Tykes Water - Elstree Hill
Tributary
to Tykes Water
Two tributaries flow north west and meet
Watling Street climbs to sites of the never built tube extension and the now defunct bus centre
Post to the west Stanmore Common
Post to the north Elstree
Post to the east Edgwarebury
Aldenham Reservoir, southern extension.
Northern Line extension. The proposed line would have passed the reservoir where a retaining wall would have been built.
Brockley Hill
The name probably comes from ‘Brokhole’ meaning "the badger holes'. The soil of this area, with the sand and loam of the Claygate Beds, would have made good sites for badgers' setts.
The hill is part of Watling Street and now part of the A5. Watling Street was built during the early part of the Roman period and has arrived here in a straight line from near modern Marble Arch. there is a curve here to meet the next section. Roman engineers' used high places as a sighting-point ad it is likely Brockley Hill was one of these. At the top of the hill is a roundabout built in the 1950s when Watling Street was crossed by the new Watford by-pass.
Watling Farm Caravan Site. This is a Harrow Council traveller’s site. Set up in this formulation in the early 1980s.
Brockley Hill Farm. 17th house and barn which are timber framed and weather boarded. The barn has central cart doors
Brockley Hill House. This is a stuccoed mid-19th house which stood in the grounds of the Royal National Orthopaedic hospital. An older 18th house was probably to the west. It is now converted into flats.
Brockley Grange. 18th timbered farmhouse with roughcast outside
Centennial Avenue
Centennial Park – business and trading units
De Vere Holiday Village.
Site of South Aldenham Bus Overhaul Works. This was the most comprehensive bus overhaul facility in the works but it had been built for the tube line that never was and as a depot for the overhaul of tube trains for which the cranes were built. It was used for aircraft production in the war making mainly Halifax Bombers. It later became a collection point for buses which being used to replace the trams. The depot itself had stabling sidings, a cleaning shed and maintenance facilities. Originally a washer would also have been included at the Elstree end of the depot for cleaning rolling stock. It was demolished in 1996
Northern Line Extension. After leaving Elstree station the proposed would have circled the eastern side of the depot.
Edgware Way
The never built Northern Line to Elstree followed the line of Edgware Way to the east.
The road meets the M1 at Junction 4, Brockley Junction. The junction roughly covers the site of a proposed twin tunnels on the never built Northern Line extension between here and Elstree Hill. The tunnel was partly built and the tunnel mouths remained, flooded. They were used as a Home Guard firing range and then bricked up in 1953.
Elstree Hill South
The road is part of Watling Street
Elstree Station. Immediately after leaving the tunnels under Elstree Hill the proposed line reached the proposed Elstree station - also possibly to be called Elstree Hill station or Elstree South. The station was proposed to be in a cutting with two nine-coach long side platforms, with waiting rooms and toilets on the platforms and steps between them and the booking hall. The main station building on Elstree Hill would have had an Underground style tower, with staff rooms and a cycle store. A pedestrian subway would have gone under Elstree Hill to a bus stop and waiting rooms with a car park and traffic island in the centre of the road. Behind the platforms on the west side would have been two reversing sidings and connections to the depot.
Elstree Hill Open Space and Composers Park
M1
Sullivan Way
Elstree Hill Community Centre
Watford By Pass
Sources
Beard. By Tube Beyond Edgware
Blake. Northern Wastes
British History Online. Harrow
British Listed Buildings. Web site.
Day, London underground
Field. London Place Names.
London Borough of Barnet. Web site
London Borough of Harrow. Web site
London Railway Record
London Transport. Leaflet
Middlesex County Council. History of Middlesex
Sabre Roads. A5 Web site
Stevenson. Middlesex
Thames Basin archaeology group report,
The London Archaeologist
Walford. Village London
Two tributaries flow north west and meet
Watling Street climbs to sites of the never built tube extension and the now defunct bus centre
Post to the west Stanmore Common
Post to the north Elstree
Post to the east Edgwarebury
Aldenham Reservoir, southern extension.
Northern Line extension. The proposed line would have passed the reservoir where a retaining wall would have been built.
Brockley Hill
The name probably comes from ‘Brokhole’ meaning "the badger holes'. The soil of this area, with the sand and loam of the Claygate Beds, would have made good sites for badgers' setts.
The hill is part of Watling Street and now part of the A5. Watling Street was built during the early part of the Roman period and has arrived here in a straight line from near modern Marble Arch. there is a curve here to meet the next section. Roman engineers' used high places as a sighting-point ad it is likely Brockley Hill was one of these. At the top of the hill is a roundabout built in the 1950s when Watling Street was crossed by the new Watford by-pass.
Watling Farm Caravan Site. This is a Harrow Council traveller’s site. Set up in this formulation in the early 1980s.
Brockley Hill Farm. 17th house and barn which are timber framed and weather boarded. The barn has central cart doors
Brockley Hill House. This is a stuccoed mid-19th house which stood in the grounds of the Royal National Orthopaedic hospital. An older 18th house was probably to the west. It is now converted into flats.
Brockley Grange. 18th timbered farmhouse with roughcast outside
Centennial Avenue
Centennial Park – business and trading units
De Vere Holiday Village.
Site of South Aldenham Bus Overhaul Works. This was the most comprehensive bus overhaul facility in the works but it had been built for the tube line that never was and as a depot for the overhaul of tube trains for which the cranes were built. It was used for aircraft production in the war making mainly Halifax Bombers. It later became a collection point for buses which being used to replace the trams. The depot itself had stabling sidings, a cleaning shed and maintenance facilities. Originally a washer would also have been included at the Elstree end of the depot for cleaning rolling stock. It was demolished in 1996
Northern Line Extension. After leaving Elstree station the proposed would have circled the eastern side of the depot.
Edgware Way
The never built Northern Line to Elstree followed the line of Edgware Way to the east.
The road meets the M1 at Junction 4, Brockley Junction. The junction roughly covers the site of a proposed twin tunnels on the never built Northern Line extension between here and Elstree Hill. The tunnel was partly built and the tunnel mouths remained, flooded. They were used as a Home Guard firing range and then bricked up in 1953.
Elstree Hill South
The road is part of Watling Street
Elstree Station. Immediately after leaving the tunnels under Elstree Hill the proposed line reached the proposed Elstree station - also possibly to be called Elstree Hill station or Elstree South. The station was proposed to be in a cutting with two nine-coach long side platforms, with waiting rooms and toilets on the platforms and steps between them and the booking hall. The main station building on Elstree Hill would have had an Underground style tower, with staff rooms and a cycle store. A pedestrian subway would have gone under Elstree Hill to a bus stop and waiting rooms with a car park and traffic island in the centre of the road. Behind the platforms on the west side would have been two reversing sidings and connections to the depot.
Elstree Hill Open Space and Composers Park
M1
Sullivan Way
Elstree Hill Community Centre
Watford By Pass
Sources
Beard. By Tube Beyond Edgware
Blake. Northern Wastes
British History Online. Harrow
British Listed Buildings. Web site.
Day, London underground
Field. London Place Names.
London Borough of Barnet. Web site
London Borough of Harrow. Web site
London Railway Record
London Transport. Leaflet
Middlesex County Council. History of Middlesex
Sabre Roads. A5 Web site
Stevenson. Middlesex
Thames Basin archaeology group report,
The London Archaeologist
Walford. Village London
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