Station Name: ANGEL ROAD

[Source: Nick Catford]

ECR and GER Board minutes. It should be noted that the minutes don't necessarily record every single detail and when they do it is often in a very brief form which only the recorder knew the full meaning of. Our interpretation is included in square brackets but the accuracy of this cannot be guaranteed.

  • 21 June 1842: Re. 2nd. Class fare from Edmonton, Mr. Rathbone and his colleagues acted arbitrarily; struck out 10d., insisted on 9d [Seems to have been a disagreement over fares but caution is needed as we don't know if Rathbone and colleagues were railway staff or passengers. "Acted arbitrarily" strongly suggests they were railway staff as only they could strike out 10d and replace it with 9d prior to sale. The entry also implies tickets were pre-printed by this time.

  • 7 Nov 1849: Recommending scale: to Mile End, Victoria Park, Stratford, Stratford Bridge for year 1st. £9, 2nd. £7; 6 months 1st. £7, 2nd £4/10/-; to Lea Bridge, Forest Gate, Ilford and Tottenham for year 1st. £12, 2nd £8/10/-; 6 months 1st. £8, 2nd. £5; no alterations for Marsh Lane and Water Lane – approved, to start 15th. inst.; Coaching Supt. to have necessary notices affixed at stations [This is an interesting reference to proposed season ticket prices of the time, presumably to Shoreditch. No alterations to Marsh Lane and Water Lane might suggest traffic at those stations was not reaching expectations].

  • 23 Jan 1850: Read letters from Mr. Christopher Boyd of Cheshunt and Mr. Clark of Ponders End re delays of first and second up Hertford trains each morning; Mr. Richardson (Coaching Supt.) attended – from and after 1st. prox. first up Hertford train not to call at Water Lane, Marsh Lane, Lea Bridge and Bow Stations; engine of first up Enfield train to proceed to Stratford vice only to Water Lane, that train to call at all above intermediate stations. [Boyd and Clark were no doubt persons of some influence, probably businessmen and 1st class season ticket holders].

  • 24 Jan 1850: Messrs. Jackson (Station Master Whittlesford), Boatwright of Dereham, Couch of Water Lane, Charlton of Burnt Mill and Guest (late Station Master Maldon) attended re not sending their balances in due time – all cautioned to be more punctual for future; Mr. Guest to go to Maldon. [This tells us the SM at Water Lane at this date was a Mr Couch].

  • 30 May 1850: Marsh Lane and Water Lane 1st., £15, £10, £6; 2nd., £10, £6, £4. [This would appear to be a change of plan after the proposal of 07/11/1849 to leave season prices from these stations unaltered. But without knowing the prices as of Nov 1849 we have no way of knowing if the revised prices are an increase or reduction. If prices did remain unchanged in Nov 1849 because of poor traffic, the revision may well be a reduction. Given that in 1849 a 1st class season from Ilford was £12, the prices, in 1850, for Marsh Lane and Water Lane appear excessive].

  • 7 Nov 1850: Mr. Warrand, surgeons bill for attendance on Mr. Barlow of Water Lane (accident while on duty) 17/6. [Who Barlow was was not stated although he was obviously a railway employee. This entry provides a good indication of the cost of medical attention at the time].

  • 7 March 1851: Read letter from Commissioners of Rlys. covering copy of one from Mr. Christopher Boyd re joining first Hertford and Enfield up morning trains at Water Lane Station; also Coaching Supt.’s report thereon – siding from Enfield Line to left of up line with additional platform to be immediately constructed per Coaching Supt.’s plan. [The apparently influential Mr Boyd again. The important point here being that it's the first mention of an additional platform at Water Lane]

  • 6 June 1851: Read letter from Coaching Supt. re claim of Mr. G. B. Petit of 48 Brewer St. Golden Sq. who did not receive notice that when coming from Enfield 26th. ulto. he should change carriages at Water Lane (taken back to Enfield) – Coaching Supt. to settle for 16/9; severely censure guard for not giving above notice. [The implication here is that trains joined/split at Water Lane. Note that references to Enfield refer to the Water Lane - Lower Edmonton line].

