Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway - 1894 - 2017

by local historians, Peter Williams and Mark Gorman

We have covered aspects of the Barking Gospel Oak line (sometimes popularly known as the Goblin, or Chimney Pot line) on this website before (see here, in particular) but never in a comprehensive way. 

In 2016/17 local residents suffered a six-month closure, from August to February, whilst there was a multi million pound investment in track, signalling, trains and stations. 

New electric trains are due in 2018 once current difficulties with the design of the electrification are overcome. Full details of the problems can be found here.

The Victoria County History summarises the history of the line as follows - In 1894 the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway, together with a short spur between Woodgrange Park and East Ham, provided a new, but circuitous, route from Barking and East Ham to St. Pancras and so to the City at Moorgate (see here).

The line was originally two separate schemes: the Tottenham & Hampstead Junction Railway (authorised 1862) and the Tottenham & Forest Gate Railway (sanctioned 1890). The T&HJR was planned to run from Tottenham Hale to Gospel Oak, and opened in July 1868 from Tottenham Hale to Highgate Road, just short of Gospel Oak. Most trains ran to and from Fenchurch Street - a very roundabout route! 

Towards the end of the 19th century Sir Courtenay Warner, developer of much of the land around Walthamstow (the Warner Estate), wanted a railway line to serve his new developments. He was a prime mover behind the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway, which opened in 1894. 

Much of the area it passed through had already been built over, which is why much of the route is on viaduct (386 arches!) crossing innumerable streets (the cut-off ends of the terraces nearest the viaduct show clearly where demolition had to take place to put the railway line through). See here for an article on the imaginative use that has been made of some of these arches in Forest Gate, recently.

This must have been as big an upheaval locally as the building of the M11 Link Road decades later. At opening, the intermediate stations were Black Horse Road, Walthamstow, Leyton, Leytonstone and Wanstead Park.

Woodgrange Park was added subsequently, as was a curve to East Ham which some passenger trains used until 1958. You can still see the bay platform they used there, behind the eastbound District Line platform.

Various other services came & went over the years: Moorgate-East Ham, St Pancras-Southend, St Pancras-Tilbury boat trains, Gospel Oak-Southend, St Pancras-Norwich, Gospel Oak-Chingford were a few examples. The Palace Gates-North Woolwich service interchanged with our line at South Tottenham but that service ended in 1963. 

Eventually, the basic service settled down as Kentish Town-Barking, with odd trains running to/from St Pancras. Meanwhile the line developed as a key freight route, and a number of the stations had goods yards, now long gone.

That at Leytonstone High Road was an oddity, because the restricted space meant wagons had to be lowered from the goods line (behind the eastbound platform) to ground level by means of an hydraulic hoist (see here).

Whitelegg 4-4-2 "Tilbury Tank" named "East
 Ham" after the station on the Tottenham &
 Forest Gate Railway. The Tilbury Tanks were 
never used on the T&FG railway. They served
on the LT&SR from Fenchurch St to Southend

An early map of the route. Note

 branch to East Ham (source here)

East Ham Station was rebuilt and enlarged, 1902-04. In 1894, the Tottenham & Forest Gate Junction Railway (later absorbed into the Midland Railway) constructed a short spur running from Woodgrange Park to East Ham, terminating in a bay platform on the north side of the station, for trains to and from Kentish Town. This line ran behind the gardens of Shakespeare Crescent and Sibley Grove in Manor Park. 

The Metropolitan District Railway served East Ham from 1902 (originally in steam, until electrification in 1905). Sidings were provided as these trains terminated here, until the service was extended to Barking. This increased traffic,brought about the widening of the line from two tracks to four, and the whole station was reconstructed with five platforms.

A footbridge was provided about half way along the platforms (now disused) for passengers to cross from the Kentish Town line to continue their journeys on the London-bound lines.

Services to Kentish Town were withdrawn in September, 1958. British Railways ceased calling at East Ham in June 1962, from which time the station was solely served by the Underground. A new running depot was built in the 50's east of the station to accommodate electric multiple units for the BR Fenchurch Street to Southend line, in preparation for the withdrawal of steam, and the closure of Plaistow depot (see here).

Woodgrange Park Station

Opened 9 July 1894, this was a London Tilbury & Southend Railway construction and was of a different design with long flat awnings. The platform buildings were demolished in the 70's but their back wall survives on the eastbound side. 

