No 216 Nov 2017 1 www.sihg.org.uk

Swalwell Chimney belonging to the Northumberland Paper Mill of Sir Ambrose Crowley.

Memorial to Sir Ambrose Crowley, Ironmaster and Entrepreneur. Swalwell and Mitcham, see page 5.

Contents 2 SIHG Meeetings; Venues, Times & Contacts; Surrey Industrial History Group Officers 4 Obituary: David Shepherd FGRA 25th April 1931 – 19th Sept 2017 4 New Items Received at Surrey History Centre, Woking 5 Sir Ambrose Crowley: Ironmaster and Entrepreneur. Swalwell and Mitcham by Norma Cox 6 Anniversaries: 250, 200, 150 & 100 years ago: Priestley, Pallas, Maskelyne, von Drais, Michaux, Thomson, Lister, Conrady, Robinson, Hahn & Meitner compiled by Jan Spencer 10 Tunnels - Made and Imaginary - at Merstham by Paul W Sowan 12 The Oxted Gasholder note from Peter Tarplee Newsletter 216 November 2017 2

SIHG Newsletter No 216 November 2017

Enquires to Programme Co-ordinator Bob Bryson: [email protected].

The 42nd season of SIHG Industrial Archaeology Lectures at Guildford alternate Tuesdays, 19:30-21:30 Education Centre, The Cathedral, Guildford (map: www.sihg.org.uk). Single lectures at £5, payable on the night, are open to all. 2017 14 November Strange Planes Colin van Geffen, Aviation Artist and Enthusiast 21 November Tales and Trails of the Tillingbourne Valley Project Dr Anne Sassin, Surrey Hills 12 December Members’ Talks Evening - Free to all lecture attendees Short talks by members plus refreshments 2018 9 January The Development of the Motor Car in the Interwar Years Trevor Williams. Farnham U3A 30 January The Planning and Construction of High Speed 1 Doug Irvine, Civil Engineer

Thursday Morning Lectures at Leatherhead, Thursdays, 10:00-12:00 Room G6 The Institute, 67 High Street Leatherhead KT22 8AH Non-member full fee £50 SIHG member £45. Please note that attendance is for the full course only 2017 2 November The High Speed between St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel Douglas Irvine, Structural Engineer 9 November Bridges Geoff Roles, SIHG 16 November The “Railway Man” Eric Lomax - The Beginnings of his interest in Railways Michael Bailey 23 November A Career in Aviation Peter Hoar, Career Airman 30 November Shell Transport and Trading Hugh Anscombe, SIHG 7 December The BP Deep Water Horizon Incident Richard Rumble 14 December Members’ short talks

The SIHG Newsletter is now issued quarterly, covering: February May August November March June September December April July October January

Surrey Industrial History Group Officers Chairman, Lectures Organiser & Sales: Robert Bryson [email protected] Secretary: Hugh Anscombe [email protected] Treasurer: (vacant) Acting Treasurer: Robert Bryson ([email protected]) Vice Chairman & Membership Secretary: Pam Taylor [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Jan Spencer [email protected]

SIHG is a group of the Surrey Archaeological Society, Registered Charity No 272098 - Castle Arch Guildford Surrey GU1 3SX Group President: Prof AG Crocker FSA

Published by Surrey Industrial History Group, printed by YesPrint 3 Leafy Oak Workshops Cobbetts Lane Yateley GU17 9LW © SIHG 2017 ISSN 1355-8188 Newsletter 216 November 2017 3 Venues, Times & Contacts Most venues open 30 minute before the published time.

