At first, services ran from Edgware to Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park station
Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...
, King's Cross and, via Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the northern edge of the City of London between City Thameslink and Farringdon stations. The tunnel runs beneath the Smithfield meat market and was constructed using the cut and cover method immediately prior to the building of the market...
, to Ludgate Hill
Ludgate Hill
Ludgate Hill is a hill in the City of London, near the old Ludgate, a gate to the City that was taken down, with its attached gaol, in 1780. Ludgate Hill is the site of St Paul's Cathedral, traditionally said to have been the site of a Roman temple of the goddess Diana. It is one of the three...
, Blackfrairs
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
and Loughborough Road
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:...
on the south of the Thames. After 1869, trains terminated at Moorgate
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
. Services could also run from Finsbury Park via the North London Railway
North London Railway
The North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...
to Broad Street. In 1870 the track between Finsbury Park and Finchley & Hendon (now Finchley Central
Finchley Central tube station
Finchley Central tube station is a London Underground station in the Church End area of Finchley, North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and East Finchley stations and is the junction for the short branch to Mill Hill East station...
) was doubled in preparation for the opening of the High Barnet branch and Muswell Hill branch.
Because of the rapid rise and fall of the terrain in the area traversed by the railway, the line made extensive use of cuttings, embankments and viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
s. Particularly notable were the cutting in Highgate Hill in which Highgate station was constructed with tunnels on either side, and the bridges over the
Dollis Brook Viaduct
The Dollis Brook Viaduct, also known as the Dollis Road Viaduct, Dollis Viaduct, Mill Hill Viaduct and Finchley Viaduct, is a railway viaduct in Finchley, North London, United Kingdom. It currently carries the London Underground's Northern line from Mill Hill East station to Finchley Central station...
Dollis Brook
Dollis Brook
Dollis Brook runs through the London Borough of Barnet in North London. It is a tributary of the River Brent, which is itself a tributary of the River Thames. The Dollis Valley Greenwalk follows almost all of Dollis Brook, apart from a short section at the beginning which passes through private...
and at Muswell Hill.
Branch lines
The High Barnet branch opened on 1 April 1872 with two intermediate stations at Woodside ParkWoodside Park tube station
Woodside Park tube station is a London Underground station in Woodside Park, north London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and Totteridge and Whetstone stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4...
and Totteridge & Whetstone
Totteridge and Whetstone tube station
Totteridge and Whetstone tube station is a London Underground station in north London. The station is the penultimate one on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Woodside Park and High Barnet stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4...
(West Finchley
West Finchley tube station
West Finchley tube station is a London Underground station in the Finchley area of north London in the London Borough of Barnet.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Finchley Central and Woodside Park stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:The station was...
did not open until 1933).
The line to Barnet stopped short at Underhill, south of the main village located at the top of the hill. As Barnet was a larger village than Edgware and new residential development at Finchley grew at a faster pace than on the original line, the branch line quickly became the dominant route. Direct services from London ran to High Barnet and a shuttle service was operated between Finchley and Edgware for most passenger journeys on that section which remained a single track.
The Muswell Hill branch from Highgate to Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace railway station (Muswell Hill branch)
Alexandra Palace railway station is a former station in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in the Muswell Hill area of north London...
was constructed by a separate company, the Muswell Hill Railway Company and opened on 24 May 1873 along with the Palace. However when the Palace burned down only two weeks after opening, the service was considerably reduced and then closed for almost two years whilst the Palace was rebuilt. It reopened in May 1875.
Another separate company, the Watford and Edgware Railway
Watford and Edgware Railway
The Watford and Edgware Railway was a railway company established in the 1860s that intended to build a railway that would run between Edgware and Watford, via Bushey...
(W&ER), was established in the 1860s and had various plans to build a link from the EH&LR near Edgware to Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. The W&ER was unable to attract sufficient funds for the project and the company and the right of way that it had obtained passed through the ownership of a number of other railway companies until plans were made in the 1930s to make use of its route (see below).
Development, overcrowding and competition - 1900-1918
By the 1900s the whole line was under pressure from overcrowding. The populations of areas along the line, particularly at HornseyHornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
, Highgate, Muswell Hill, and Finchley, had increased considerably with the rapid Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
expansion of London, but the GNR service had not been expanded to cope. The line was also congested with goods traffic, mostly coal and building materials. By 1903 the morning trains from Barnet were full by the time they arrived at East Finchley. As the doors of the compartments in the carriages were in those days locked with aid of a simple square key, some passengers took to purchasing these keys from local ironmongers, and locking the doors from the inside. It was not unknown for harsh words and even, on odd occasions, for blows to be exchanged.
New stations were opened at Cranley Gardens (1902, between Highgate and Muswell Hill) and Mill Hill (1906, between Mill Hill East and Edgware).
