Bishopsgate railway station
Encyclopedia
Bishopsgate station was a railway station located on the eastern side of Shoreditch High Street
(A10) in the modern London Borough of Tower Hamlets
; the western edge of the East End
. It was in use from 1840 to 1964 when it was destroyed by fire. Substantial remains lay derelict until they were demolished in 2004 to make way for the new Shoreditch High Street station.
(ECR) on 1 July 1840 to serve as its new permanent terminus
when the railway was extended westwards from an earlier temporary terminus in Devonshire Street
, near Mile End
. The station was renamed Bishopsgate on 27 July 1847.
In 1862, the ECR amalgamated with a number of other East Anglia
n railway companies to form the Great Eastern Railway
(GER). For a time the GER also used Fenchurch Street
station as a London terminus but lack of capacity led the GER to build a new terminus for its services at Liverpool Street
which opened in 1874. Bishopsgate station was closed to passenger traffic in November 1875 and was converted to a goods station
which opened in 1881 and became known as Bishopsgate Goods Depot. A passenger station, Bishopsgate (Low Level)
was provided on the new route into Liverpool Street.
As a goods station Bishopsgate handled very large volumes of goods from the eastern ports and was arranged over three levels with turntables and hoists allowing railway wagons to be moved individually around the station for loading and unloading. Incoming goods could be stored in the warehouse on site or transferred directly to road vehicles for onward transportation to their destinations.
A major fire
on 5 December 1964 destroyed the station. Within 37 minutes of the first fire brigade crews arriving on scene, the scale of the blaze was so intense and widespread that 40 fire engines
had been mobilised. In addition, 12 turntable ladders, two hose layers, two emergency tenders, and 235 firefighters battled the fire which killed two customs officials and destroyed hundreds of railway wagons, dozens of motor vehicles and millions of pounds worth of goods.
The station was closed and the upper-level structures were largely demolished. Over the next thirty years much of the site became derelict. Planit Events used the site for large parties using a huge marquee structure from 1998 to 2002, and subsequently also used the Brunel arches at street level, installing a steel staircase entrance from the upper level as well as another entrance at street level. Planit Events are currently constructing a permanent venue beneath Finsbury Square
.
Following an extended period of planning, the entire site was demolished in 2004, with the exception of a number of Grade II listed structures: the Ornamental Gates on Shoreditch High Street
and the remaining 850 feet (259.1 m) of the so called "Braithwaite Viaduct", one of the oldest railway structures in the world and the second oldest in London, designed by John Braithwaite. The demolition of the former station made way for Shoreditch High Street railway station
on the East London line extension
in 2010, part of the new London Overground
network, replacing Shoreditch-London Underground
station to the east which closed in June 2006.
Shoreditch High Street
Shoreditch High Street is the old main street of Shoreditch, London. It is part of the A10 road and connects Norton Folgate to the south with Kingsland Road to the north. It constitutes a segment of the Roman Ermine Street, which ran directly north from London to Lincoln and York...
(A10) in the modern London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
; the western edge of the East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
. It was in use from 1840 to 1964 when it was destroyed by fire. Substantial remains lay derelict until they were demolished in 2004 to make way for the new Shoreditch High Street station.
History
The station was opened as Shoreditch by the Eastern Counties RailwayEastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
(ECR) on 1 July 1840 to serve as its new permanent terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
when the railway was extended westwards from an earlier temporary terminus in Devonshire Street
Devonshire Street railway station
Devonshire Street railway station was a station in the parish of Mile End Old Town, in the East End of London. It was opened on 29 June 1839 as the temporary terminus for the Eastern Counties Railway from Romford prior to the construction of Bishopsgate...
, near Mile End
Mile End
Mile End is an area within the East End of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross...
. The station was renamed Bishopsgate on 27 July 1847.
