Tube anniversary: 100 years of the Hampstead railway to Edgware

Tube anniversary: 100 years of the Hampstead railway to Edgware

2024 is the 100th anniversary of the Hampstead tube’s new extensions! The railway first opened in 1907 and like many other tube lines, was almost (if not) entirely underground. It was the first tube line to have more than one route (these being to Golders Green and Highgate – the former being the line’s one and only open air station). Hence it was the first tube line to have more than one route. The Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR) remained its original format for 16 years, until the first part of its new extension – to Hendon Central – opened in November 1923. The second stage to Edgware opened in August 1924 thus completing the first batch of major tube extensions in London (including the Camden Town junctions opened April 1924).

Golders Green station and depot under construction. The line opened to Hendon sixteen years later (1923) and Edgware a further year after (1924).

The Hampstead tube was a very early contender in the innings of the new London tube lines. It was promoted almost immediately after the opening of the City and South London Railway and the line’s original title was the Hampstead, St. Pancras and Charing Cross Railway (HStP&CCR). Euston station would be served by a branch off the main line and that remained much as part of the plans until the route was diverted to serve Euston station directly. The Act for the Hampstead, St. Pancras and Charing Cross Railway was passed in August 1893 and thereafter the line was to be known as the Charing Cross Euston and Hampstead Railway and in due course a depot site was identified at Kentish Town. It wasn’t sufficient however.

There was apparently a once popular story behind the conception of the Hampstead tube and it went like this:

THIRTY-TWO years ago, an American, Mr. C. T . Yerkes, and Mr. Dalrymple Hay (now Sir Harley Dalrymple Hay, the eminent Consulting Engineer) took a hansom-cab from the West End to prospect for a new Tube Railway to serve North-West London. As they drove up Charing Cross Road, Tottenham Court Road, the Hampstead Road and Haverstock Hill, they planned the line of the Tube and where the stations were to be.

At Hampstead Heath they planned to terminate the Tube, but Mr. Yerkes decided to take the cab on further. So on they went past the old “Bull & Bush,” across green fields to Golders Green Cross-roads, where stood nothing but a farmhouse. “This is the place for our terminus,” said Mr. Yerkes.

“Crazy!” said his companion, “there will never be any traffic here.”

“There will be one day,” said Mr. Yerkes, “and this is the site for the station.” And so, thirty years ago-on June 22, 1907 the Hampstead Tube to Golders Green was opened. (Cited from Pennyfare August 1937).

When one considers the above citation, the event must have taken place far earlier than the thirty two years mentioned. It was much more but Pennyfare does not detail that. The earliest any proposal for a tube line from Charing Cross to Hampstead had come about during the 1890s on the crest of popularity surrounding the City and South London Railway. Indeed the CCE&HR was originally known as the HStP&CCR thus the posh London suburb had always been mooted as the line’s northern terminus. The problem however, was Hampstead is on a hill and any depot that would be provided for the line was no doubt going to be expensive. Its why Yerkes decided to venture further north west and see what the lie of the land entailed for that very purpose.

The event involving Yerkes and Dalrymple has also been alluded to in Charles Lee’s Fifty Years of the Hampstead Tube, which was published in 1957 – and in fact its Lee who asserts the event had occurred in late 1900. It may have been slightly earlier for in November 1900 approval was sought to extend the line to Golders Green.

Of course once those plans were set in stone, right from the start tube stations were proposed locally at Golders Green, North End (Bull and Bush) and Hampstead plus those to the south towards Charing Cross. In terms of the Heath the locals were not haying it however. By 1904 there was a substantial campaign under way against the proposed tube station at North End and the objective of this was to purchase further land for the Heath and to prevent the construction of any station at that location. It worked because even though the deep level station and partial platforms were built, there was no route from it to the surface for decades. The infamous ‘tube station’ later became a secret control room for London Transport just before WWII thus a flight of stairs was constructed down from the surface.

1904 map showing the land the Hampstead Heath Extension Committee wished to purchase in order to prevent construction of the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway’s North End (Bull & Bush) station. Image enhanced by the author from one depicted in The Graphic July 1904.