In 1905 tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
services were established in both Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
and Finchley, and extended shortly after to Barnet. This combined with motor transport alleviated some of the problem. This relief was also competition, and the GNR introduced new engines
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
, specially designed to manage the steep inclines on the routes which slowed up the services.
Further competition came from the opening of the new underground Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway
Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway
The Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway , also known as the Hampstead tube, was a railway company established in 1891 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London. Construction of the CCE&HR was delayed for more than a decade whilst funding was sought...
(CCE&HR) to Archway
Archway tube station
Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
(then named Highgate) and Golders Green
Golders Green tube station
Golders Green tube station is a London Underground station in Golders Green, north London. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line between Hampstead and Brent Cross...
in June 1907 a move that stimulated large scale house building to the south of the Edgware branch spreading out from Golders Green
Golders Green
Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Although having some earlier history, it is essentially a 19th century suburban development situated about 5.3 miles north west of Charing Cross and centred on the crossroads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road.In the...
.
The GNR took over the Muswell Hill Railway (renamed to the Muswell Hill and Palace Railway) in September 1911 and merged it with the rest of the line. Further developments were halted by the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Amalgamation - 1918-1939
In 1923 as a consequence of the railway grouping instigated by the 1921 Railways ActRailways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, the GNR became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(LNER). In January 1924 the newly enlarged company announced that the line would be electrified, although little was done.
Meanwhile the CCE&HR, now part of the London Electric Railway (Underground Group), was using plans dating back to 1901 for the Edgware and Hampstead Railway to construct an extension of its line from Golders Green through Hendon to a new station at Edgware
Edgware tube station
Edgware tube station is a London Underground station in Edgware, in the London Borough of Barnet, in North London. The station is the terminus of the Edgware branch of the Northern Line and the next station towards central London is . Edgware is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Location:The station is in...
where it would be in direct competition with the LNER line. The Underground Group had also bought up the rights of the W&ER and published proposals to further extend the line to Bushey
Bushey
Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
and Watford although nothing was done immediately.
Following the nationalisation of the Underground Group in 1933, the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
announced the 1935-1940 New Works Programme
New Works Programme
The "New Works Programme, 1935 - 1940" was the major investment programme delivered by the London Passenger Transport Board , commonly known as London Transport, which had been created in 1933 to coordinate underground train, tram, trolleybus and bus services in the capital and the surrounding areas...
which included the following proposals for the Finsbury Park to Edgware, High Barnet and Muswell Hill lines:
- Upgrade the line to allow electric tube trains on all the lines and double the line from Finchley to Edgware.
- To run the LNER Edgware line into Edgware Underground station where the trains from East Finchley could terminate.
- To connect the Underground from Archway to East Finchley via a new tunnel under the LNER's Highgate station.
- To activate the dormant proposals to extend the line from Edgware to Bushey HeathBushey Heath tube stationBushey Heath tube station was an unbuilt London Underground station in Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire. The planned location of the station was at the junction of the A41 and A411 roads.-History:...
with intermediate stations at Brockley HillBrockley Hill tube stationBrockley Hill tube station is an unbuilt London Underground station in the Brockley Hill area of north London. The planned location was close to Edgwarebury Park and the north side of the junction of the A41 and the A410 roads.-History:...
and Elstree SouthElstree South tube stationElstree South tube station was an unbuilt London Underground station in Elstree, Hertfordshire. It was designed by Charles Holden...
.
Much of the work was carried out, with East Finchley and Highgate stations being completely rebuilt and the electrification works were well advanced before the Second World War
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...
put a stop to progress. Passenger services on the Finchley Central to Edgware line were ended in September 1939.
End of the line - 1939 onwards
Underground trains took over from LNER steam services between East Finchley and High Barnet in April 1940. LNER Services were withdrawn between Highgate and East Finchley in March 1941 (both services having briefly operated to the latter station from the two parts of Highgate stationHighgate tube station
Highgate tube station is a London Underground station on Archway Road, Highgate, not far from Highgate Village in north London. It is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Archway and East Finchley, in Travelcard Zone 3....
). Underground trains began serving Mill Hill East
Mill Hill East tube station
Mill Hill East tube station is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, and is the terminus, and only station, of a branch from Finchley Central station...
in May 1941 but never ran to Edgware as planned.
In 1942 the Finsbury Park - Highgate - Alexandra Palace line, now disconnected from the other two branches, was reduced to a peak service shuttle to Finsbury Park, ending through running to central London.
After the war, the introduction of London's Metropolitan Green Belt
Metropolitan Green Belt
The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...
made the project to continue the line to Bushey unnecessary as the intended housing development proposed in the area was prevented by the new legislation. The plan was formally cancelled in October 1950. The upgrading of the section of the track between Mill Hill East and Edgware was also abandoned.
