Report on the Plans of the Various Railways before the Examiners of the House of Commons, 1864, so far as relates to the Parish of Kensington

Gentlemen,

I have the honor to lay before you a Report on the various Railway Schemes and New Roads, for which it is proposed to apply for Acts at the next Meeting of Parliament.

Viz.:—

Kew, Turnham Green, and Hammersmith Railway.

Hammersmith and City Railway Extensions.

Great Northern and Victoria Station Railway.

London and South Western Railway Company.

Hammersmith and Wimbledon Railway.

Metropolitan Railway—Notting Hill and Brompton Extension.

Metropolitan District Railways.

Charing Cross Western Railway.

“South Kensington New Road from Cadogan Place to South Kensington.”

A railway from Kew Bridge to a junction with the West London Railway at Shepherd’s Bush.

Five chains only in the Parish of Kensington.

A railway from Richmond, Mortlake, Chiswick, Turnham Green, Hammersmith, to a junction with the West London Railway at Kensington Station.

Three chains within the Parish of Kensington.

A railway commencing at a junction with the Great Northern Railway at East Barnet, and continuing through Friern Barnet, Totteridge, Finchley, Hendon, Willesden, Hammersmith, terminating at the West London Extension Railway, at or near the Kensington Passenger Station.

One furlong in the Parish of Kensington.

A railway to connect Richmond, Mortlake, Kew, Chiswick, Turnham Green, and Hammersmith, with the West London Railway at the Kensington Station.

Ten chains within the Parish of Kensington.

A railway to connect Wimbledon, Merton, Putney, Barnes, Hammersmith, and Kensington with the Hammersmith and City Railway.

This railway will enter the parish of Kensington on the western side of Bramley Road, and proceed on the north side of Lancaster Road by a viaduct or embankment, by the side of and parallel to the Hammersmith and City Railway, will cross the Bramley, Silchester, and Walmer Roads with arches respectively of 16, 18, and 20 feet high.

A railway to commence at a junction with the Metropolitan Railway at Conduit Street East, in the Parish of Paddington, entering this parish at the south-east side of Pembridge Square, continuing by the south-east corner of Pembridge Gardens, under Uxbridge Road, Uxbridge Street, and taking the piece of ground enclosed by the western side of St. James’s Street and eastern side of New Street, crossing Kensington Place and Edge Terrace, passing thence on the western side of Church Lane, continuing from Peel Street, Campden Street, Bedford Place to Sheffield Terrace, by tunnel, and from thence to Gloucester Terrace, by open cutting and by tunnel to Pitt Street, proceeding southward through Vicarage Street, Upper Holland Street, across Hornton Mews, about 70 feet west of the Vestry Hall, crossing High Street east of Wright’s Lane, South End Row, Kelso Place, Merton Road, Stanford Road, the Broadwood Estate, crossing Gloucester Road by Cromwell Road, and enclosing within the line of deviation all the land southward to Lover’s Walk, and Harrington Road at its junction with Prince Albert Road, Cromwell Lane, north end of Bute Street, to its termination, Alfred Place West.

Within the line of deviation is included the north side of Pelham Road, the west side of Thurloe Square, from Pelham Road to Alfred Place West.  In connection with this scheme it is proposed to form a new road southward from the Exhibition Road to Alfred Place West.

Railways to complete an inner circle of railways within London, north of the Thames.

Railways to form an outer circle round the Metropolis, north and south of the Thames, connected with existing railways.

This Railway is represented by several Lines, connected with each other, within this parish, and are principally to be open cuttings, but having two tunnels on the west side of Church Street, one of 210 yards, and one other of 175 yards.

Main outer circle, commencing by a junction with the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, at the Wandsworth Road Station, and terminating at or near the Gloucester Road.

This portion of the line enters the Parish from St. Luke’s Parish, Chelsea; at the Fulham Road, west of Selwood Lane, thence across the Old Brompton Road, through Gloucester Groves east and west, Harrington Road, to the west side of Gloucester Road.

The rail to be laid about 18 feet below surface of existing road, present levels of road not to be interfered with.

A branch from the above rail by junction in Selwood Lane, crossing the Old Brompton Road, continuing eastward through the north end of Bute Street, south of Cromwell Lane; recrossing Old Brompton Road to a terminus between Pelham Road and Alfred Place West.  Within the line of limitation is included the north side of Pelham Road, the south-west side of Thurloe Square, south side of Alfred Place West.  Rail to be laid about 21 feet below surface of existing roads.  Surface levels of roads unaltered.

It is proposed to form a New Road from Alfred Place West, northward, to the Exhibition Road.

A line connecting Railway No. 1 with Railway No. 5, by a junction at the north end of Bute Street, and proceeding westward to the rail on the west side of Gloucester Road.

A line commencing in Gloucester Road and proceeding northward through the Broadwood Estate, south end of Stanford Road, including the whole of Merton Road, through playground of Kensington Grammar School, High Street, Kensington, west of the Vestry Hall, Hornton Mews, ground at the rear of Hornton Street, Holland Street, west side of Vicarage Street, Pitt Street, Gordon Place, Campden Grove, Gloucester Terraces the grounds of Campden House, across Sheffield Terrace and Bedford Place, Campden Street, Peel Street, Edge Terrace, Kensington Place, enclosing from the east side of New Street to the west side of St. James’s Street.

Rail in no case less than 16′:9″ below surface of road, present level of roads unaltered.