Albury History Society: 20:00; Albury Village Hall, Honeywood Museum Friends: 19:30, £4-50; The Street, Albury, Guildford, Surrey GU5 9AD; www.friendsofhoneywood.co.uk; 020 8770 4297. http://alburyhistory.org.uk/; Margaret Clarke, Honeywood Museum: open Wed-Fri 11:00-17:00, Sat-Sun, 01483 202 294, [email protected]. BH Mon 10:00-17:00; .Honeywood Walk, Carshalton . Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre: 10:00-17:00; Inland Waterways Association (IWA): £10/£8; no prior £11/£10; Amberley Railway Station BN18 9L; booking required; www.waterways.org.uk; 0203 612 9624. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk; 01798 831370. Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Enginuity: Ancient Technology Centre: 10:00-16:00; £6; Damerham 10:00-17:00, Ironbridge, Sat Nav TF8 7DQ, Road, Cranborne, Dorset BH21 5RP; (behind school); www.ironbridge.org.uk, 01952 433424 01725 517618, www.ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk. Kent Archaeological Society (KAS): Anne of Cleves House: Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun-Mon www.kentarchaeology.org.uk. 10:00-17:00; £5.20/£4.80; 52 Southover High Street, Kempton Steam Museum: 10:30-16:00, £7/£6; Snakey Lane, off Lewes, Sussex BN7 1JA; 01273 474610. elevated section of A316, Hanworth, Middx; entrance Basingstoke Canal Society: 20:00; Parish Pavilion, Recrea- TW13 7ND; www.kemptonsteam.org; 01932 765328. tion Ground, Station Road, Chobham, GU24 8AJ; Leatherhead & District Local History Society (LDLHS): www.basingstoke-canal.org.uk/, contact - Malcolm meetings 20:00; £2; The Institute, 67 High Street, Leather- Brickwood, [email protected], 07437 200021. head KT22 8AH; www.leatherheadlocalhistory.org.uk. Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group (BIAG): Leatherhead Museum: Hampton Cottage, 64 Church 19:30; £2-50; St Mary's Church Hall, Castle Street, Street, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8DP; 01372 386348. Reading, RG1 7RD; www.biag.org.uk. Bus Museum: see Brooklands. Brooklands: open Summer 10:00-17:00, Winter 10:00-16:00; London Canal Museum: Open 10:00-16:30; Talks 19:30, £4/ £11/£9.90; Brooklands Rd, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0QN; £3; 12/13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT; www.brooklandsmuseum.com; 01932 857381. www.canalmuseum.org.uk; 0207 713 0836. Brunel Museum: Walks from Bermondsey Tube; just turn up London Museum of Water and Steam: Wed 16:30, Sun 10:45; £9/£7. Boat & train from Embank- Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middx TW8 0EN; ment tube station (not pier) for Brunel sites along www.waterandsteam.org.uk; 020 8568 4757. the Thames; just turn up Tue/Thu/Sat 10:45; £9/£7 (+ , Watermill & House : £9-50/£8-00; 14:00-17:30; transport costs). Museum: Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, Sats, Suns & Bank Hols; Mapledurham, Reading RG4 7TR; London SE16 4LF; 020 7231 3840. www.mapledurham.co.uk/the-water-mill, 0118 972 3350 or Bursledon Brickworks: steam days £6/£5, open days £4/£3; www.mapledurhamwatermill.co.uk, 07710717149. Coal Park Lane, Swanwick, Southampton SO31 7GW; Museum of English Rural Life (MERL): open Tue-Fri 09:00 www.bursledonbrickworks.org.uk; 01489 576248. -17:00, Sat-Sun 14:00-16:30, free/donation; Chatham Historic Dockyard: 10:00-18:00, Redlands Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 5EX, £22/£19-50; Chatham, Kent ME4 4TZ; www.reading.ac.uk/merl/; 0118 378 8660. www.thedockyard.co.uk; 01634 823800. Museum of London Docklands: Mon-Sun: 10:00-18:00; Council for Kentish Archaeology (CKA): no.