In July 1954 it was decided that the remaining section of the line would no longer be amalgamated with the Underground system, and the last regular passenger service between Finsbury Park, Highgate and Alexandra Palace was run on 3 July 1954. In 1957 the goods yard at Cranley Gardens closed, and in 1958 the line from Park Junction (Highgate Station) to Alexandra Palace was closed to all traffic.
The line from Finsbury Park to Edgware continued to be used for goods traffic, primarily coal, milk and building materials, even into the period when diesel engines had replaced steam locomotion. However the introduction of the Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act 1956
The Clean Air Act 1956 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in response to London's Great Smog of 1952. It was in effect until 1964, and sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in England and the Department of Health for Scotland.The Act introduced a number of...
of 1956 established a shift away from coal as a fuel for domestic heating and the demand for coal slumped. At the same time, the expansion of road haulage reduced the demand for rail transportation of other bulk loads and the line closed completely between Edgware and Mill Hill East in 1964 with equipment and track removed by the following year.
London Underground regularly moved stock for the Northern City Line
Northern City Line
The Northern City Line is a railway line from Moorgate to Finsbury Park in London, once part of the Great Northern Electrics line. It should not be confused with the City branch of the Northern line, nor with the North London Line...
along the old lines between Highgate Wood Depot, Finsbury Park and Drayton Park Depot until September 1970. The movements ran regularly on Tuesdays, and occasionally on Mondays and Wednesdays. The tracks were removed in 1971 following which the Northern City Line empty stock movements ran via Kings Cross (York Road) and the Widened Lines
Widened Lines
The Widened Lines is the name of a group of railway routes that currently form part of the Thameslink network leading from King's Cross/St...
. The sections of the line from Finsbury Park to the southern portals of the southern tunnels at Highgate station and between the sites of Cranley Gardens and Muswell Hill stations now form a linear urban park known as Parkland Walk. Stretches of the Mill Hill East to Edgware line are now Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
s, Copthall Railway Walk
Copthall Railway Walk and Copthall Old Common
Copthall Railway Walk and Copthall Old Common is an Local Nature Reserve, Borough Grade II, in Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet.Copthall Railway Walk is a section just under a mile long of the Mill Hill East to Edgware line, closed in 1964, of the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway...
and Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve
Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve
Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve is a Local Nature Reserve, Borough Grade II, in Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet.The reserve follows the route of the Mill Hill East to Edgware line, closed in 1964, of the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway, between Dean's Lane and Bunns Lane.Most of...
.
Finsbury Park to Edgware line
- Finsbury Park stationFinsbury Park stationFinsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...
- Stroud GreenStroud Green railway stationStroud Green railway station is a former station in the Stroud Green area of north London. It was located between Finsbury Park station and Crouch End station on the bridge over Stapleton Hall Road...
- Opened in 1881.
- Crouch EndCrouch End railway stationCrouch End railway station is a former station in the Crouch End area of north London. It was located between Stroud Green station and Highgate station on Crouch End Hill just north of its junction with Hornsey Lane...
- HighgateHighgate tube stationHighgate tube station is a London Underground station on Archway Road, Highgate, not far from Highgate Village in north London. It is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Archway and East Finchley, in Travelcard Zone 3....
- Rebuilt prior to the take-over by Underground services.
- East End, FinchleyEast Finchley tube stationEast Finchley is a London Underground station in East Finchley in north London. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Highgate and Finchley Central stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-History:...
- Renamed to "East Finchley" in 1886. The station was completely rebuilt prior to the take-over by Underground services.
- Finchley & HendonFinchley Central tube stationFinchley Central tube station is a London Underground station in the Church End area of Finchley, North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and East Finchley stations and is the junction for the short branch to Mill Hill East station...
- Renamed twice: to "Finchley (Church End)" in 1894 and "Finchley Central" in 1940. It was the main goods yard for the Finchley area, with two separate yards in operation.
- Mill HillMill Hill East tube stationMill Hill East tube station is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, and is the terminus, and only station, of a branch from Finchley Central station...
- Now Mill Hill East. The station was important for two reasons: North Middlesex Gas Company established a works in 1862, with coal being carried on the line to feed the works in increasing quantity up until 1961. The Mill Hill Barracks were established in 1905.
- HaleMill Hill (The Hale) railway stationMill Hill railway station was a station in Mill Hill, London NW7 on the now-removed railway between Mill Hill East station and Edgware railway station...
- Opened in 1906 as a halt for milk from Mill Hill farms. But as suburban dwellings, in what is now called Mill Hill Broadway, began to appear after 1910 the platform was extended and a ticket office was established with a station master. It was renamed "The Hale for Mill Hill" no later than 1919, supplying mostly coal and commuters. In preparation for the proposed electrification during the late 1930s the station platform was extended with concrete and was closed in 1939 to allow work to be accelerated but it was never reopened and subsequent work was aborted.
