Tolworth

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Kingston  Bypass

Underpass, completed in 1970, and shopping and office development by R. Seifert Partners, 1962-4,

Tolworth Tower.  Offensive. Twenty-two-storey and the most obtrusive landmark in this part of outer London. The most noticeable feature, though not one that is pleasing aesthetically, is the splaying of the stilts on which the tower rests, with the end ones tapering up to the top. By R. Seifert  Partners, 1962-4,

Red Lion Lane

Tolworth Hospital, Geriatric ward blocks and day hospital by the South West Metropolitan Region Hospital Board Richard Mellor and W. B. East, 1966-8. 

Tolworth

Possibly 'Tala's enclosure', although the personal name is not on record. However, the compounding of words with personal names is very common and occurs in other Greater London names. Tala would be a complimentary name, from OE 'swift, prompt'.  ‘Taleorde’ 1086, ‘Talewurtha’ c.1160.  ‘Talworth’ 1352, ‘Tolworth’ 1601.   It still appears as ‘Talworth’ as late as the Ordnance Survey maps of 1819 and 1876.

Tolworth Station opened 1938 from Motspur Park. Between Malden Manor and Chessington North. Cinema architecture to match the suburbs. Cinema architecture to match the suburbs. All the stations on this line used concrete extensively, influenced by the stations designs on the underground but not up to Holden’s design standards.  Influenced by cinema and marine architecture they are striking but materials have now weathered.  On the platforms 200 ft long Chisarc cantilevered concrete canopy with porthole glass and a mix of coloured fluorescent lighting tubes.  At street level there was a car park, toilets, parcels office and lock up shops. Subways and stairs to the platform and also a separate parcels ramp. Waiting rooms with furniture and a stove. Porters’ room.  In the 1990s the station was painted in matt finish two-tone grey, and the waiting rooms are abandoned and glassless. The stairways on both sides retained cream tiling, thought to be original, although some of it around poster panels, had been painted over. The empty lift shaft at the London end of the up side, and the luggage ramp surfaces on the other platform were overgrown, and out of use.

Signal box small and utilitarian vanished without trace from the down platform, but the lever frame, which replaced it survived redundant south of the station.

Goods yard which was extended in 1947. Rusting track remained plus a couple of derelict buildings. A large metal coal conveyor, erected in connection with the concentration depot and its former site is marked by an expansive area of concrete. This coal depot had been run by the National Coal Board and had its own little diesel locomotives.  It had been opened in 1965.  In  1984 it also began to handle aggregates but coal was not handled after 1983 and in 1993 it closed.

 


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