George Measom’s Guide to the South-Eastern Railway

Whilst writing Mr Blackwood I was able to visualise a good deal of the train journey with the help of George Measom’s Guide to the South Eastern Railway, which was published in 1853, two years after the Great Exhibition. It is a typical Victorian travel guide, similar to the ones published by George Bradshaw. It doesn’t, unfortunately, say much about the railway itself, but concentrates on historical buildings – especially churches – and monuments. The Canterbury entry, unsurprisingly, is taken up by a long description of the Cathedral.

The book begins: “The South-Eastern Railway is one of the most important lines in England, opening in the first place a direct and rapid communication with the Continent by way of Folkestone and Dover, and visiting on its road many important stations connected with populous towns and thriving rural districts, affording also a rapid means of transit to several favourite watering places which before its establishment were virtually at a day’s distance from London instead of three or four hours.”

The principal interest of the book lies in its illustrations, many of which are of stations on the London to Canterbury line. Here is a selection of them. The illustration at the head of this post is of a train leaving Canterbury station.

Ashford Engine Works

Paddock Wood Station

Tunbridge Station

Reigate Station

The Greenwich Viaduct which the travellers would have seen to their right  as they approached London Bridge

The inside of London Bridge Station

The outside of London Bridge Station seen from Tooley Street