In 1862, the ECR amalgamated with a number of other East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
n railway companies to form the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
(GER). For a time the GER also used Fenchurch Street
Fenchurch Street railway station
Fenchurch Street railway station, also known as London Fenchurch Street, is a central London railway terminus in the south eastern corner of the City of London, England. The station is one of the smallest terminals in London in terms of platforms and one of the most intensively operated...
station as a London terminus but lack of capacity led the GER to build a new terminus for its services at Liverpool Street
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
which opened in 1874. Bishopsgate station was closed to passenger traffic in November 1875 and was converted to a goods station
Goods station
A goods station is, in the widest sense, a railway station which is exclusively or predominantly where goods of any description are loaded or unloaded from ships or road vehicles and/or where goods wagons are transferred to local sidings.A station where goods are not specifically received or...
which opened in 1881 and became known as Bishopsgate Goods Depot. A passenger station, Bishopsgate (Low Level)
Bishopsgate (low level) railway station
Bishopsgate railway station was opened by the Great Eastern Railway on 4 November 1872 alongside the company's first London terminus, , which stood on a viaduct...
was provided on the new route into Liverpool Street.
As a goods station Bishopsgate handled very large volumes of goods from the eastern ports and was arranged over three levels with turntables and hoists allowing railway wagons to be moved individually around the station for loading and unloading. Incoming goods could be stored in the warehouse on site or transferred directly to road vehicles for onward transportation to their destinations.
A major fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
on 5 December 1964 destroyed the station. Within 37 minutes of the first fire brigade crews arriving on scene, the scale of the blaze was so intense and widespread that 40 fire engines
Fire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
had been mobilised. In addition, 12 turntable ladders, two hose layers, two emergency tenders, and 235 firefighters battled the fire which killed two customs officials and destroyed hundreds of railway wagons, dozens of motor vehicles and millions of pounds worth of goods.
The station was closed and the upper-level structures were largely demolished. Over the next thirty years much of the site became derelict. Planit Events used the site for large parties using a huge marquee structure from 1998 to 2002, and subsequently also used the Brunel arches at street level, installing a steel staircase entrance from the upper level as well as another entrance at street level. Planit Events are currently constructing a permanent venue beneath Finsbury Square
Finsbury Square
Finsbury Square is a square in central London. It was developed in 1777 on the site of a previous area of green space to the east of London known as Finsbury Fields, in the parish of St Luke's and near Moorfields. It is sited on the east side of City Road, opposite the east side of Bunhill Fields....
.
Shoreditch High Street
Shoreditch High Street is the old main street of Shoreditch, London. It is part of the A10 road and connects Norton Folgate to the south with Kingsland Road to the north. It constitutes a segment of the Roman Ermine Street, which ran directly north from London to Lincoln and York...
and the remaining 850 feet (259.1 m) of the so called "Braithwaite Viaduct", one of the oldest railway structures in the world and the second oldest in London, designed by John Braithwaite. The demolition of the former station made way for Shoreditch High Street railway station
Shoreditch High Street railway station
Shoreditch High Street is a railway station in Shoreditch, London. The station is located on Bethnal Green Road close to Shoreditch High Street and is served by London Overground services running on the extended East London Line under the control of the London Rail division of Transport for London...
on the East London line extension
East London line extension
The East London line extension project is a British railway engineering project in London, managed by Transport for London. The project involves extending the East London Line and making it part of the mainline London Overground network...
in 2010, part of the new London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
network, replacing Shoreditch-London Underground
Shoreditch tube station
Shoreditch tube station was a London Underground station in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London. It was in Travelcard Zone 2. The station closed permanently at the end of traffic on 9 June 2006....
station to the east which closed in June 2006.
External links
- English Heritage: Delivering the Goods
- Bishopsgate Goods Station (Goodsyard) on Subterranean Britannica
- London Borough of Hackney: Bishopsgate Goods Yard Draft Interim Planning and Design Guidance
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets: Draft Interim Planning Guidance for Bishopsgate Goods Yard