A new booking office was built at the westbound entrance, but after destaffing and a period of dereliction this was demolished in the 1990's. To the east of the station was a goods yard; this opened in late 1894, closed on 7 Dec 1964, and is now a housing estate.

Wanstead Park Station

Opened 9 July 1894, this was the first on the line to have its wooden awnings demolished (in 1970). The booking office in the archway was replaced by a Portakabin, but after a fire in the late 1980s the station became unstaffed.

Originally, the wide covered staircases were towards the Barking end of the station, but in the late 1990's new stairs were built at the other end, leading directly out onto the main road. The station's name is rather misleading as Wanstead Park is a fair old hike away across Wanstead Flats - either that or Forest Gate North would be more accurate (source here).

Street-level photo taken from Woodgrange Road in May 1967, before the station was rationalized and the booking hall replaced. The wooden structures were painted BR green and cream. It is now an unstaffed station, with a set of steel stairs to platform level. None of the original structures exist.

Source here 

Many houses were demolished to make way and there was considerable local opposition to the railway (see here).

There was also an impact on the housing market not surprisingly. West Ham; a study in social and industrial problems says about Forest Gate ward:

Source here

There is clear evidence today of how this new railway had a massive impact on local dwellings. In places the track passes within a few feet.

Junction Sebert and Balmoral Roads looking
 east. Note ghost sign on the flank wall
 of the property.

Sebert Road looking west

Lorne road looking east – indications
 are this house was added later after
 the construction of the railway.

Avenue Road looking east – this house is
 dated in the 1870s from its plaque so
 predates the railway by 20 years

Avenue Road looking west, north
 of the line. Right opposite the house above,
 this has been cut off, though it is not clear
 if the other half was demolished by the
 railway company. Note the wider viaduct
 for the station platforms at Wanstead Park.

Avenue Road looking west, south of the line.
 Note the wider viaduct for the station platforms

Cranmer Road looking east, north of the line.
 This pair is also dated and predate the railway.

Cranmer Road looking east, south of the line.
 This house has been cut off during the
 building of the line, as the chimney of the
demolished property is exposed and visible today.

Latimer Road looking east. This is a post war infill,
 presumably after bomb damage. This house was
 the site of a fatal house fire some years ago
 where an elderly gentleman died.

We know that the railway company ended up with surplus dwellings in their ownership as they sold some off as shown here.

Source: Essex
Record Office

And we have this specific example:

234 Sebert Road October 2016

The line was not not just used for travel to work, but for leisure outings as well. One reason why the platforms at Wanstead Park and Woodgrange Park, in common with other stations on the Barking and Gospel Oak, are longer than expected for a suburban line, is that these stations were heavily used by holiday makers, heading for the Essex coast.

As soon as the line opened, in the summer of 1894, the Midland railway was advertising it as a "new and shorter" route from St Pancras to Southend. On Bank Holidays, the platforms would be packed with passengers hoping to get on longer excursion trains.

From the outset, the T&FG attracted some local opposition, all along the proposed route. In the parliamentary debate on the second reading, James Theobald, Conservative MP for Romford, listed some of the line's opponents:

...The East Ham Local Board and the Walthamstow Local Board (of Guardians), the Walthamstow School Board, the West Ham Corporation, the Leyton Local Board, the Vestry of Wanstead, the inhabitants of Leyton, the Trustees of the Bishop of St Alban's Fund, the Rev Henry Barber, the Commissioners of Sewers for the levels of Havering, Dagenham and numerous individuals.

He and George Banes, MP for West Ham South, argued that the proposed line would slice through a desirable residential district, and that the building of a brick viaduct, rather than a structure of iron girders would cut off many houses from their view of Wanstead Flats, and "prevent the free access of air to Wanstead and West Ham".

Neither MP objected to the railway itself, but wanted it to be at ground level, or in a cutting. Despite this and protest meetings, the line got the go-ahead.

Some welcomed it; a petition in 1893, requesting an extra station at Lea Bridge attracted much support. Although some property values fell, in other areas it attracted additional house building, particularly in Leytonstone, where its "proximity to the most charming parts of the Forest" was widely advertised by estate agents marketing building plots.

Another objector to the new line was the Great Eastern Railway, which had hitherto enjoyed a monopoly in the new north-eastern suburbs. Courtney Warner was later to claim at a parliamentary enquiry that the GER objected to the link which the building of the T&FG forged between the Midland Railway's lines to the north, from St Pancras, and the London, Tilbury and Southend line, from Fenchurch Street.