  • 8 Oct 1851: Read letter from Supt. of Works with estimate for siding needed at Water Lane: £120 exclusive of rails, chairs, sleepers and switches, and laying road; reporting same being constructed – confirmed. [For what purpose this siding was required was not stated].

  • 9 June 1852: [Enquiry into] cost of small goods shed at Water Lane station (branch of business largely increased); for want of this accommodation we hitherto obliged to load and unload goods in open air & leave loaded trucks exposed & unprotected.

  • 11 Aug 1852: With ref. to Traffic & Loco. Committee minute 9th. Jun. last, Supt. of Works reported expence of erecting goods shed at Water Lane would be £300; suggesting one now at Wickham Bishops be removed to Water Lane (at about £20)– agreed; also alterations at Water Lane station pointed out by Supt. of Works to render it more secure from passing goods trains.

  • 4 May 1853: Recommended that Mr. Board’s claim £160, for damage done to his lands between Water Lane and Edmonton during floods, be settled for £90. [Precisely where this damage occurred was not stated, so may be irrelevant to Water Lane station].

  • 31 May 1853: Read letter from Mr. Thomas Higgs, Coroner, re accident to late Mr Pippin at Water Lane, as to practicability of rail, or other security, being placed at stream edge to prevent similar accidents. Directors assume Road Trustees proper persons to apply to– Mr. Higgs to be told Co. Secretary has been directed to intimate nature of his communication to Road Trustees. [Quite what happened here is unclear but the implication is that a stream once ran immediately adjacent to the railway at Water Lane].

  • 15 June 1853: Read letter from Edmonton Local Board of Health re minute 31st. ulto. calling on Co. to direct that posts and rails be permanently fixed on brook bank running parallel with road near Water Lane Station, as in their opinion we are bound by Railway Clauses Act to protect public at public highways crossings– Local Board to be told protection of water course rests with Road Trustees, not with Rly. Co., latter having already complied with Act clause referred to. [This makes the entry of 31 May somewhat clearer].

  • 24 Aug 1853: Side ditch from Ponders End to Water Lane, into which they wish to move spoil out of drain; they open to purchase side ditch but if we object they wish to know if they will be allowed to fill it up, they buying their land outside our fence. [This is a reference to a request from the East London Water Works Co. "they buying their land outside our fence" probably means ELWWCo was in the process of buying land for their operation]

  • 24 Aug 1853: Covered way to be erected to new down platform at Water Lane, for about six carriage lengths from existing one. [This probably means 'platform canopy'].

  • 5 Oct 1853: Supt. of Works reported that as East London Water Works Co. had entered into terms for purchase of lands between Ponders End and Water Lane, they would not need our side ditches to carry their water but would still need same to fill up with material excavated from their intended new drain, for which they will pay £100; so lay material on road as to be complete formation at proper height for new line of rails;trim slopes in workmanlike manner. When fence at Copper Mill Stream interfered with, they will reinstate new strong four rail fence, making proper mound, planting live fence, tending it until equal and sufficient to resist cattle trespass. Terms agreed, Supt. of Works to contact ELWW Co.’s Engineer re doing work. [This clarifies what ELWWCo. were up to - installing drains]

  • 4 April 1854: Read letter from General Supt. of the Line of inefficiency of Mr. Pearson, Station Master Water Lane– to be dismissed, arrangements to be made to replace him immediately.

  • 3 May 1854: House to Water Lane £65 p.a. and house vice Pearson. [This is the confusing language of the time. It refers to the rental of the SM's house following dismissal of Pearson]

  • 17 May 1854: With ref. to communication from Mr. Pearson, late station master Water Lane– he to be told Directors do not consider he has claim on Co. anymore than any other servant who has been dismissed, but if he states what business he is going into Directors will take subject of his communication into consideration. [The implication is that Pearson was awarded some sort of monetary settlement upon dismissal but that he considered it inadequate relevant to his previous status as SM. It makes clear, as per the entry for 4 April, that he was simply inefficient as opposed to having broken any rules or been accused of theft].

  • 17 May 1854: Read letter from General Supt. of the Line re auxiliary signals being needed at Bow, Water Lane and Broxbourne Junctions– referred to Officers’ Committee to carry out if approved by them.

