Greenwich Railway, frontispiece to Gilbert.
Engineered by Lt-Col. George Thomas Landmann of the Royal Engineers (1779-1854), and architect Hugh McIntosh (1768-1840), and built 1834-1836, the Greenwich Viaduct begins at Duke Street, London Bridge, with its terminus at London Street in Greenwich. It consists of what is in effect "a series of nineteen brick railway viaducts linked by road bridges between London Bridge railway station and Deptford Creek, which form a single structure 5.6 km (3.45 miles) in length," comprised of altogether "851 semi-circular arches and 27 skew arches or road bridges," and "is one of the world's oldest railway viaducts and the earliest example of an elevated railway line. It is also the longest run of arches in Britain" ("London & Greenwich Railway Viaduct"). The achievement was fully appreciated at the time, with an account of it in 1840 noting:
This undertaking lays claim to early notice, in consequence of its being the first of the bold attempts to bring locomotive power so near to the populous parts of this great city, that has been completed.... This Railway is supported entirely upon arches (of which there are about 1,000), under these are shops, &c., from the letting of which the Company expect to derive great emolument. These arches are erected in the most substantial manner, and, for the purpose of additional security, cross walls are built between the arches, over which the rails are laid for the trains, and the intervals are filled with concrete. By this means the mass is rendered one solid piece, and the weight of the carriages is spread over a large space. The Railway is 25 feet wide, with 22 feet in the clear — that is to say, between the parapets which run from end to end, full breast high, so as to prevent accidents. The actual length of the Railway is three miles and a quarter, so that the absolute saving of distance is a mile and three quarters, and the time occupied in going to Greenwich, and back to the London Terminus, is exactly a quarter of an hour.
Mr. Herepath (no mean authority in these matters), although originally opposed to the design, thus pithily describes the Railway, in what has been aptly called his amende honorable to the Company; — "The prevailing character of the work may be summed up in uniform neatness, and strength without heaviness.” The locomotive engines on this Railway are upon an entirely new construction ; the frames are so formed that the wheels cannot deviate from the rails at any speed, and their revolving motion can be instantly changed to a sliding motion; thus the trains, being powerfully retarded by friction, are speedily brought to rest, and the risk of accident to the passengers is very materially diminished. [Gilbert 92-93]
The same account continues with information about the frequency of the trains and anecdote about its logo:
The trains start from each station every twenty minutes. An incident is said to have occurred (worth recording), upon an early trio, by Mr. I. Y. Akerman, the Secretary, and some of the Directors, in trying the Engines from Bermondsey Lane to Deptford, and back. On their return a splendid rainbow spread a vivid arch from one end of the road to the other, and such was the cheering effects on their minds, that, to commemorate so auspicious a circumstance, the Company adopted the sign on one of their banners (when the railway was first opened), with the motto, in hoc signo vinces — (in this sign is victory). [[Gilbert 93]
The concluding comments point to future developments, not all of which materialised.
The undertaking has been eminently successful; and is now also the London Terminus of the Croydon Railway, to which it is joined at New Cross; and it will be the outlet for the Dover and Canterbury, Brighton, and other railways, when completed. As we have before said, it is intended to build shops and dwelling houses under the arches. At the Deptford end there are two neat dwelling houses already tenanted, which may be considered as specimens. These houses contain six rooms each, and, though small, appear to be very comfortable. The passing of the trains over is said to be only like the noise resembling thunder, but from the rapidity of the motion is away in an instant; others describe it as that of a heavy waggon, but not in a greater degree disturbing the tenants than the passing of waggons in a crowded street of London. The noise is less than may be supposed, in consequence of the solidity of the arches, and the smoothness of the railway, which materially decrease the vibration. [Gilbert 93]
The railway network continued to expand rapidly, and the viaduct soon had to be widened at some points, by building more tracks alongside it to carry the services of (in 1842) the London and Croydon Railway, and the London and Brighton Railway, and (in 1850) the South Eastern Railway main line. Of course, not everyone was pleased with all this: "The Greenwich railway has denuded Rotherhithe of much of its rural character," wrote William Gaspey in 1851, "Where pear and apple blossoms once pleased the eye and perfumed the air, an interminable vista of arches wearies the vision with its monotony" (86; as a reminder of the previously rural nature of the area, note the little windmill to the left of the viaduct in the engraving above). Morever, the hope of providing residential accommodation below the viaduct had to be abandoned, apparently because the arches were not completely watertight (see Bennett 7). The space has been used instead for workshops, storage etc., and in our own times refurbishment of the arches is attracting restaurants and other amenities.
Nevertheless, this pioneering railway viaduct was a huge achievement. Alfred Rosling Bennett said of it in 1912, "After seventy-five years’ wear and tear, during the last forty years of which it has been traversed by engines and trains of a weight, although not at a greater speed, undreamed of by Colonel Landmann, the viaduct stands practically unimpaired, a magnificent monument to the genius of its designer and the care of its constructors." he goes on to remind us that " [t]he fact that long stretches of similar arches have become so common, especially in London, should not be allowed to obscure the merit and originality of the engineer’s conception nor the thoroughness of its execution" (9). Remarkably, the first part of Bennett's comment still holds true today. Still standing staunchly, the viaduct was Grade II listed in 1995, and plans are afoot for a celebratory mural at Greenwich Station to record its history.
Image scanned by the author. [You may use it without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned it, and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Bibliography
Bennett, Alfred Rosling. The First Railway in London: being the story of the London and Greenwich Railway from 1832 to 1878. 1912. rpt. London: Conway Maritime Press Ltd, 1971.
Gaspey, William. Tallis's illustrated London: in commemoration of the Great exhibition of all nations in 1851: forming a complete guide to the British metropolis and its environs: illustrated by upwards of two hundred steel engraving from original drawings and daguerreotypes. London and New York: John Tallis & Co., 1851. Internet Archive, from a copy in the Getty Research Institute. Web. 10 February 2025.
Gilbert, Linney, ed. The Beauties and Wonders of Nature and Science: A collection of curious, interesting and valuable information, for the instruction and improvement of the enquiring mind... . London: Hutchinson, 1840. Internet Archive, from a copy in the Wellcome Library. Web. 10 February 2025.
Greenwich Railway Station to Deptford Creek: Railway Viaduct extending from platforms of Greenwich Railway Station to Deptford Creek, Norman Road . Historic England. Web. 10 February 2025.
"London & Greenwich Railway Viaduct." National Transport Trust. Web. 10 February 2025.
"Two hundred years of railway history celebrated at London’s oldest station." NetworkRail. Web. 10 February 2025. https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/two-hundred-years-of-railway-history-celebrated-at-londons-oldest-station
Created 10 February 2025