He also claimed that the GER was not providing adequate services for the growing population of Forest Gate, Leyton, Leytonstone and Walthamstow. On weekdays, he said "There was a regular fight to get into the workmen's trains in the morning (sound familiar?).

In reality, the line was never a successful commuter service. The T&FG was reluctant to provide adequate numbers of cheap workmen's trains from Woodgrange Park and Forest Gate, probably because of the fear that to do so would encourage too many working class residents in areas along the line.

Also, its circuitous route round north London made it a very slow way into work. The chairman of the Leyton Urban District Council, declared the T&FG practically useless for commuting to the City, as it took 50 minutes for a journey of 4 miles, as the crow flies. He preferred to expand Leyton's municipal tramway system. (for details of the development of trams serving Forest Gate - see here).

Press cuttings have some details, below.

Leytonstone Local Board 

Chelmsford Chronicle,
 England, 6 Jun 1890

There was industrial unrest during construction.

Chelmsford Chronicle, 21 Aug 1891

Selling materials from the demolition of houses.
Bury Free Press Suffolk, 26 Nov 1892

Local protestors: 
Chelmsford Chronicle,24 Mar 1893

Naploeon Cattaneo was Swiss confectioner in Woodgrange Road according to 1891 census

Died Jun 1932  - Bethnal Green

Essex Newsman, 10 Jun 1893

Chelmsford Chronicle, 29 June 1894

West Ham Hall  Sebert Road 

In about 1890 it was acquired by the Tottenham & Forest Gate Junction Railway, which was then building its line from Wanstead Park to Woodgrange Park. The company put it up for sale together with other surplus land and the house was acquired by West Ham School Board. 

The Board later demolished the house, some time after 1893. In 1966 the site was a depot belonging to Newham Council. It was then used to build the Woodgrange Primary school in 1986. 

Source here 

1900 this is Forest Gate station
 not GOBLIN but nice! 

Underneath the Arches - Sub- trainian Forest Gate!

 We have covered the history and route of the Gospel Oak to Barking over-ground rail line(GOBLIN)  through Forest Gate on this site before (here). It was constructed amid much controversy and protest locally, as its construction involved knocking down a number of relatively recently built, and much needed, houses, over 120 years ago.

To minimise the house demolition programme, much of the route was built across a series of viaducts, which resulted in an elevated track, giving it the nickname the 'Chimney Pot Line'. The viaducts, in turn, created over 100 railway arches along the short stretch of the line that passes through Forest Gate, alone.

GOBLIN, or Chimney Pot Line, route
 as it meanders through Forest Gate

These arches have traditionally been either left vacant, offered passageways - as in some of the section on Woodgrange Road - or have been rented out, typically to metal-bashing workshops, car body repair shops or storage depots.

Many are currently boarded up and unoccupied, while others are vacant, having recently been refurbed  and open for leasing at ever-increasing rents.

Gradually, changes in function are beginning to take place, as property prices in the area generally have soared, and the once shunned arches are now offering relatively cheap locations for a number of local enterprising service-sector businesses.

This post offers a quick glance at some of the more interesting ventures that have cropped up in recent years as the GOBLIN meanders through Forest Gate. They are unlikely to be adversely affected as the line shuts down for 8 months major refurbishment later this year.

The map, above, shows the route and the rest of this blog looks at some of the more unusual businesses operating underneath the arches.  We are taking a generous interpretation of Forest Gate's area, and tracing the line from Woodgrange Park station, on Romford Road, through Wanstead Park station till it leaves Cann Hall Road on its journey to Leytonstone High Road.

Hampton to Balmoral Roads Four of the more traditional metal bashing/car repair workshops. Nothing of exceptional interest.

Sebert to Lorne Roads Perhaps the longest-established, non traditional, user dominates this stretch: The Old Slate Yard. It is a florist and what is politely referred to as "architectural reclamation yard" (web)

As their website says: 

The Old Slate Yard is a family run business situated in the heart of Forest Gate London. The Yard started 30 years ago buying and selling reclaimed slates, bricks and tiles etc. Since then it has now expanded greatly and now has a beautiful florist catering for all your floristry needs"

Floristry at the Old Slate Yard

 Much the greater part of the yard is occupied by reclaimed building materials - extremely useful for people trying to get an authentically traditional feel for their Victorian house. This is particularly helpful for those living within conservation areas (like the Woodgrange estate) where materials, such as this firm supplies, are often specified for those seeking planning permission for major works to the houses.

