The
Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in north
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. The railway was a precursor of parts of
London UndergroundThe London Underground, Underground or Tube is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the UK. The first section opened in 1863, and was the first underground railway system in the world, and, starting in...
's
Northern LineThe Northern line is an underground railway in London, United Kingdom that is coloured black on the London Underground Tube map. The line's two branches carry 206.734 million passengers per year—the highest on the London Underground system. For most of its length it is built as a deep-level...
and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into 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 parliamentAn act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament....
passed on 3 June 1862. The route ran through parts of rural
MiddlesexMiddlesex 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 ParkFinsbury 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 GreenStroud Green could be*Stroud Green, Berkshire*Stroud Green, Essex*Stroud Green, Gloucestershire*Stroud Green, London*Stroud Green Road, London...
,
Crouch EndCrouch 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....
,
HighgateHighgate is a village in North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath. Highgate rises to an altitude of at Highgate Wood and at North Hill.-Overview:...
,
FinchleyFinchley is a district in the London Borough of Barnet in north London. Finchley is on high ground, about out 11 km north of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Middlesex...
and
Mill HillMill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet It is a suburb situated 9 miles north west of Charing Cross, in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Middlesex...
to
EdgwareEdgware is a suburb of North London situated north-west of Charing Cross. It should not be confused with Edgware Road, some miles to the south. Most of Edgware is in the London Borough of Barnet, but the western part is in the London Borough of Harrow and the Queensbury area is in the London...
. Additional acts in 1864 and 1866 granted powers to construct branch lines from Highgate to
Muswell HillMuswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross.Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :...
and from Finchley to High Barnet respectively.
Before the line was opened, it was purchased in July 1867 by the larger
Great Northern RailwayThe Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the London & York Railway Act of 1846.The main line ran from London via Hitchin, Peterborough, and Grantham, to York, with a loop line from Peterborough to Bawtry via Boston and Lincoln, and branch lines to Sheffield and...
(GNR), whose main line from King's Cross ran through Finsbury Park on its way to
Potters BarPotters 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 ParkFinsbury 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 tunnelSnow 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 HillLudgate 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...
,
BlackfrairsBlackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of London, England. It is adjacent to Blackfriars Bridge at the junction of New Bridge Street and Queen Victoria Street and is in Travelcard Zone 1...
and
Loughborough RoadLoughborough 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
MoorgateMoorgate station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of London, on Moorgate, north of London Wall. At one time the station was named "Moorgate Street"...
. Services could also run from Finsbury Park via the
North London RailwayThe North London Railway was a railway company that opened various lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks, the core route later becoming the basis of the North London Line...
to Broad Street. In 1870 the track between Finsbury Park and Finchley & Hendon (now
Finchley CentralFinchley Central tube station is a London Underground station in the Church End Finchley 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
viaductA 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 theThe 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 BrookThe Dollis Brook is a river running through North London. It rises on Moat Mount Open Space in Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet. After flowing under Hendon Wood Lane its course is eastwards through areas of open space. It forms the northern boundary of Totteridge...
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 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 & WhetstoneTotteridge 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 FinchleyWest 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 PalaceAlexandra 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 RailwayThe 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
WatfordWatford is a town and district 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 urban parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District...
in
HertfordshireHertfordshire , abbreviated Herts, is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford....
. 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 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
VictorianThe Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...
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
tramA tram, tramcar, trolley, trolleycar, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a conventional train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets...
services were established in both
HendonHendon is a London suburb situated north west 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
enginesA steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.The idea of using boiling water to produce mechanical motion has a long history, going back about 2000 years...
, 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 RailwayThe 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
ArchwayArchway 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 GreenGolders 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 GreenGolders 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 WarWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
.
Amalgamation - 1918-1939
In 1923 as a consequence of the railway grouping instigated by the
1921 Railways ActThe Railways Act of 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...
, the GNR became part of the
London and North Eastern RailwayThe 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 RailwayThe Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited was the holding company for three of the new deep-level "tube" underground railway lines constructed in London in the first decade of the 20th century...
(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
EdgwareEdgware 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 Burnt Oak...
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
BusheyBushey 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 BoardThe London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.It was...
announced the 1935-1940 New Works Programme 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 Heath
Bushey 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 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 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 WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into 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 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 EastMill 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
Green BeltIn United Kingdom town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail...
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 ActThe 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 between 1955 and 1964, and sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in England and the Department of Health for Scotland.The Act introduced...
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 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 LinesThe Widened Lines, also known as the City Widened Lines, are 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
The Parkland WalkParkland Walk is a linear green walkway, in north London, England, which follows the course of the railway which used to run between Finsbury Park through Stroud Green, Crouch End, Highgate and Muswell Hill to Alexandra Palace....
.
Finsbury Park to Edgware line
- 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...
- Stroud Green
Stroud 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 End
Crouch 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...
- Highgate
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....
- Rebuilt prior to the take-over by Underground services.
- East End, Finchley
East 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 & Hendon
Finchley Central tube station is a London Underground station in the Church End Finchley 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 Hill
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...
- 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.
- Hale
Mill 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. During the 1930s the station platform was extended with concrete, but the station was "semi - derelict" by 1945.
- Edgware
Edgware 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 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 Burnt Oak...
200 yards to the north. All has been demolished.
Highgate to Alexandra Palace branch
- Cranley Gardens
Cranley Gardens railway station is a disused 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 Hill
Muswell Hill railway station is a disused station in the Muswell Hill area of north London. It was located between Cranley Gardens station and Alexandra Palace station on Muswell Hill just north of the junction with Muswell Hill Place...
- Alexandra Palace
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 Finchley
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...
- 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, BarnsleyBarnsley 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 Park
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...
- Renamed "Woodside Park" in 1889 when the station was rebuilt. Coal sidings were built by 1906.
- Whetstone and Totteridge
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...
- Now "Totteridge and Whetstone". Pickfords had a horse hospital and stables here, and the nursery gardeners Sweets also used the station.
- High Barnet
High 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 Fair. 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 , and high (the highest point on the present underground). It was designed by Sir John Fowler Walter Marr Brydone to span Dollis Brook
The Dollis Brook is a river running through North London. It rises on Moat Mount Open Space in Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet. After flowing under Hendon Wood Lane its course is eastwards through areas of open space. It forms the northern boundary of Totteridge...
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 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 DeadShaun of the Dead is a 2004 British romantic zombie comedy film directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright....
External links