- EdgwareEdgware railway stationEdgware railway station was a London and North Eastern Railway station in Station Road, Edgware, Greater London. It is not to be confused with the London Underground Northern line Edgware station approximately 200 metres to the north east.-History:...
- There was a small engine shed, but after damage from "the great blizzard of January 1881" it was demolished and never replaced. Not to be confused with Edgware Underground stationEdgware tube stationEdgware tube station is a London Underground station in Edgware, in the London Borough of Barnet, in North London. The station is the terminus of the Edgware branch of the Northern Line and the next station towards central London is . Edgware is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Location:The station is in...
200 yards to the north. All has been demolished.
Highgate to Alexandra Palace branch
- Cranley GardensCranley Gardens railway stationCranley Gardens railway station was a station in the Muswell Hill area of north London. It was located between Highgate station and Muswell Hill station at the junction of Muswell Hill Road and Cranley Gardens...
- Opened in 1902.
- Muswell HillMuswell Hill railway stationMuswell Hill railway station was in the Muswell Hill district of north London just north of the road junction of Muswell Hill and Muswell Hill Place...
- Alexandra PalaceAlexandra Palace railway station (Muswell Hill branch)Alexandra Palace railway station is a former station in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in the Muswell Hill area of north London...
Finchley Central to High Barnet branch
- West FinchleyWest Finchley tube stationWest Finchley tube station is a London Underground station in the Finchley area of north London in the London Borough of Barnet.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Finchley Central and Woodside Park stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:The station was...
- Opened in 1933 by the LNER to serve new developments that had taken place between Church End, Finchley and the Dollis Brook. The station was built from material of older stations the company had further north in Yorkshire. The result is that the station is in keeping with the style of other stations on the same route. The footbridge, for example, comes from Wintersett and Ryhill, BarnsleyBarnsleyBarnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
.
- Torrington ParkWoodside Park tube stationWoodside Park tube station is a London Underground station in Woodside Park, north London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and Totteridge and Whetstone stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4...
- Renamed "Woodside Park" in 1889 when the station was rebuilt. Coal sidings were built by 1906.
- Whetstone and TotteridgeTotteridge and Whetstone tube stationTotteridge and Whetstone tube station is a London Underground station in north London. The station is the penultimate one on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between Woodside Park and High Barnet stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4...
- Now "Totteridge and Whetstone". Pickfords had a horse hospital and stables here, and the nursery gardeners Sweets also used the station.
- High BarnetHigh Barnet tube stationHigh Barnet tube station is a London Underground station located in High Barnet in North London. The station is the terminus of the High Barnet branch of the Northern line and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the northernmost station on the Northern line and is situated 10.2 miles north north-west...
- Opened on the site of the old Barnet FairBarnet FairBarnet Fair is an annual horse and pleasure fair held near Mays Lane Barnet on the first Monday in September.Barnet Horse Fair takes place over three days starting on the 4th September...
. The name is not, as is popularly thought, a railway name, and has been in use since at least the 16th century. There was a cattle pound in the station yard.
Other notable structures
- Dollis Viaduct - 13 arches each with a span of 30 feet (9.1 m), and 80 feet (24.4 m) high (the highest point on the present underground). It was designed by Sir John Fowler and Walter Marr Brydone to span Dollis BrookDollis BrookDollis Brook runs through the London Borough of Barnet in North London. It is a tributary of the River Brent, which is itself a tributary of the River Thames. The Dollis Valley Greenwalk follows almost all of Dollis Brook, apart from a short section at the beginning which passes through private...
and was built between 1863 and 1867.
- Muswell Hill viaduct - Carried trains high on brick pylon on the way to Muswell Hill station. Affords excellent views of central London.
- United Dairies sidings - Came into use in the early 1920s and was originally owned by Manor Dairies. It had sidings of its own, and was used as a distribution depot. It was closed in 1960.
The Railway in fiction
The Alexandra Palace branch features in the novel The Horn of Mortal DangerThe Horn of Mortal Danger
The Horn of Mortal Danger is a 1980 novel by British musician Lawrence Leonard. It relates the adventures of a brother and sister as they discover a secret civilisation buried beneath the streets of London...
(1980). The book begins with two children exploring Cranley Gardens station and the tunnel to Highgate; they discover a "secret railway" which can be accessed by a gate in the wall of the tunnel.
A version of the railway also features in scenes eventually cut from Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
External links
- Abandoned Stations - Northern Heights
- Underground History - Northern Heights
- Northern Heights - 1970
- Lost Lines - Northern Heights
- Transport for London - Parkland Walk
- Video about the abandoned Mill Hill-Edgware extension by Jay ForemanJay Foreman (comedian)Jay Foreman is a British musical comedian based in London. His brother is Beardyman, the UK beatboxing champion. They have collaborated on stage several times....