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL; 7, Sandy Ridge, Borough Green, TN15 8HP. www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands, Crofton Beam Engines : 10:30-17:00; £8/£7; [email protected], 020 7001 9844. Crofton, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3DW. Newcomen Society Birmingham: Thinktank, (Birmingham Crossness Pumping Station : 10:30-16:00, £8; The Old Science Museum), Millennium Point, Aston University, Works, Crossness STW, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, Curzon Street, Birmingham, W Midlands B4 7XG London SE2 9AQ; www.crossness.org.uk; 020 8311 3711. Newcomen Society London: 17:45, free; The Dana Studio, Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society (CNHSS): The Dana Centre, 165 Queens Gate, London SW7 5HD. 19:45; free? UR Church Hall, Addiscombe Grove, Newcomen Society Portsmouth: 18:30; free; E Croydon CR0 5LP; http://cnhss.co.uk; 0208 668 1431. Portland Building, University of Portsmouth, Saint James’s Cuffley Industrial Heritage Society: Street, Portsmouth PO1; http://newcomen.com. 19:30, £4; Northaw Village Hall, 5 Northaw Road West, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard : 10:00-17:30, site ticket, Northaw EN6 4NW; www.cihs.org.uk. annual £28/£26; HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ; : 10:30-17:00; £10-00/£9-50; Didcot www.historicdockyard.co.uk; 02392 728060. Parkway railway station, Didcot, OX11 7NJ; Railway and Canal Historical Society :18:30, free? www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk; 01235-817200. The Rugby Tavern, Rugby Street, London Docklands History Group: 18:00, £2; Museum of London WC1N 3ES; www.rchs.org.uk. Docklands, No 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, Hertsmere Reigate Caves, Wealden Cave & Mine Society: Rd, Canary Wharf, London E14 4AL; some Sats, 10:00-16:00, £3/£2; www.docklandshistorygroup.org.uk; 01689 851982. Rural Life Centre: open Summer Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00 + Gatwick Aviation Museum: Open Friday, Saturday and Sun- Bank Holiday Mondays, Winter Wed/Sun 10:00-16:00; £8 days; 09:30-15:30; £7-50; Vallance-Byways, Lowfield -50/£7-50; Old Kiln Museum, Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham, Heath Road, Charlwood RH6 0BT; 01293 862417, Surrey GU10 2DL; www.rural-life.org.uk; 01252 795571. www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/. SPAB Mills Section: www.spab.org.uk/spab-mills/ Greater London Industrial History Society (GLIAS): STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway: 18:00; The Gallery, Alan Baxter Associates, 75 Cowcross 10:00-16:00, £8/£6-50; Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2TA; Street (through the archway and in the basement at the rear www.steam-museum.org.uk; 01793 466 646. of the building), Farringdon, EC1; info Tim Sidaway, Subterranea Britannica: www.subbrit.org.uk. [email protected]; www.glias.org.uk. Sussex Industrial Archaeological Society (SIAS) : Greenwich Industrial History: 19:30, £1; Old Bakehouse, www.sussexias.co.uk. rear of Age Exchange Centre, opp Blackheath Stn, Bennett Watercress Line, Mid Hants Railway: all day travel Park, 11 Blackheath Village SE3 9LA; no parking; £14, free on non-running days; Station Rd, Alresford, http://greenwichindustrialhistory.blogspot.com. Hants SO24 9JG; (or Station Rd, Alton, Hants GU34 2PZ); Hampshire Industrial Archaeology Society (HIAS): www.watercressline.co.uk; 01962 733810. 19:45, free; Underhill Centre, St. John's Road, Hedge End, Weald & Downland Living Museum, £13/£12; Hants SO30 4AF; www.hias.org.uk; 01962 855200. Winter 10:30-16:00, Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex Haslemere Educational Museum: Open Tuesday to PO18 0EU; www.wealddown.co.uk; 01243 811348. Saturday 10:00-17:00; admission by donation; Wey & Arun Canal Trust: Granary, Flitchfold Farm, Lox- 78 High Street, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 2LA; wood, Billingshurst W Sussex, RH14 0RH; office@ www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk; 01428 642112 weyandarun.co.uk; 01403 752403; (Mon - Fri 09:30-13:30) Newsletter 216 November 2017 4