Extract about the new line written in the Hampstead record 29th June 1907. A full page feature was made to commemorate the opening of the new line by David Lloyd George on 22nd June 1907. Image cleaned up by the author for readability. The full page can be seen in the small display in the ticket hall at Hampstead tube station commemorating the opening of the line in 1907.

The display boards at Hampstead station.

As has been mentioned elsewhere the railway between Golders Green and Hendon wasn’t what had been planned either. The first innings on the proposed route (and indeed the entire route under the later New Works programme to Bushey Heath) had been made several years prior to the opening of the Hampstead tube by way of plans for a line to Watford which were approved in November 1902 – thus Edgware was always the Underground Electric Railways’ first objective, with Bushey Heath being the second and Watford the final objective.

Indeed, the plans for the extension to Edgware were announced in August 1912 hot on the heels of the soon to be finished and opened extension southward to Embankment (Charing Cross). It was said actual work on the Edgware extension would begin soon. ‘Soon’ turned out to be rather a long time for it was 1922 when work in fact began!

The original plan beyond Golders Green was for a route further east but rapid housing development put paid to that and the company was forced to find a new route which involved the least demolition of new and existing housing estate. More on that can be seen in the post covering Woodstock.

News report on the ceremony to begin the Edgware extension in June 1922. Note also the pending extension from Camden to the City and South London Railway at Euston. Internet Archive.

1924 wasn’t just an important year in terms of extensions. It was one where the Hampstead tube got merged with the City and South London Railway to form a new system of tube lines between Edgware and Clapham Common (and later Morden.) This was made possible by way of the new junctions at Camden Town which too had been opened that year. See this information at Twitter/X for example.

Both lines names survived until 1932 and were shown on the tube maps accordingly, with the former being the line via Charing Cross and the latter that via Bank. In late 1932 it was decided the rename the entire line the Edgware, Highgate and Morden line so from that point on the new name accurately described the combined railways. As written in other posts however even that wasn’t satisfactory and the line was renamed yet again before becoming the Northern Line.

One little know tube line that was built as a result of these extensions is the link between the Piccadilly and Northern lines at King’s Cross. This was built because Golders Green didn’t have the capacity to maintain an extended fleet and so the link line was built in order that some of the depot’s work could be devolved to Lille Bridge instead. Walter Scott and Middleton were the contractors who built the new connecting line.

The Hampstead Tube in 2024

100 years on after the line had opened to Edgware one would perhaps assume there was little left to be seen of the older Hampstead tube system. There evidently is that since it has been the Northern Line for nearly ninety years and the rebrandings haven’t been kind to the former Hampstead line identity. But there are some gems to be found which many will not know about. That plus other items which to this day few know of.

In terms of the original Charing Cross Euston and Hampstead Railway there’s not a lot to be seen. The surface red tiled station buildings, of which there are quite a few which were designed by Leslie Green, are perhaps the best remaining evidence with Chalk Farm being the best example. Below ground some of the stations have retained their original style especially on the northern sections.

Admittedly there’s some stuff still extant in the disused sections for example at Euston and Camden Town. The latter is where the lines divide at least one CCE&HR artefact remains and this is a sign that says To Highgate. At the other tube stations on the Charing Cross branch (Warren Street for example) many of the historic signs (such as No Exit/Way Out) are in fact reproductions. The original tiled sign at Euston Road (Warren Street again) fortunately remains.

Camden Town with the one remaining classic Hampstead tube tiled sign which can be found on the High Barnet platform. Its a very nice example because of its blue border which matches the rest of the station. The Yerkes tube lines used this colour mode of signage elsewhere too.

Chalk Farm station – its southbound line diagram sadly covers the old CCE&HR tiled sign that once pointed in the direction of Charing Cross.

One can see how the former Hampstead railway identity has been ruined by taking a look at Chalk Farm station. Here, parts of what were signs indicating the routes to Charing Cross or Hampstead have been brutally defiled by the placement of modern routes maps over the top of these original signs. Clearly the persons responsible for this at the time had no idea of history or heritage for this was done decades ago, and new maps have been placed there too simply because the deed has already been done. The other problem of course is the fact hose historic signs were right opposite where the passengers enter onto the platforms, and so it was a must that any new signage be put here too.