  • 7 March 1855: Read letter from Electric Telegraph Co. re. being relieved of 3/- per week payment to night inspector due to cessation of all commercial messages at night; asking that as so little railway work during night at such stations as Water Lane, Broxbourne, Chesterford and Brandon their superintendent be permitted to make arrangement with our officers for attention to this work– referred to Coaching Superintendent to report his views for Electric Telegraph.

  • 20 March 1855: With ref. to minute of this Committee of 7th. inst. read letter from the Coaching Superintendent– he authorised to carry out suggested arrangements re. Telegraph Co.’s proposal except withdrawal of day telegraph clerk from Water Lane (not desirable). [This suggests the telegraph was manned by a clerk of the ETCo. and not by a railway employee].

  • 21 Dec 1855: Mr. Fox– commencing at Lea Bridge, extending to Shelford including Hitchin and Royston, Broxbourne and Hertford, Water Lane and Enfield branches [Refers to the area of jurisdiction of what the railway called 'Out Door Superintendent'. Mr Fox was one of several such employees].

  • 1 Oct 1856: G. Brown (Water Lane, 358 tons single faced, 178 double faced). [Refers to provision of new rails. Brown was the relevant District Inspector. There is also a mention of the existing rails having been in use for 18 years, thus the rails to be replaced were the original broad gauge rails which had been regauged to standard in 1844].

  • 4 Feb 1857: Electric Telegraph Clerk. Read letter from secretary of Electric Telegraph Co. proposing removal of telegraph clerk supplied by them at Water Lane to Maldon station– resolved not expedient to comply, Water Lane being junction station. [This confirms telegraph clerks were employed by ETCo. and not by the railway].

  • 4 March 1857: Claims (Ingronille’s) Compensation claim by Mr. Ingronille for injury he sustained through breaking of platform at Water Lane station about four years ago– refused [This suggests the original platform(s) were of flimsy and possibly wooden construction. It would depend upon how 'breaking' was defined in the 19th century].

  • 18 March 1857: On 13th. inst. 10pm goods train from London to Norwich, in passing Water Lane, found to be without either tail or side lamps, train stopped at Waltham when guard Tutton (who had left lamps behind) found fast asleep in brake. Guard Tutton, inspector Squires of Brick Lane and inspector Hazard of Stratford attended–Tutton & Squires dismissed, Hazard cautioned to use more vigilance in future. [This is not especially relevant for DS but is nevertheless mildly amusing. It does illustrate the strictness of the railway company in relation to the sloppiness of some employees - a common scenario at the time] .

  • 25 Nov 1863: Water Lane Station: name to be changed to Angel Road. [This was when the name change decision was made. The date upon which it actually occurred was not recorded but from the following entry it was within 13 months].

  • 22 Dec 1864: Works. Angel Road station, contract to Perry & Judson at £550.0s.0d [This had been deferred from the previous month. What the works were is unclear at this stage but the cost implies it was major]:

  • 2 March 1865: Perry & Judson for alterations, Angel Road, £350.0s.0d [This appears to be for alterations to the work contracted on 22/12/1864 and will have been at the railway's request].

  • 10 Nov 1869: Angel Road station. Ladies waiting room cost £90. Deferred.

  • 4 Jan 1871: Lea's patent gates/signals. Angel Road crossing trial at cost £147.10.0, too expensive. Abbey Mill Stratford bridge suggested. [This is a rare reference to the one-time level crossing at Angel Road]

  • 13 Aug 1872: Angel Road. No interlocking. Proposed cost of £270 for work. Agreed. [A reference to signalling. It appears to have been around this time that 'modern' signalling was installed, doing away with men in little huts waving flags or operating local mechanical signals]

  • 10 Sept 1872: Signals, Angel Road and Maryland Point. All tenders shown. Contract to Stevens & Sons as below:- Maryland Point £482 10s 0d; Angel Road £355 10s 0d [This will be when the first signal box, in the form we know today, was erected at Angel Road, by Messrs Stevens].

  • 26 March 1873: Stevens & Son, signals Angel Road, (final) £155 10s 0d [This would have been for work additional to that contracted on 10/09/1872] On the same day the following was authorised - Angel Road signals. Facing points to be interlocked with signals at cost of £74 10s 0d. Agreed. [As there is no mention of Stevens, this work would have been carried out by the railway].