David Shepherd FGRA 25th April 1931 – 19th Sept 2017

Flying Scotsman by David Shepherd

Renowned for his wildlife paintings and his enthusiasm for conservation, David Shepherd was in addition keen on steam locomotives. In 1967 he acquired two 120 ton main line steam locomotives, 9F Black Prince 92203 and Class 4MT No.75029 The Green Knight. He also founded The East Somerset Railway. A 15F Class locomotive was presented to him by South African Railways and two locomotives were given to him by President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. The Surrey Industrial History Group was honoured to have David as our Patron for many years, until 2011.

New Items Received at Surrey History Centre, Woking - note from Di Stiff, SHC 9805 Redland Plc (formerly Redhill Tile Company): 1938-2000s records, including product brochures, and promotional and training videos 8594 Medelec Ltd, a Vickers Medical Company, later Instruments, 1988-1999 add2 medical electrical equipment manufacturers of Woking: additional company publications and related papers 9791 The Fuller's Earth Union Limited (including as part of the Laporte Group), 1940s-1980s Redhill: product literature 9795 Guildford and Surbiton Railway: bill of quantities, 1881; Guildford Light Railways 1881-1933 Order, 1905; agreements re supply of water at Guildford station, 1889 and 1915; plan of swimming pool at Stoke Park, Guildford, 1933 9798 Ernest Ford Watson Mayhew (1881-1968), Resident Engineer, River Wey 1930s-1960s Improvement Scheme: photographs and papers 9786 The Woking Electric Supply Company Ltd: supply of electricity agreements 1903-1916 9787 C. Neal & Son, Builders, East Horsley: photographs 1930s-1990s 9788 Fairman Precision Tools and Products Limited, Horley: photographs 1960s See www.surreycc.gov.uk/surreyhistorycentre for further information.

The deadline for submitting copy for the next Newsletter is 20 January 2018 Submissions are accepted in typescript, on a disc, or by email to [email protected]. Anything related to IA will be considered. Priority will be given to Surrey-based or topical articles. Contributions will be published as soon as space is available. Readers are advised that the views of contributors are not necessarily the views of SIHG. Website: www.sihg.org.uk Newsletter 216 November 2017 5 Sir Ambrose Crowley: Ironmaster and Entrepreneur. Swalwell and Mitcham by Norma Cox When I visit my daughter and her family in Newcastle being converted into iron bar in the forges and then on upon Tyne, I shop in the Lidl supermarket at Swalwell, to iron rods and steel. These processes used the water Blaydon on Tyne NE16 3AF. At the edge of the Lidl power of the river Derwent which flowed beside the carpark stands a very tall redbrick chimney; it was once Swalwell site (6). The River Derwent was navigable and a factory chimney of the Northumberland Paper Mill, the iron ore was transported in by keelboats which could see below (1). An information panel beside the chimney be moored at the factory’s staiths, wooden pier-like mentions Sir Ambrose Crowley’s Iron works and states structures built into the river, to aid the loading of goods that he was buried in Mitcham Surrey. This last fact on to the keelboats (6). The finished iron would travel made me want to find out more about him. I did a back by keels to the ships, often these ships were Crow- preliminary search and typed in the address and post- ley’s own fleet of ships, four of which were named as code of the Lidl store at Swalwell, into the “old- maps The Crowley, The Theodosia, The Ambrose and The website” (2). The OS County Series Durham map, John (4). 1:2,500 1897-1898 shows the Northumberland Paper The finished goods went to Greenwich, the headquarters Mill on the Lidl site. The earlier OS County Series of Crowley’s business. Some goods went to the ware- Durham map, 1:2,500 1873-1895 did not show the house in Blaydon. Ambrose Crowley III was now the paper mill but it did show the Crowley works close-by. major supplier of materials to the Admiralty as well as Chimney at Swalwell to the East India Company. He was renowned for his This old factory chimney, one of the very work ethic and the fair way he treated his workforce (4). few remaining, is a prominent landmark in Ambrose Crowley III lived in Crowley House Green- Swalwell. Belonged to a paper mill. wich which was an impressive mansion (7). In 1707 he Papermaking began sometime in the 19th was knighted for his services as one of the two Sheriffs century using power from the Derwent. The of the City of London and Middlesex. He stood for firm was called the Northumberland Paper Parliament as a Tory in the ‘rotten’ borough of Andover, Mills, owners William Grace and Co. The winning it in 1713. chimney was restored using the original mortar type. It now stands in Lidl car park. A stark reminder of an industrial age. See also page 1.