The other platform at Chalk Farm for trains heading north doesn’t fare much better with a partial sign seen for Hampstead. At least we know from these partial examples the CCE&HR’s signage was furnished in much the same style as the Piccadilly line.

The array of bells at Hampstead tube station are a delight. Dare one say this is a Belle Époque?

Golders Green is still largely a 1907 style station. There were modifications for the Edgware extension however. Lets look at Golders Green after the changes made for the extensions to the Charing Cross Euston and Hampstead Railway.

Golders Green in 1911. There’s a clue to the plaques discussed in the next paragraph! Wikipedia.

The construction of the new line produced some gems and at Golders Green one can see pre 1924 makers construction plates plus newer ones plates with 1924 stamped on them. The original ones were placed on the centre of the pillars rather than on the outside as is evident in the above picture. Golders Green had to be expanded in order to accommodate the new through route so its the original 1907 station was enlarged by way of building new pillars in the same exact style and the plaques were re-distributed (eg placed on the outside of the pillars) plus new ones added thus that’s how this odd mix occurred. Its something few will notice however.

The makers plaques as they are now – and these don’t fit on the narrower sides of the columns! One of the lesser noticed modifications undertaken for the 1924 extensions!

Indeed its enlightening to see there are at least some items remaining from the original 1907 system even if these were repositioned for the 1924 work. Aside from the 1907 artefacts there are very few remaining items of the 1923/24 extensions. The stations themselves are one (eg the stairwells, the canopies, the tombstone signs etc) although sadly in its anniversary year Colindale was trashed to make way for an ultra modern look. The station was closed in June 2024 and hereby demolished as it approached its 100th anniversary of existence. This apparently is how they celebrate anniversaries these days!

The temporary station at Colindale as it was in late 1940 after the site had been destroyed by bombs. The temporary entrance lasted until 1962! Image was scanned from one of the author’s books then cleaned up and colourised.

Someone bashed me on social media for saying a fair bit of Colindale remained after the bombing in 1940 and that it was sad a station was being razed in its 100th year. They claimed absolutely nothing of the station remained. But I was right. A fair bit of the station’s structure remained despite considerable damage and total demolition of the main entrance building. Not only that its seats survived the atrocity as the above tweet/X shows! The seats are now at a garden in Brockley as this tweet/X shows.

Fortunately Brent Cross, Hendon Central and Burnt Oak retain many elements of the 1923/24 openings. Burnt Oak (for Stag Lane Aerodrome) opened in October 1924 but nevertheless it has the same styling as the others and some of these stations still have examples of the much older ‘tombstone’ style roundel boards. The best examples are at Burnt Oak and Edgware. The other stations have these too but those are a modification which doesn’t pertain to the historical context of the stations’ styling.

Edgware still retains its tombstone roundel boards as does Burnt Oak.

The terminus at Edgware itself, well that’s a bit of a let down. The station has been re-arranged, re-shaped and indeed parts of it demolished twice – in lieu of the unfinished New Works (Northern Heights) programme. (More on that in other posts to come). Apart from that, its tombstone style roundels and staircase handrails are perhaps the best of the 1924 work.

The decorated ends of the stair handrails at Edgware station.

Architecturally, Brent Cross and Hendon are perhaps the best examples of Stanley Heaps’ style on the Edgware extension. There’s a splendid parade right from street entrance to the platform bridge at Hendon. Brent Cross is no doubt the best and that because there is no oversite development for a start. That no doubt ensured the station remained faithful to its original design.

The entrance to Brent Cross station – one of the line’s celebrated neo-Palladian structures designed by Stanley Heaps, but viewed as somewhat mediocre by Frank Pick, who sought a major shift in tube station design.

The 1924 stairways at Brent Cross. A nice bit of 1920s styling and n unusual way of arranging stairs in order to split passenger flows and prevent conflicts.

NickBXN commented on London Reconnections: ‘The one thing I will query, however, is the commentary on the staircase at Hendon, where the stainless steel supports and brackets look quite new.’

First its Brent Cross and not Hendon! Secondly, the wooden bannisters are original (hopefully) but the supports are of course new. Its also not unusual for old style architecture to receive modern fitments.