More traditional reclamation
activities at the Old Slate Yard

The firm's website and more recent initiatives within The Old Slate Yard have, however, focused more on the firm's floristry and gift offers. This is probably a generational thing within the family running the Yard. It is to be hoped that the traditional side of the business does not fade away as time moves on.

This section of the arches also houses a fast-food storage depot.

Latimer Road Less interesting: there are three storage arches and three car repair workshops occupying the arches along this stretch.

Cranmer Road Milma Foods (web)is an  Asian food manufacturer,  registered in Manor Park. It occupies three arches along here. It  produces and stores mixes for Dosa/ Wet Idli. According to the company's website it is "The leader" in the production of these mixes in the U.K . and supplies them  to hotels and catering establishments in Britain and elsewhere.

Milma's famous mix

On the opposite side of the road is an ally, hosting 15 units, many recently refurbished by Network Rail, running behind Woodgrange Infants school, to Avenue Road.

While most of these are the traditional car repair workshops, two recently occupied ones catering for the sport/fitness/wellness sector have popped up.

These are MBox  - a boxing and martial arts gym (web). According to its website: 

MBox Forest Gate is a specialised boxing, martial arts and performance training space in the heart of East London's historic boxing scene.

Phoebe Wynne-Jones, of MBox

Founded by Forest Gate local and professional boxing coach, Mickey Cunningham, and nutritionist/trainer Phoebe Wynne-Jones, MBox provides a relaxed positive environment, open to all levels from novice to pro. We focus on health and well-being in conjunction with a sense of community and good vibes.

Mickey Cunningham of MBox

The company offer twenty hours of classes per week.  Fuller details, and prices are available on the website.

The second is a yoga studio: Space East (web). According to its website:

The aim was simple... An inclusive studio, a welcoming space where everyone, no matter your shape, size, fitness level, age or ability, feels valued, capable and comfortable... however with a certain amount of healthy challenge!! 

Fitness class at Space East

Our aim is to provide an aesthetically pleasing place in which to keep fit and healthy. But most of all a space to enjoy and have fun. Here at 'The Space East' we include everyone, the young, the old, the bendy Wendy's and the not-so-flexible!

 It is a space we have created for you and we would welcome your thoughts. We value any suggestions you may have that would enable us to help you, and the people you love feel included.  

We really hope you enjoy 'The Space' 

Avenue - Chestnut Roads The half a dozen or so units along this stretch are currently out of service and operation and don't look like they will be hosting businesses any time soon.

Wanstead Park station There are nine arches here, running underneath the station platforms and track. There is an interesting selection, including a kitchen warehouse and builder's merchants, an embroidery workshop, a mobility-car sales depot and a unit offering courtesy cars as replacements for those damaged in accidents.

Wanstead Park station in 1967,
before major railway arch development

Recently installed up-lights on Woodgrange Road
 pavement, providing safety and increased
 attraction to the area.

Bignold Road There are four car repairers/metal bashers along the section.

Strode to Station/Winchelsea Roads (arches 350 - 379) This is the most interesting and diverse sections of sub- trainian Forest Gate. A latter-day, older and less frenetic  Ian Drury may be tempted to pen a ditty entitled "Sex aids, and Folk and Alcohol" to describe it.

Unlike many of the other sections featured in this article, the majority of the units are in a row running parallel to, and having direct access off, a public highway - thus have a much more visible and accessible public presence.

The strip features half a dozen car and motorbike repairers and dealers and a small number of units which are currently to let.  In addition, there is an extensive construction company depot and firm specialising in 'structural architecture': RSJs and the like. There is also an insurance brokers along this stretch.

The more recent, and possible more interesting additions, include:

Sh! This is a  relatively large building and, apart from a sign simply announcing its name, fairly anonymous and incongruous looking. It is, in fact, the mail order headquarters of one of Britain's biggest sex-aid retailers. The company's HQ is located in similarly anonymous premises, just across the road; it once had two retail outlets (now just one) at fairly up-market London addresses.

Contrary to the impression in the company's name, it has much to shout about.

The firm is extremely woman friendly, and indeed some of the floorspace in its retail outlets has been women only access, and other parts are only open to men if accompanied by a woman.

Sh! - but quite a lot to shout about

It's website says:

When Sh! was launched, way back in 1992, we'd no idea would it would be a journey that would alter the face of the British sex industry forever, inspire change and bring respect and focus to female sexuality. We simply wanted a place we felt happy to shop in. From our first trip around Soho sex shops, to being taken to court, discovering Jessica Rabbit, introducing sex toys to the NHS and launching Cafe V .... we have an interesting history.

