Within the next week or two, Crossrail will sweep away the long abandoned railway station that once marked the terminus of the North London Line railway.
Opened in June 1847, this Grade 2 listed grandeur is, fortunately, not what I am talking about.
No, the station being demolished is its 1979 replacement, a rather insipid steel construction sat beside its much grander predecessor.
They need to demolish it as right underneath will be one of the numerous side tunnels that will link the two separate railway lines for staff to hop between lines on a good day, and passengers to be evacuated on a bad one.
As a result, they need to drill a series of boreholes and pumping grout into the ground through which the cross passage is to be constructed.
Rather oddly that late 1970s building reminds me of King’s Cross — an ugly shed stuck next to a much grander Victorian building. Although at least this time, the ugly shed didn’t despoil the stone building, which was for a while a modest railway museum.
I visited a few years ago when it was a museum with a number of friends, and I don’t think the manager had ever seen so many people such was his excitement at our arrival.
Today the building lies empty, and while I am not aware of any specific plans for it, my personal best guess is that it will be turned into a pub.
It’s too close to the ferry for conversion into flats, with large lorries, buses and cargo going past the front door.
It is however next to a gentrifying area, and a short walk under the river from Woolwich Arsenal. I would wager good money that a number of pub chains are keeping an eye on it for when Crossrail move on.
Talking of moving, Crossrail’s tunnel boring machine is approaching the North Woolwich portal, and should break through in the next couple of weeks as well, to be followed by the second tunnel in April.
The portal, basically a slope down to the tunnels has been built on top of the old North London Line (ex Silverlink), and over the past couple of years, much of that old railway has been resurfaced and a new high wall built alongside to deflect some of the noise from local residents.
Incidentally, it’s outside the Thames Barrier protection zone, so the walls also had to be high enough to act as flood protection barriers.
A gap in the line at the moment for road traffic gives an opportunity to see the flat expanse of empty concrete waiting for fresh railway tracks to be laid.
The long snaking line of concrete runs up to the Victorian Connaught Tunnel, which is now sealed off by a huge mound of soil as they continue the fit out inside.
Finally, if you are a North Woolwich resident, there will be a chance to see the TBM up close in February. Those who get their local newsletter should get the details shortly, or copies are pasted on some local notice boards along the route.
Those concere walls don’t look the right shape for proper flood-protection.
Shouldn’t they be truncated wedges, wider at the bottom, than theop?
You’re ignoring the ballast that will be added at the base for the tracks.
I was under the impression that the Thames flood defences offer protection equivalent to the Thames Barrier for some distance downstream of it? At least that was my impression having visited the visitor centre.
As the planning application clearly states the flood protection aspect of the walls, I will demur to their decision on the matter.
Thanks for the article…following Crossrail with interest!
They are reinforced concrete walls rather than piles of bricks. Maybe that means they don’t need to be wider at the bottom.
For many years I attended, and then began to teach (for Birkbeck) a history of east London and Docklands industry in the room above the railway museum. It was great – with lots of interruptions to look at what was currently going past on the River. In the early years we would go out on ‘visits’ and wander about all over the semi-derelict docks and get the students to write up what they had seen. It is a great building and I am so sorry that Newham did almost nothing to promote it and it closed really because so few people knew it was there.
The wall is going to give that street a bit of an East Berlin feel. Any plans to tart up its outward face?
Mabey everyone who passes past gets reminded of the Communist Capitalist split. Possibly they could continue the wall so we can have a surrounded section of newham and we could re-create how tense it was like living in West Berlin. With any luck, they could surround London City airport and we could have Mig 15s chasing the planes landing there!
Such a shame that such a good line had to be killed off for such a terrible rail project. Since finding out about north woolwich to stratford, I always thought it was such nice route. Now they turn it into a modern piece of rubbish.
Another point, they should’ve given it to a heritage railway, as there were a few groups wanting to turn it into a heritage line, which would promote Newham council and keep the teenagers off the streets (or possibly not!).
Vandalism, but it does not surprise me. Another beautiful that was allowed to go into disrepair, despite various offers to take it over. Shame on you Crossrail.
Oops, I have just re-read the start of this article and see that it’s the 1970’s building. Phew. Not sure that it would be viable as a pub as there is one just around the corner that serves the ‘old’ community. Maybe a gastro-pub for the restless ‘hipsters’.
News for you all..The old buildng is going to be turned into an arts studio and outside into a growing area for locals (so they say) The Royal Docks Model Railway Club are interested to have a place to set up home so has to bring back the history of the Area railway heritage, we wll keep you informed of developments.
News Update on the North Woolwich Station, rumour now has it that Lea Valley Trust want to sell the building rather than lease it out, seems the art studios and the model railway club have both been kicked in the nuts.
Further information will be posted when released
https://beebreeders.com/architecturecompetitions/londoninternetmuseum/brief?fbclid=IwAR1mPaypzNAmMXRE2DwntwWkxqeucfgM4lszuRS7zJeGNh3MQ888K5P6nI4
found this. I don’t think it has beed approved yet, but this is the current move.