Sir Ambrose Crowley was a 17th century ironmonger Memorial to (3). He was born in 1658 in Stourbridge, he followed his father and grandfather, who were also called Ambrose, Sir Ambrose into the industry of ironmongery. They were Crowley, renowned for their manufacturer of nails (4). Ambrose see also page 1, Crowley III was apprenticed to Clement Plumpstead in photo Norma Cox a City of London Ironmongery. In 1681 he opened his June 2017 first shop called ‘The Doublet’ in Carey Street London. He speculated that the North East of There had been allegations of bribery, but before inves- would be a good area to expand his business, because it tigations had begun Sir Ambrose Crowley suddenly died had a good supply of raw materials such as iron ore and in October 1717 (6). He was buried in Mitcham. It is not coal, it had water for power, a cheap workforce and a known where he lived when he was in Mitcham (8). His market for the finished goods. He set about raising mon- impressive memorial is in the baptistery of Mitcham ey for this venture. It is suggested that Sir William Parish church and it reaches from the floor to the Bowes may have put up the finance for the scheme (4). ceiling. A section of the memorial is shown overleaf. Sir William Bowes would later receive estate land con- More details of the memorial can be seen in reference taining the vast Durham coal seams, from his marriage (9). The archaeology of the Swalwell site was investi- to Elizabet Blakiston of Gibside in 1693 (5). gated prior to the building of the Lidl store. Vast walls Ambrose Crowley III set up an ironmongery in Sunder- of the works and warehouses were recorded and these land in 1683, making use of cheap labour and a readily can be seen in reference (10). ¤ available coal reserve. He used the empty coal ships on References: their return journeys to bring the raw materials. He (1) http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1048875 employed Belgian blacksmiths who were considered to Chimney, Swalwell - © Copyright wfmillar and be the best (4). The venture in Sunderland was not suc- `` licensed for reuse under this Creative cessful due to disputes between the Belgian blacksmiths Commons Licence. and the local people. In 1690 he relocated the business (2) www.old-maps.co.uk. to nearby Winlaton Mill, once a flour and a fulling mill. (3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Crowley. (4) www.rolyveitch.20m.com/CrowleyCrew.html. The mill would be used to beat the heated iron. In 1707 (5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bowes. he bought out his rival competitors and recruited more (6) www.swalwelluk.co.uk. men from London to work at Swalwell. The new site at (7) www.ballastquay.com/sir-ambrose-crowley.html. Swalwell was thought to be the biggest in Europe; it (8) Montague, Eric.2012. Mitcham Histories: manufactured anchors, chains and hoes. Swalwell was 12. Church Street and Whitford Lane. Page 40. known as the Factory and became the local headquarters Merton Historical Society. of the business (4). At first Ambrose Crowley III was (9) www.speel.me.uk/chlondon/mitchamch.html. not involved in preparing the iron for the later stages of (10) www.swalwellonline.co.uk/ manufacture of the articles. Soon however pig iron was Swalwell_crowleys_works. Newsletter 216 November 2017 6

Anniversaries compiled by Jan Spencer

1817 - 200 Years Ago Baron Karl von Drais demonstrated the ‘Draisienne’ Baron Karl von Drais ‘the father of the bicycle’ showed off the ‘draisienne’ in Mannheim, Germany. This two-wheeled horseless vehicle propelled by its rider was also known as the ‘Laufmachine’, ‘Running Machine’ or ‘Vélocipède’.

