Watford railway station (1837–1858)

Last updated

Watford station
Watford, The old railway station house - geograph.org.uk - 981561.jpg
The original 1837 Watford railway station
General information
Location Watford
England
Coordinates 51°39′59″N0°23′59″W / 51.6663548°N 0.3996396°W / 51.6663548; -0.3996396
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original company London and Birmingham Railway
Key dates
1837Station opened
5 May 1858 (1858-05-05)Station closed

Watford railway station was a railway station in Watford, Hertfordshire in the UK. It was opened by the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) and it was the first railway station to open in Watford. It closed in 1858 when it was replaced by Watford Junction railway station. Today the small ticket office is still standing and it is a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

Watford station was situated on the north side of St Albans Road, approximately 300 metres (330 yd) further down the line from London than the present-day Watford Junction station. This small, single-storey red-brick building was built in 1836–37 when the first section of the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was opened between London and Boxmoor. It was designed by the architect George Aitchison. The station provided first and second-class waiting rooms, a departure yard, a carriage shed and engine house. The platforms were situated in a deep cutting which was accessed via a staircase. [2] [3]

Map of railways in Watford, showing the old and new Watford stations Watford railways.png
Map of railways in Watford, showing the old and new Watford stations

By 1839, the station is recorded in the Bucks Herald as having a corrugated iron roof, an engine shed and stationary pumping house with a tall chimney, and a footbridge. [4]

In its 21 years of operation it also served as a station for royalty; in the short period when the Dowager Queen Adelaide was resident at Cassiobury House (c.1846–1849), this station was remodelled to provide her with a royal waiting room, and it was also reportedly used by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on a trip to visit Sir Robert Peel in November 1843, when they travelled by road from Windsor Castle to take a train from Watford to Tamworth. [5]

From 1846, the L&BR was absorbed into the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). The old Watford station closed when it was replaced by the larger Watford Junction station, which opened on 5 May 1858. The new station was located south of St Albans Road in order to accommodate the newly constructed branch line to St Albans and later, the Watford and Rickmansworth Railway and the Watford DC Line. The junction station was rebuilt in 1909, and was extensively redeveloped in the 1980s. [6]

The building today

The Grade-II-listed Old Station House still stands at 147A St Albans Road, a rare surviving example of architecture from the beginning of the railway age. It is one of two surviving intermediate station buildings in Britain from the early railways, the other being the original Hampton-in-Arden station building, built by the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway in 1837. [4] Until 2018, the building was occupied by a second-hand car dealership. [7] As of 2021 it stands in the middle of the Watford Cross property development and plans have been announced to convert the building into a craft beer tap room. [8] [9] [10]

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Kings Langley [lower-alpha 1]
Line and station open
  London and Birmingham Railway   Harrow [lower-alpha 2]
Line and station open

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London and Birmingham Railway</span> Early British railway company (1837–1846)

The London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom, in operation from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway (L&NWR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watford</span> Town and borough in Hertfordshire, England

Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 mi (24 km) north-west of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrow & Wealdstone station</span> London Underground and railway station

Harrow & Wealdstone is a London Underground and railway station on the Watford DC line and West Coast Main Line in Harrow and Wealdstone in the London Borough of Harrow. It is 11 miles 30 chains (18.31 km) on the line from London Euston station. It is also the northern terminus of the Bakerloo line and the next station towards south is Kenton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watford Junction railway station</span> Principal railway station in Hertfordshire, England

Watford Junction is a railway station that serves Watford, Hertfordshire. The station is on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), 17 miles 34 chains (28 km) from London Euston and the Abbey Line, a branch line to St Albans. Journeys to London take between 16 and 52 minutes, depending on the service. Trains also run to Clapham Junction and East Croydon, via the West London Line. The station is a major hub for local bus services and the connecting station for buses to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. The station is located north of a viaduct over the Colne valley and immediately south of Watford Tunnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickey line</span> Railway line in the UK

The Nickey line is a disused railway that once linked the towns of Hemel Hempstead and, initially, Luton but later Harpenden via Redbourn, in Hertfordshire, England. The course of most of the railway has been redeveloped as a cycle and walking path, and is part of the Oxford to Welwyn Garden City route of the National Cycle Network. It is approximately nine miles (14 km) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Albans Abbey railway station</span> Railway station in Hertfordshire, England

St Albans Abbey is one of two railway stations in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England; the other being the much larger and busier St Albans City. It is located about 0.6 miles (1 km) south of the city centre, in the St Stephen's area. It is the terminus of the Abbey Line from Watford Junction, with services operated by London Northwestern Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbey Line</span> Railway line in Hertfordshire, England

The Abbey Line, also known as the St Albans Abbey branch line, is a railway line from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey. The 6.5-mile (10.5 km) route passes through town and countryside in the county of Hertfordshire, just outside the boundaries of the Oyster Card and London fare zones. Its northern terminus, St Albans Abbey, is located in the south of the city, around 0.75 miles (1.21 km) away from the larger St Albans City station on the Midland Main Line. It is a semi-rural line and, due to its single-track operation, service frequencies are limited. The service is sometimes referred to locally as the Abbey Flyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings Langley railway station</span>

Kings Langley railway station is almost under the M25 motorway near Junction 20. It serves the village of Kings Langley, and the nearby villages of Abbots Langley and Hunton Bridge. The station is 21 miles (34 km) north west of London Euston on the West Coast Main Line. The station and all services calling at the station are operated by London Northwestern Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemel Hempstead railway station</span> Railway station in Hertfordshire, England

