Disused Stations: Ludgate Hill Station

[Source: Nick Catford]

Ludgate Hill Station Gallery 3: 18 September 1960 - June 1978

The Locomotive Club of Great Britain 'The South Western Limited' railtour of Sunday 18 September 1960 waits at Ludgate Hill after arriving from Cannon Street, the point of commencement. This was a lengthy tour which reached out to Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire before returning to Waterloo. The tour involved several locomotives including a Somerset & Dorset 2-8-0. The dereliction that was Ludgate Hill station several decades after closure is apparent from this view. The station canopy which was still intact a year earlier has been removed leaving just the ironwork that supported it, The station nevertheless continued to host the occasional railtour, as in this instance, and served, for operational reasons, as the reversal point in lieu of Holborn Viaduct. The locomotive is an ex-L&SWR Drummond 0-6-0; a class of thirty which seems to be have been known as the '700 Class' for their entire lives albeit gaining the nickname 'Black Motors' somewhere along the way. No.30339 proudly displays all the regalia of a railtour; the 'LCGB' plate; 'SPL 7' (Special 7) disc; tour headboard which in this case bore white lettering on a green background. The locomotive's shedplate has apparently recently been repainted although the code is not entirely clear; it should be 70B (Feltham) given the date. No.30339, new ex-works in June 1897, would survive until May 1962 and by the end of that year the class became extinct.
Photo from John Mann collection

By the middle of the 1960s the platform buildings and the remaining ironwork from the canopy had been removed as seen in this view looking south from the Holborn Viaduct signal box. The lines running through Snow Hill tunnel are seen on the right and those running into Holborn Viaduct are seen on the left. In the distance the Blackfriars (renamed from St Paul's in 1937) station trainshed is seen to
the left.
Photo by RJ Marshall

The bare expanse of Ludgate Hill's wide island platform is seen from a passing train in October 1967; the 12 foot wide staircase down to the Pilgrim Street exist is seen in the foreground. This staircase was widened from 6 feet during the station rebuilding.
Photo by Nick Catford

Ludgate Hill station is again seen from a passing train in March 1968. A four-car inner-suburban BR-designed 4EPB unit which appears to be No.5339 passes Ludgate Hill, with another unit of the same type on the right.
Photo by Nick Catford

Ludgate Hill's wide island platform remained in good condition in March 1968. It would host its final railtour, the Southern Counties Touring Society 'The Thamesider' at the end of the month.
Photo by Nick Catford

The platform buildings and the canopy have now gone but the derelict platform was still a popular destination for railtours in the 1960s. This is an unidentified tour but would either be LCGB 'The South London Suburban Rail Tour' 9.12.1967 or the Southern Counties Touring Society 'The Thamesider' 31.3.1968.
Photo from Cresselley Photos

Looking south towards Ludgate Hill station from the south end of Holborn Viaduct station in
the late 1960s.

Photo from Duncan Chandler collection from his Flickr photostream

Looking south at Ludgate Hill station c late 1960s. A 4-SUB EMU is passing the derelict platform.
Photo by JE Connor

Looking south from the fire escape of Fleetway House in 1969. Immediately below right are the tracks down into Snow Hill tunnel and the widened Lines at Farringdon. Holborn Viaduct signal box is on a gantry above the lines. The north ends of Holborn Viaduct's platforms are seen on the right. In the middle distance is the disused platform of Ludgate Hill station with the walls that once supported the trainshed. The wall on the west side was lowered when the station was rebuilt. In the distance to the west of the formation part of the roof of the Blackfriars station trainshed can be seen.
Click here for a larger version.
Photo by Tom Burnham from his Flickr photostream

Looking north from Blackfriars station at the disused Ludgate Hill platform in 1972. A wooden hut has appeared on the platform. The following year the platform would be demolished. The line on the far left which avoids Blackfriars station was out of use at this time following the closure of Snow Hill tunnel in 1971; it would soon be lifted.
Photo by Tom Burnham from his Flickr photostream

Although Ludgate Hill station frontage was hidden from view after 1925, the rear of the station in Waltham Street remained clearly visible across a large bomb site for many years as seen in this view from June 1978.
Photo by CR Jennings from his Steaming Round Britain's Railways web site

A closer view of the rear of Ludgate Hill station in June 1978. The Pilgrim Street bridge is seen
on the right.
Photo by CR Jennings from his Steaming Round Britain's Railways web site

Click here for Ludgate Hill Station Gallery 4: 1979 - December 2005

Station Name: LUDGATE HILL