Laufmaschine - the rider is thought to be Baron Karl von Drais

1867 - 150 Years Ago Pierre Michaux Manufactured Bicycles Pierre Michaux worked as a blacksmith who furnished parts for the carriage trade in Paris. He started building bicycles with pedals in the early 1860s. He, or his son Ernest, may have been the inventor of this machine, by adapting cranks and pedals on the front wheel of a draisine. He formed the first company to construct bicycles with pedals on a large scale, a machine which was called a velocipede at the time, or “Michaudine”.

Michaux and Michaudine Velocipede Newsletter 216 November 2017 7

1767 - 250 Years Ago The History and Present State of Electricity, Anniversaries by British polymath Joseph Priestley, was published Priestley’s book is a survey of the study of electricity to date as well as a description of his own experiments.

1767 - 250 Years Ago The First Issue of the Nautical Almanac It was edited by Nevil Maskelyne, astronomer Royal. Reverend Nevil Maskelyne FRS was the fifth British Astronomer Royal. The almanac describes the positions of a selection of celestial bodies for the purpose of enabling navigators to use celestial navigation to determine the position of their ship while at sea. The Almanac specifies for each whole hour of the year the position on the Earth’s surface at which the sun, moon, planets and first point of Aries is directly overhead. The positions of 57 selected stars are specified relative to the first point of Aries.

Priestley’s “electrical machine for amateur experimentalists”

1767 - 250 Years Ago Peter Simon Pallas wrote Miscellanea Zoologica Pallas included descriptions of several vertebrates new to science which he had discovered in the Dutch museum collections. He also wrote Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reichs (Journey through various provinces of the Russian Empire) which The title page of the first edition of covered geology and miner- the Nautical Almanac, for 1767 alogy, and descriptions of new plants and animals. He has several plants and ani- mals named after him, and also an asteroid

Headstone of Pallas in the Berlin-Kreuzberg cemetery Newsletter 216 November 2017 8

Anniversaries

1867 - 150 Years Ago William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, Invented the Siphon Recorder The siphon recorder automatically recorded a telegraph message as a trace of ink on a strip of paper. The ink siphon worked on the reverse of the principle of a mirror galva- nometer, with electrostatics resulting in a spray of ink.

Muirhead’s automatic telegraph syphon receiver was a development of Thompson’s idea

1867 - 150 Years Ago The Introduction of Antiseptic Surgery Joseph Lister announces the practice of antiseptic surgery at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, using carbolic acid (phenol) to sterilise surgical instruments and to clean wounds. Lister, “the father of modern surgery”, worked for a reduction in post-operative infections and made surgery safer for patients.

Lister’s Steam operated Carbolic spray Antiseptic spray being used during an operation Newsletter 216 November 2017 9 Anniversaries

1867 - 150 Years Ago Gold Rush in Wyoming On June 27, 1867, mountain man Lewis Robison, a grizzled Mormon veteran rode into Great Salt Lake City with two other men and entered the East Temple Street offices of Bohm & Mollitor, assayers. The men carried 40 ounces of gold dust reportedly crushed from quartz rock in two days. The assayers refined the ore into a gold bar valued at $740.06, with a fineness of 934½. What Robison and his associate Joshua Terry had found in June 1867 was the Carisso ledge, which soon became renowned as the Carissa Mine.