Architecturally, the stations were, despite their classic styled appearance, somewhat unexciting. Curiously the stations’ design was put down to a need to harmonise with the rural surroundings and that was architect Stanley Heaps’ intent. The Edgware line stations however ‘broke no new ground’ and were not what Frank Pick was looking for in terms of a corporate design. Thus Pick conducted a search for a new means of architectural inspiration – and that came in the form of Charles Holden.

Holden inspired a more successful architectural means and this led to a very successful working relationship between Holden and the LPTB. Many commendable modernist style tube stations were built as a result. In terms of Edgware and of Morden, the following is what Sir Nikolaus Pevsner thought of the stations on what would ultimately become the Northern line:

The station buildings of the Golders Green-Edgware extension, gradually opened in 1923-1924, have a pleasant but not very exciting appearance. No attempt was yet made by the company’s architect, S. A. Heaps, to get beyond accepted Neo-Palladian forms.

Then the southward extension of the same line to Morden was built (1925— 1926). Here the engineers have more interesting solutions to spatial problems (e.g., the octagonal booking hall at Morden disguising the odd angle of track and main street). As for the facades of the station buildings, a new architect now introduced new forms… Pick had met Charles Holden… and had, with his insight into human qualities, sized him up as rightly as he had sized up Johnston and McKnight Kauffer. Holden for this first batch of station buildings designed a standard pattern adaptable to as many modifications as the various sites required. (Studies in Art, Architecture, and Design by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner 1968, p4).

However times can change and this is what David Watkin had to say in respect to Pevsner’s thoughts:

Pevsner shows us how he (Pick) replaced designs such as that by S.A. Heaps for Brent Station on the Edgware extension, with ones like Charles Holden’s Clapham South Station on the Morden extension. Looking at the two stations today from a point fifty years later, there must be many who prefer the quiet elegance of Brent Station, with its welcoming Palladian colonnade, to the hostile brutality of Clapham South. (Morality and Architecture Revisited by David Watkin, 1977, p111).

The Edgware extension’s ‘canal’ bridges:

The construction of the line produced some interesting items. The new over bridges for example were contracted out to at least three companies, all of which are now defunct. Of those one was the UK’s most famous ironwork company and these are the only examples of bridges on the tube system built by Horseley’s. The surprise is the tube’s history books have largely missed out this unique aspect.

John Walker had the largest contract which was for the bridges as far as Montrose Avenue (south of Colindale) while Teesside Engineering had the first bridge out of Golders Green. Amazingly its reported this 300 ton bridge was craned into position in just fifteen minutes on Sunday 9th September 1923! I imagine this was each of the main sections and not the whole bridge. Large cranes were used for this work.

Finchley Road bridge being lifted into position. LT Records say August 1923 but research reveals its 9th September 1923. LT Museum.

John Walker’s ceased operations as the Edgware extension got underway which possibly explains why the various bridges ended up being built under subcontracts. Charles Brand and Son ended up being the main contractors possibly because they already had other tube related contracts – for example the construction of new extension from Clapham Common to Morden. In view of the need to complete the Edgware work quickly evidently what happened is the bridges were subcontracted.

The four bridges in the Golders Green and Woodstock areas were let out to Horseley Ironworks of Tipton. What is amazing (as some will no doubt know) is the company were a noted canal bridge and aqueduct manufactory whose structures (Hawkesbury, Engine Arm, Farmer’s Bridge, Braunston Turn and many other locations) count in the hundreds across Britain’s canal system! The company’s docks and railway work no doubt increased from the mid 19th century onward. But anything for the London Underground system was a total rarity! Evidently these bridges were built in the final years of the existence of the struggling Horseley company – no doubt that because work (even on the canals) was drying up due to a wider use of concrete. Soon after the Edgware extension work had been completed the struggling company was merged with another on the brink of extinction to become Horseley Bridge and Thomas Pigott Limited. The company closed in 1992 after sustaining a huge loss of money.

Not a canal but a railway bridge! One of Horseley Ironworks’ constructions for the new line to Edgware. This example is at Elmcroft Crescent on the Woodstock estate.