A Line commencing with junction from Line No. 6, by the Merton Road, and proceeding westward, fronting on Earl’s Court Gardens, across Earl’s Court Road, Warwick Road, to a junction with the West London Railway, south of the Richmond Road.

Top of rail in no case less than 15′:9″ below surface of road, levels of existing roads unaltered.

Commencing at junction with Line No. 7, on the east side of Warwick Road, and running westward into the West London Railway.

Level of Warwick Road unaltered.

Commencing on the west side of Gloucester Road, north of Redfield Lane, and joining Line No. 7, by Redfield Lane.

Commencing at the termination of Line No. 6, on the south side of Uxbridge Street, crossing the High Street, Notting Hill, traversing the south portion of Pembridge Gardens to the east side of Pembridge Crescent, Pembridge Villas, Ledbury Road, to the Parish Boundary north of Lonsdale Road to the Great Western Railway, and thence to Hackney Wick.

Top of rail in no case less than 15′:4″ below surface of road, levels of the various roads unaltered.

Commencing at a junction with the Hammersmith, Paddington, and City Junction Railway, on the north side of Lancaster Road, by Ladbroke Road, continuing eastward north of Lancaster Road, across Portobello Lane, to the Great Western Railway, leaving this Parish at St. Luke’s Road.

This Line will be carried over Portobello Lane by an arch 15 feet high, span 25 feet.

A Line commencing and continuing on the north side of the Great Western Railway, on the east side of Kensal Green Lane.

Construction of railways from the Charing Cross Railway at Lambeth, to the West London Extension Railway at Kensington and to Hammersmith.

Entering this Parish at the Fulham Road by Marlborough Road, proceeding along Pelham Road, taking the buildings on the north side, crossing Old Brompton Road, Cromwell Lane, by the north end of Bute Street, Prince Albert Road, south side of Cromwell Road across Gloucester Road, north-east end of Earl’s Court Gardens, South Row, North Row, Earl’s Court Road, land between Earl’s Court Road, and a new private road on Lord Kensington’s estate in continuation of the Warwick Road, Alma Road, to west London Extension Railway, thence into the parish of Fulham, returning into the Parish boundary opposite Portland Place, Kensington Road.

The rail in no case to be less than 17 feet below surface, and the various roads intersected to remain at their present levels, excepting Warwick Road (private), which is to be raised 10 feet.

A Line in connection with Line No. 1, commencing on the south side of the Alma Road, crossing the West London Extension Railway into the Parish of Fulham.

Note.—The Metropolitan Railway, the Metropolitan District Railways, and the Charing Cross Western Railway are to be executed principally as open cuttings, in many cases bisecting roads, or traversing them, but in most cases interfering with the sewers.

A railway commencing by a junction with the West London Railway in the Parish of St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington, and terminating by a junction with the London and Blackwall Railway.

Commencing in this Parish on the West London Railway, north of the Kensington Station, and diverges southward into the Parish of Hammersmith, passing through the Hammersmith Road at the rear of Portland Place, returning into this Parish by Shaftesbury Terrace, Warwick Road, through Land to Earl’s Court Road, Land at the rear of St. Philip’s Church, Wright’s Lane, south of Redfield Lane, to Gloucester Road, along by Gloucester Grove at the north of Old Brompton Road, through Bute Street, Old Brompton Road, Pelham Road, Fulham Road, into the Parish of Chelsea by Marlborough Road.

This Line is proposed to be executed as an open cutting, varying in depth from 21 to 30 feet, with 218 yards of tunnel 18 feet 6 inches high, between Earl’s Court and Wright’s Lane, and tunnel again 22 feet 6 inches high from Old Brompton Road, along Pelham road to Fulham Road, levels of roads unaltered, interruption of sewers to be provided for.

Commences by a junction with Line No. 1, in Pelham Street, and proceeds northerly through Alfred Place, West, Old Brompton Road, by Thurlow Place, Cromwell Road, and traversing Exhibition Road, and thence to a junction with the Metropolitan Railway, Paddington.

This portion of railway is proposed to be executed as a tunnel.

Road levels unaltered; interruption of sewer to be provided for.

For making a street or road commencing in the Parish of St. Luke’s, Chelsea, at the West End of Pont Street, crossing Cadogan Place and Sloane Street, through Land between Hans Place and the Pavilion, to and through Walton Street into the Parish of Kensington, at the south end of Ovington Square, through Yeoman’s Row, Michael’s Grove, Michael’s Place, York Cottages, into Brompton Road, opposite Kensington Museum.

The Plan shews a new road of a length in this Parish of 1,360 feet, being from Brompton Road to the Parish Boundary by Ovington Square, of an average width of 100 feet; the road to be finished at the levels of the existing roads, excepting at the junction of Michael’s Grove with Brompton Crescent, where it is proposed to raise the road 2′3″.

Powers are sought to purchase in this Parish the Premises comprising Thurloe Place, York Cottages, northern side of North Terrace, Michael’s Place to Michael’s Grove, east end of Brompton Crescent, Michael’s Grove, Yeoman’s Row, south end of Ovington Square, and Grove Place.

The several railways herein described as passing into or through this Parish more or less interfere with or remove property now rated.  I submit it will be for the Vestry to consider whether the facilities of railway communication will counterbalance the present loss upon the rates that may be sustained.  Also, to consider whether all the projected schemes, or any one of them, would form a check to, or encourage the large building operations now progressing, or contemplated: under any circumstances, it will be necessary for the Vestry to take such steps for the proper protection of such roads and sewers as are proposed to be interfered with by the projected lines.

I remain, Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
JAMES BROADBRIDGE.