Carissa Mill and Shaft House

1917 - 100 Years Ago Anniversaries Formation of the Institute of References: Technical Optics, South Kensington Chronology of the Modern World, 1763-1965 by by Neville Williams; The Department of Technical Optics in 1917, Imperial Hutchinson Reference; College London, is the oldest institution of higher Revised edition (Nov. 1966) - education and research in Optics in the World. It was (main source of dates) formed to address the shortage of optical engineers required by industry. The first Professor of Optical https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Simon_Pallas Design was AE Conrady. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevil_Maskelyne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautical_almanac https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Simon_Pallas 1917 - 100 Years Ago https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Discovery of the radioactive element The_History_and_Present_State_of_Electricity Protoactinium www.cyclinguk.org/cycle/draisienne-1817-2017-200- Symbol Pa, years-cycling-innovation-design Atomic Number 91 Protactinium-231 is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Michaux radioactive, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphon_recorder with a half-life of 32,760 years. www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/south-pass-gold-rush It was discovered by www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/photos9.html Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Lister www.imperial.ac.uk/photonics/events/ optics-centenary-event/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Uraninite-39029.jpg,

licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- Uraninite ore which Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. contains.Protactinium Newsletter 216 November 2017 10 Tunnels - Made and Imaginary - at Merstham by Paul W Sowan Unreliable ‘History’ at Merstham This inscription does usefully add to John T Howard Turner’s history of the London, Brighton & South Coast Published material relating to Merstham, and locally Railways in suggesting that the London & Brighton circulating folklore, are replete with erroneous, unreliable Railway tunnelling contract at Merstham was held not and invented ‘information’ concerning tunnels of various just by Henry, but jointly with his two brothers. The dates and purposes associated with the two long railway death of one of them did not materially delay construc- tunnels passing through the parish, completed in 1841 tion, as there was no need to engage a new contractor. and 1899; with the far older subterranean quarries for building stone from which, for example, material for Hoof’s death certificate is silent on the question of building Windsor Castle was reportedly obtained; and flooded and collapsing quarry roof supports. It notes with the early 19th century subterranean quarrying activi- that ... ties of the Jolliffe & Banks civil engineering partnership. Henry Hoof, labourer, died aged 49 at Hugh McKnight’s Shell book of inland waterways Merstham 18th of March ... cause of death (David & Charles, 1975, page 81) for example tells us 'consumption' [tuberculosis- a bacterial infec- that ... tion] ... informant Elizabeth Fox (of Nutfield) ‘present at the death’. Construction work on the M23 motorway at Merstham in Surrey in 1972 revealed an The variant dates of death and ages at death notwithstand- embarrassing complex of many miles of ing, these sources undoubtedly refer to the same man. tunnels, nine huge caverns, three ponds and a 44-acre underground lake under the line of the new road. There is a collection of stone-mining machinery and the rotting remains of some twenty-eight canal boats. All are relics of the quarrying activities of the first Baron Hyton [sic] at the end of the eighteenth century. Little else is known about this strange survival. This is a splendid example of ‘fake history’ containing The remains of factual errors and statements for which no primary Henry Hoof sources are known. do indeed lie under his The first Baron Hylton (not Hyton) was born William tombstone George Hylton Jolliffe in 1800, so was hardly in a posi- in the nearby tion to manage a quarrying business at the end of the churchyard, 18th century, and was not made a baronet until 20 lettered as August 1821, and raised to the peerage on 19 July 1866 above . after a career in politics rather than quarrying. His father William John Jolliffe [1774-1835] worked quarries at Merstham from about 1807 onwards in partnership with Edward Banks [1770-1835]. His grandfather William SACRED Jolliffe [1745-1802] owned the land and mineral TO THE MEMORY OF resources at Merstharn from 1788 but did not exploit the MR. HENRY HOOF latter. The 19th century quarries were at the southern (BROTHER TO terminus of the Croydon, Merstharn & Godstone Iron THO. & WILLIAM HOOF Railway, operated between 1805 and 1838. CONTRACTORS ON THE LONDON & BRIGHTON RAILWAY) There are indeed some miles of underground building- WHO DIED 19TH OF MARCH 1840 stone quarry tunnels extending from the Quarry Dean AGED 50 YEARS, area eastwards into the next parish (now Blechingley, WHILST IN EXECUTION OF THE formerly the southern end of Chaldon). The canal boats MERSTHAM TUNNEL are a figment of some body’s imagination, based on two un-implemented early 19th century canal proposals. Quite what the roof-span of a 44 acres underground lake The only ‘primary’ evidence for the supposed unfortu- (constrained within a bed of Upper Greensand less than nate tunnelling accident described by Adrian Gray is a six feet thick inclined downwards to the north at an an- letter written by an amateur but usually reliable local gle of 6°) might be, whatever its shape, defies conjec- historian, William George Tharby [1896-1977] to the ture. proprietor of the Oakwood Press in the 1970s. Two years later Adrian Gray’s The London to Brighton To address the supposed details, the land at the foot of line 1841-1977 (Oakwood Press, 1977) reported that … the North Downs escarpment is indeed at a number of The hillside through which the Merstham tunnel places ‘riddled’ with quarry tunnels, which extend at was being dug was riddled with disused mining Merstharn for about a mile eastwards from near Quarry galleries. On 19 March 1840 one of these was Dean (east of both railway lines). All the quarry tunnel- struck by workmen, releasing a flood of water ling is limited to beds of stone less than six feet thick which swept away wooden supports, and within the Upper Greensand, below the North Downs caused part of the works to collapse, so that Chalk. No quarry voids have been detected any closer to Henry Hoof, a member of the contracting firm, died. the original main line opened in 1841, or indeed until the Newsletter 216 November 2017 11