  • 30 June 1875: Edmonton, drainage. Plan no. 6936. Cast iron trough, 2½' width by 6" depth. Local board wish to put through GERy culvert, between Angel Road and Ponders End, as open sewer. Agreed on usual terms. [This may raise eyebrows but open sewers were still common at the time].

  • 7 Aug 1877: Angel Road junction signals. Single line block telegraph to Edmonton Low Level, £60. [This almost certainly means Edmonton Jct. signal box was in use by this date].

  • 15 July 1879: Angel Road, additional sidings. Plan 10058. Cost £450. Approved Capital Expenditure.

  • 17 June 1879: Angel Road signals. Interlocking for crossover and Goods Shed siding Up Line with signals. Cost £184. Charge to 2nd half year.  [This will be signalling in connection with the sidings approved two days previous].

  • 16 July 1879: Angel Road additional siding £450 {Where precisely and for what purpose was not stated].

  • 9 Sept 1879: Angel Road, additional accommodation, interlocking etc. to cost £680. Plan 11071. Approved to Capital Expenditure Committee. ['Accommodation' means sidings and/or other goods facilities. The frenzy for new and extended facilities around this time probably reflects upon growth of industries in the vicinity].

  • 4 May 1880: Angel Road signals interlocking cost £1,500. Work to proceed. Approved. [This was interlocking between main line and Edmonton branch but was deferred on 15 June the same year].

  • 18 Jan 1881: Angel Road station. Ladies Waiting-room on Up side, Plan 12317. Cost £60. Agreed.

  • 15 March 1881: Gas prices down. Edmonton Gas Company from 4/3d to 4/- per 1,000 [Cubic feet]. Stations affected:- Angel Road, Park, Silver Street, White Hart Lane, Seven Sisters, West Green (Green Lanes) & Palace Gates. [This is the earliest reference to gas, presumably lighting, at Angel Road but as this entry concerns a drop in prices gas would have been installed much earlier].

  • 6 Feb 1883: Angel Road extension of siding £140 [Details not stated].

  • 6 October 1885: Angel Road Gasworks, additional siding. Cost £210. Gas Co. to pay 6% per annum. Recommended. [This gasworks was located just south of the station and on the Down side].

  • 6 April 1886: Angel Road new lamp room £30 [This was requested and approved on the same day]

  • 5 April 1887: Angel Road. Stationmaster’s house. £40 [This was for unspecified work on the SM's house].

  • 7 Feb 1888: Angel Road, up refuge siding, £800 [This was an appraisal of costs up to this date so presumably the refuge siding was either under construction or already in use].

  • 6 March 1888: Angel Road to Ponders End, block signal hut between, £400 [Block signal huts were literally that - huts, and were installed to increase line capacity. Other than this hut being connected via telegraph to Angel Road Jct box it is not relevant to the station. The contract was awarded to McKenzie & Holland on 5 June the same year.

  • 5 Aug 1890: Angel Road – extend gas works siding (plan 20794) £235.

  • 7 Feb 1893: Memorial from platelayers and labourers engaged on those parts of the line between Ponders End and Broxbourne and between Lea Bridge, Tottenham, Angel Road, Edmonton and Enfield asking for an increase in their wages. Report from GM and Engineer; request declined. [Seemingly unimportant, it does tell us a platelayer gang was based at Angel Road. 'Memorial' = written request or petition].

  • 2 Oct 1894: Angel Road - Edmonton Low Level, Tyers electric tablet no 6, £120.0.0 [The tablet instrument would have been installed in Jct box]. On the same day - Angel Road, siding for Mr Wood, to pay 5% on cost of £150.0.0 [This would have been a private siding but who Wood was and what his line of business was is not known].

  • 17 Dec 1895: Angel Road, toilets S/M £85 [This was among a long list of 'new works' at various stations, which tells us it was the installation of toilets to the stationmaster's house. Previously, it can only mean, the SM and his family used a bucket which was them emptied onto the garden and dug in. Common practice at the time]

  • 6 Oct 1896: Angel Road 3 ton crane £185 [This was among another lengthy list of 'new works' and is the earliest mention of a crane at Angel Road]

  • 1 Dec 1896: Angel Road, lamp/porters room £55 [From yet another lengthy 'new works' list. One assumes this new lamp/porters room superceded that mentioned a decade earlier on 06/04/1886].

