Comments on: A Brief History Of Bishopsgate Goodsyard

By: Grahame

Grahame — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 11:37:16 +0000

This is the best account of the disastrous fire in 1964 that I’ve found so far:

https://beyondtheflamesandmore.home.blog/tag/firemen/

Above URL should take you direct to the article but if not, search site for ‘The Bishopsgate Goods depot blaze. December 5th 1964’.

By: Chester

Chester — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 07:26:36 +0000

I’ve looked at all kinds of old photographs and plans for the Bishopsgate Goods Yard. This is the best one I’ve been able to find, but there is still detail left off given the resizing of whatever this document was:

https://media.subbrit.org.uk/10295/1563201502-bishopsgate-goods-yard-plan.jpg

I had a few questions I was hoping you could help me with.

1. How many full levels at-and-above ground were there, exactly? Were there any mezzanines that make this difficult to define? And lastly, any full or partial basements? It appears today that are two levels at or above ground, but I’ve often seen it described that the burned-down warehouse was a third level?

2. Related to the cross-section of this thing, where exactly where the four platforms for the low-level station? I’ve been able to locate the one off Quaker Street on the south side of the ditch east of Quaker using bing and google earth. But there doesn’t look to be any trace of the ones shown on the map west of Wheeler under Commercial Street. More than that, other websites mention that the low-level platforms were “under” the station and accessible from this “under,” though I’ve never seen any kind of direct access shown from within the Goods Yard, itself, to the platforms in the cut/ditch.

3. Coming in from the east, there appears to be a rail line that splits off to the north on the diagram posted, and travels under the Goods Yard. What is this line? It seems like it’d be strange to show it on the ground floor plan under the station if it didn’t interact with the station. I’d originally thought this could have been where at least two of the low-level platforms are, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

By: Fiona Potter

Fiona Potter — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 10:50:49 +0000

A wonderful evocative and enlightening account. Thank you so much for giving me such excellent information about the area where my husband’s family once resided. They were French Huguenots and lived in Swan Yard which was demolished for the building of the goodsyard.

By: Roger Tiller

Roger Tiller — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 07:42:32 +0000

So very interesting, more please.

By: Alan Racheter

Alan Racheter — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 22:47:46 +0000

Yes the trucks were Scammel- a three wheel traction unit with a single headlight and horse head trademark. Scammel had a depot in Fashion Street where they possibly assembled them. I can vividly recall seeing foreign ‘Frigo’ refrigerated goods rolling stock on the black railway viaduct that ran parallel with Quaker Street. Little did I know back then that whole goods trains used to travel across the North Sea between Harwich and Zebrugge. The move of the Great Eastern Railway passenger terminus from Bishopsgate to Liverpool Street involved considerable civil engineering challenges:- a subterranean approach into Liverpool Street with an acute bend under Commercial Street as well as the need to underpin the North London Railway viaducts on the approach into Broad Street Station. The disused platforms that can be seen on the approach into London were used for a short time after the completion of Liverpool Street Station as a convenience for passengers that didn’t want to go all the way into the City. There was also a connection to the East London Railway just outside of the Pedley Street Station. The tracks have been removed, but in years gone by there were services (usually excursions) that ran from Liverpool Street down to the south coast.

By: Greg Tingey

Greg Tingey — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 06:40:52 +0000

And Bishopsgate (Low Level) – the platforms on the Northernmost two tracks, didn’t last that long ….
Opened: 14.11.1872
Closed: 22.5.1916
Not-quite 44 years, in fact.

By: Ros

Ros — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 21:52:30 +0000

Thoughtful and thought-provoking. You’ve sifted through so many layers to provide us with a wealth of interesting stuff, sociological and visual. Thanks.

By: Sue Fox

Sue Fox — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 21:20:54 +0000

Fascinating, thank you.

By: aubrey

aubrey — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:30:25 +0000

I remember that when drifting off to sleep , as a child, I could hear the sounds coming from the goodsyard; the squeals and buffeting of the shunting that rang out, that went on-probably through the night, until the early hours. The special delivery vehicles which conveyed their loads to the railyard were, I think, called ‘Scammel’ trucks. They had one wheel in the front (a la Reliant Robin) which facilitated small turning circles. I was always curious to know what all the hubbub and activity that went on in that yard was about, but I never got to see. There were lots of uniformed porters and suchlike wandering about – no place for a child.

By: Peter Holford

Peter Holford — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 14:51:06 +0000

Thank you – a brief but incisive history of an area where my ancestors lived. It gives me some insight about what their lives may have been like. The illustrations add greatly to the account.