Strange how our little area of East London: with Sh! and the sex shops empire of West Ham FC owners, has turned out to be the sex-aid hub of the UK.

Hawkes (web) This is an exciting venture that opened last year, whose progress we have noted in passing in our articles on the local food and drink scene (see here, for an example). It is a relatively new ginger beer and cider-making company, brewing on the spot, but specialising in using London grown apples - thus taking sustainability a step further than most.

Hawkes: setting out their stall

The firm, intriguingly, has a "supply and return" offer, whereby local growers who donate apples in the autumn are paid for their troubles with bottles of cider made from previous brewings!

The company also hosts great Cider and Pizza nights at weekends, where freshly, oven cooked pizzas are made, on site, by the great Lupollo pizza firm of Wanstead.

The staff are incredibly friendly and a great time can be had there.  Highly recommended!

Brettells (web) We have covered this company before (here), which has recently returned to its Forest Gate original home, after an extended stay in workshops in Chestnut Road. The firm of wood turners and works has a long tradition, being able to trace its origins to Huguenot settlers and Hackney workshops.

Wanstead Tap (web) After years of selling craft beers on farmers' markets, Tap entrepreneur, Dan Clapton, took a giant leap forward a couple of years ago and opened up "underneath the arches".  As such, it was a risky step, but one which seems to be paying off, with his unique offer.

Tap logo

The Tap is open most afternoons and evenings at weekends. The afternoon offer is mainly as a child-friendly cafe, although the great attraction for many, both then and particularly in the evenings is the extensive range of 80 - 100 craft beers and ciders.

The Tap is making a name for itself with its exciting and eclectic social evenings.  These are a bit sporadic, depending on the availability of guests etc. But, the 70-odd seater venue can often be found hosting book launches, in conjunction with Newham Bookshop and comedy nights, with well-know figures (Alexei Sayle and Bob Mills come to mind).

There are also fascinating "evenings with" interesting people, iconic folk musicians, and managers and support and promotional staff associated with major entertainment stars.

Setting up for another busy
 night at the Wanstead Tap

Open times are erratic. Drinking and entertaining times are good.

Aphrodite's (web) Aphrodite Fingal-Rock Innes (nickname: Dixie, pictured, below) and William Powell launched Aphrodite's in 2015 - a venture which emerged from a shared passion for Middle Eastern food, and a common childhood base in South Wales.

Dixie is a chef and finalist in Channel 4's The Taste. The two owners are innovators and their recently launched, unique Pomegranate Ketchup seems to be proving a big hit.

Dixie - the face of Aphrodite's

The pair operate a street food outlet, from the back of a Citroen van at weekends in Maltby St Market, and during weekday lunchtimes at different City locations.

Maltby St, in Bermondsey is a little jewel: it has developed rapidly over the last couple of years by young food suppliers priced out by the more established Borough St market, near-by, at London Bridge.

Maltby St - haven for those
 priced out of Borough Market

Check Maltby St and Aphrodite's out - you won't be disappointed!

Thorpe to Cann Hall Road This stretch hosts half a dozen metal bashing/car repair shops and a number that are currently vacant, or boarded up. There is also a scaffold company, toy and tool wholesaler and a car wash arch.

In keeping with the recent focus on sports and exercise, there is also a longer-established Karate school (web) It seems to have been running for about four years.

According to its website:

Okinwan Karate School (OKS) is a professionally run, independent family Dojo (ed: room where Karate and other martial arts are performed) at the heart of East London, in Forest Gate. It is fully kitted and offers a variety of classes.

 OKS specialises in teaching Karate to children between 4 and 16 years only, and although adults are not accepted entry level, children who start with OKS can remain with the team into their adult Karate training lives.

Youngsters at Okinwan Karate School

And just next door; another strange unit: Christ Embassy, Forest Gate - a black evangelical church.

Overall
These sub-trainian units, between them, probably employ 300-400 people, and as such, collectively represent the largest number of non-public sector jobs provided in Forest Gate, today.

Some of the unit holders are complaining at the rapidly increasing rents being charged by Network Rail for them - particularly after refurbishment. The rail landowners are obviously waking up to the considerable commercial opportunity their trains rumble over.
  
Anyone interesting in leasing one of the 20 or so vacant units in Forest Gate should contact Network Rail, on 0800-830-840,in the first instant.