  • 8 Dec 1897: Proposed Widening of the Railway from the Hertford Junction just below Broxbourne Station to Temple Mills a distance of about 14¾ miles to be included in Bill in 1899 Session; a third line for Coal trains to be laid at once between Angel Road Station and Pickard's Crossing, a stretch on land owned by GERy with 3 Occupation Crossings but no public crossing, 1 mile 17 chains, cost £4295. [Pickard's Crossing is between Angel Road and Ponders End, adjacent to Pickett's Lock Lane. Pickard may be a distortion of Pickett but I don't know].

  • 21 March 1899: Board of Trade. Miscellaneous alterations at Stanway sidings, Angel Road, Edward’s crossing, Waterbeach - Stretham Fen signal box. On the same day; Angel Road private siding £710 (Another 'new works' listing, for whom the siding was for is not stated. This new siding is probably the reason for the alterations required by the BoT].

  • 20 June 1899: Trailing connection to up line Angel Road.

  • 7 Nov 1899: New works. Angel Road siding for Gas Company. 10% p.a. rent on cost of £80 ['New works' suggests this was an additional siding for the gas co. and probably an exchange siding for coal traffic].

  • 4 April 1900. Land between Angel Road and Ponders End (155 acres, 2 roods, 1 perch) bought for £45,000.

  • 15 May 1900: Angel Road. New goods office, plan A11059, wooden, £105. [Nothing happened until 16 October the same year when the contract was awarded to one A. Monk for £96. But the following entry appears for 4 June 1901; Angel Road goods office Voted £105 cost £115. What happened to Monk was not stated but the mention of the £115 cost must mean the office finally appeared in May or June of 1901].

  • 5 Feb 1902: The Edmonton Workmen's Trains Association Committee application to stop 3d. experimental trains at Angel Road, Bethnal Green and Hackney Downs &c., and for daily tickets to be issued; trains were ordered by the Railway and Canal Commissioners in 1899 and run non-stop Edmonton to Liverpool St.; GM to send reply which declines both requests; there have been no requests to stop the trains at these stations but any stop would result in delay; far from removing restrictions on 3d tickets, GERy would be justified in imposing them on 2d tickets; but further enquiries will be made.

  • 15 July 1902: Angel Road goods accommodation. Wagons going to Temple Mills to return later due to lack of space. Plan 27580 cost £1050. Approved. [This means wagons for Angel Road were sent to Temple Mills until Angel Road could accommodate them] On 17 Nov 1903; Angel Road. Additional Goods accommodation. Voted £1050, cost £1200 [The stating of the actual cost against voted cost means the additional accommodation had been installed by this date].

  • 2 Oct 1906: Angel Road. Stationmaster's House. G Sharpe at £390 [£390 was a lot of money at the time so must mean extensive work was undertaken on the SM's house. Sharpe would have been the contractor].

  • 6 Oct 1908: Sports pavilion at Angel Road, GER Athletic Association. Order to Browne & Lilley, Reading at £159.2.0. [I think I've seen this pavilion marked on a map somewhere or other] But on 17 July 1911; Great Eastern Railway Athletic Association has not proved as successful as hoped, mainly because Angel Road is unsuitable for a Headquarters; some ground at Romford, where there are many GERy employees, now vacant; formerly owned by Romford Cricket Club, it would cost £45, including renovation of the pavilion; agreed to purchase and spend £70pa. on keeping the ground in playing order. [So the Angel Road pavilion was short lived].

  • 7 Jan 1909: Angel Road signalling alterations. McKenzie & Holland [Precise details not specified although some new Distant signals were installed around this time].

  • 6 June 1913: New Up side yard and connections at Angel Road – sidings extensions at Park may help to avoid doing this for sometime to come [See 9 Nov 1922].

  • 1 Feb 1917: Angel Road. Siding, Eley Bros. voted £2550 cost £2436. [Presumably another private siding].

  • 9 Nov 1922: Subway, Park Angel Road. Tottenham & District Gas Co. £6120. Drawings requested. Agreed to supply. [I'm unsure to what the 'Park' bit refers].




 

 

 

[Source: Nick Catford]




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