The costs for the bridges beyond Finchley Road (Golders Green Crescent and Golders Green Road) was £6,687, whilst that for the next two bridges (Elmcroft Crescent and Woodville Road) was £8,155. The contracts were originally awarded to Charles Brand and Son, who sub let it to Horseley’s. The most visible of these ‘canal’ bridges is the one in the centre of Golders Green. There’s no evidence of any Horseley’s on that one these days. The other, the Golders Green Crescent structure, has evidence of Horseley’s makers plates. Its clear these have been removed. Historical artefacts or valuable items for sale I wonder?

Horseley Ironworks plate on one of the Edgware extension bridges. This example is at Woodville Road.

Even though John Walker had the contract for all the bridges northward to Colindale, there’s no doubt more sub-contracting was undertaken as this plate at Highfield Avenue bridge (next to Brent Cross station) shows. The closure of Walker’s no doubt caused a fair bit of sub-contracting. Butler’s also constructed the next overbridge at Shirehall Lane as well as at Montrose Avenue.

The Edgware extension’s ‘canal’ bridges feature another long gone entity – London Regional Transport! At least two of these LRT signs remain in use in the Woodstock area.

Curiously these bridges, despite the substantial contracts, appear to have been among the last gasps for these companies, who were no doubt struggling and thankful of any work they could get. Walkers shut down whilst construction was underway. Horseley Ironworks merged with Pigott’s and John Butler & Company later closed down.

Other artefacts of the 1924 Edgware extension:

Immediately outside the one and only substation at Burnt Oak the eagle eyed person might spot a wooden milepost. These are original Edgware extension mile posts. There were about 18 of these, the distance to Kennington was denoted – the southern end of the Hampstead railway from 1924/26 until 1933. Those denoting the eight mile and eleven mile mark are the largest group of those that still exist.

There were gradient posts too. Sadly most of these have vanished, evidently by way of their having not been maintained for decades, thus any remaining examples of these (totalling about seven in all) are in varying states of condition. None have any operational value these days. There’s two of these at Colindale. In terms of the station’s upgrade one set into the concrete wall by the turnback siding will no doubt survive but the other by the northbound platform will probably disappear. There’s other paraphernalia under the road bridge too and whether those survive as well, who knows.

Just part of this eight and a half mile marker remains near Woodstock Avenue.

Eleven and three quarter mile wooden milepost by the northbound platform at Burnt Oak.

Perhaps the best example of one of the handful remaining gradient posts is this which points directly down a drain! Or maybe its a secret route to ‘The Drain’ (the Waterloo and City Line)!

The one and only complete gradient post on the whole extension is this one by the Colindale points.

Out of all the mile posts that were installed, just one was made out of metal and this can still be seen at about two thirds of the way along the platforms at Golders Green, marking the eight miles to Kennington. Distance charts indicate seven miles 56 chains to the end of the southern platform, thus it was here at this spot just four chains further (0.05 of a mile) the distance became eight miles.

At the time (1924-1926) when these extensions were constructed/opened, the furthest south the Hampstead tube would go was Kennington. Beyond there the line was officially the City and South London Railway to Morden (as it was too from Euston to Kennington via Bank). The merging of both the Hampstead and City & South lines did not occur until 1933.

The eight mile marker pictured above is certainly of historic interest because in a sense it also (perhaps unintentionally) honours the original 1907 CCE&HR system of eight miles length (eg Charing Cross – Golders Green & to Highgate aka Archway).

Snippets of information relating to the Edgware line (gleaned from Google Books):

Edgware station cost £16,690 to build and the contractors were J. Parkinson and Son.

The laying of HT cabling along the route between Golders Green and Edgware cost £9720 and the work was contracted to W.T. Henley’s Telegraph Works Co.

The conductor rail insulators were provided by Siluminite Insulator Co.

Brent and Hendon stations cost £21,000 to build and the company for the work was James Carmichael Contracts.

By 15th June 1923 the first 315ft of track out of Golders Green had been laid and it was antcipated this would increase to a rate of 500ft per day.

Burnt Oak sub station, the only one on the Edgware extension, was once the country’s largest as well as the first ever automated substation too!

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