Hemel Hempstead railway station is on the West Coast Main Line, on the western edge of the town of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. The station is 24+12 miles (39.4 km) north-west of London Euston on the West Coast Main Line. Hemel Hempstead is managed by London Northwestern Railway and all train services are operated by London Northwestern Railway and Southern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkhamsted railway station</span> Railway station in Hertfordshire, England

Berkhamsted railway station is in the town of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England. It is located just beside Berkhamsted Castle, overlooking the Grand Junction Canal. The station is 28 miles (45 km) north west of London Euston on the West Coast Main Line. London Northwestern Railway operates services to London, Northampton and many other destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tring railway station</span> Railway station in Hertfordshire, England

Tring railway station is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) outside the market town of Tring, close to the Grand Union Canal but actually nearer to the village of Aldbury in Hertfordshire, England. Situated on the West Coast Main Line, the station is now an important marshalling point for commuter trains from here for most stations to London Euston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heath Park Halt railway station</span> Former railway station in Hertfordshire, England

Heath Park Halt was a railway station in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire in England, UK. It was the terminus for passenger services on the Nickey line, a 9-mile (14 km) branch line which ran from Harpenden into Hemel Hempstead town centre. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1947, and the line through the station was closed completely in 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boxmoor</span> Human settlement in England

Boxmoor is part of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire. It is within the district of Dacorum and comprises mainly 19th-century housing and meadowland, with transport links from London to the Midlands. At the 2011 Census, the population of Boxmoor was included in the Dacorum ward of Bovingdon, Flaunden and Chipperfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Street, Hertfordshire</span> Human settlement in England

Park Street is a small village in Hertfordshire, England. It is on the southern outskirts of St Albans, around 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the city centre, and is separated from the rest of the city's contiguous built-up area by a buffer to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watford North railway station</span> Railway station in Hertfordshire, England

Watford North railway station is a National Rail station which serves the North Watford area in Hertfordshire, England in the United Kingdom. It is the first station on the Abbey Line, a single-track branch line which runs from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey and is located approximately 34 mile (1.2 km) north east of Watford Junction. It is adjacent to a level crossing where the Abbey Line crosses Bushey Mill Lane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampton-in-Arden railway station</span> National railway station in England

Hampton-in-Arden railway station serves the village of Hampton-in-Arden in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the West Coast Main Line between Coventry and Birmingham. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by West Midlands Trains.

Oxhey is a suburb of Watford, under the jurisdiction of the Watford Borough Council of the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is located at grid reference TQ125955 and is part of the Watford. It is in the Oxhey Ward of Watford Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Watford</span> Human settlement in England

North Watford is an area in the town of Watford, Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom. It is now primarily a residential area which developed as a result of expansion from the town during the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croxley Rail Link</span> Proposed railway project in England

The Croxley Rail Link, or the Metropolitan Line Extension, is a proposed railway engineering project in the Watford and Three Rivers districts of Hertfordshire, England, that would have connected the London Overground and the London Underground's Metropolitan line at Watford Junction. If the link were to go ahead, the Metropolitan line's terminus at Watford Underground station would be closed and the line diverted and extended from Croxley to Watford Junction via a reopened section of closed line. The main proponent of the scheme was Hertfordshire County Council but it failed to win the support of Transport for London (TfL) which owns the Watford branch. The engineering works would have consisted of the realignment of the disused Watford and Rickmansworth Railway's line between Croxley Green and Watford High Street, with the construction of a viaduct over the Grand Union Canal, River Gade and A412 road and two new stations before branching into the London Overground line near Watford High Street and continuing to Watford Junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatfield and St Albans Railway</span>

The Hatfield & St Albans Railway was a branch of the Great Northern Railway which connected St Albans to Hatfield in Hertfordshire, England. It opened in 1865 with the principal aim of allowing St Albans traffic to access the Great Northern's main line to London at Hatfield, but soon came into difficulties when the Midland Railway inaugurated a direct route to London through St Albans. Passenger receipts declined in the 1930s, resulting in the temporary withdrawal of services in 1939. Passenger services were permanently withdrawn in 1951, leaving goods traffic to linger on until December 1968. Much of the route of the line is now incorporated into the Alban Way, a footpath and cycleway.

References

  1. Historic England. "The Old Station House (formerly the booking office to Watford Station) (1101109)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  2. Roscoe, Thomas; Lecount, Peter (1839). The London and Birmingham railway, with the home and country scenes on each side of the line. Charles Tilt. pp. 53–54. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  3. "Railways". Our Watford History. Watford Museum . Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Notes and Extracts on the History Of The London & Birmingham Railway - Chapter 11: The Stations". The Train Now Departing. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  5. "The original Watford station". North Watford History Group. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  6. Cooper, John (2011). Watford Through Time. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN   9781445632032 . Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  7. "Nationally Listed Buildings in Watford". Watford Borough Council. p. 103. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  8. Louis, Nathan (14 June 2018). "Plans for 146 flats in St Albans Road in Watford passed". Watford Observer. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  9. Sanders, Max. "Report of: Development Management Section Head" (PDF). Watford Borough Council. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  10. "Adelaide – 147-149 St Albans Road Watford". gs8.london. GS8. Retrieved 31 March 2020.

Notes

  1. Prior to 1839, the next station was Boxmoor, now called Hemel Hempstead
  2. Now called Harrow & Wealdstone.