Gatton boundary. There is a significant gap in quarried ground, with extensive site investigations for both the M23 and the M25 motorways failing to detect any cavities. More directly relevant, the inclination of the Upper Greensand strata (6° downwards to the north) takes the bed exploited by the Merstham quarrymen well below the railway trackbed at both tunnel portals, and indeed below the water table where quarrying would in any case not have been possible even after a quarry drainage tunnel was completed in 1809. All available evidence suggests very strongly that the published misinformation originated locally to support objections to the use of the open chalk pit at Merstham as a landfill site by Croydon Council, and to the construction of the M23 and M25 motorways. The chalk pit, never- theless, was filled with Croydon’s refuse and now lies below the M23 the construction of which led to Map of M23 & tunnels - the demolition of Quarry Dean Farm. The M25 now www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/51.2745/-0.1614 runs a short distance away to the south of Rockshaw OpenStreetMap® is open data, licensed under the Road. Pollution of groundwater by the landfill, and the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL) risk of one or both motorways suffering subsidence caused by the OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF). by subterranean cavities, were cited by objectors. What actually happened at Merstham? [5] In 1838-1841 the partnership of Henry Hoof There are seven contenders for tunnels (other than the and his two brothers drove the first Merstham labyrinth of stone extraction tunnels to the east of both tunnel for the London & Brighton Railway. rail lines) actually proposed, and five of them made at Flooding and some roof falls were experienced Merstham. These are considered, in chronological order during this work as a result of exceptionally as follows ... high winter rainfall causing the water table in the Chalk to rise above the intended tunnel [1] In 1807-1809 Jolliffe & Banks drove a drainage floor level. This would have happened anyway, tunnel northwards from a point on the south side and had nothing to do with the quarrying. of Rockshaw Road to drain groundwater and allow quarrying further down the dip of the Upper [6] In or about 1840 the London & Brighton Rail- Greensand beds. This was so successful that it way's engineer proposed to the shareholders intercepted the spring feeding the mill stream, that floodwater in the unfinished tunnel could resulting in the watermill ceasing to work, be removed by driving a drainage adit south- followed by a legal case and payment of compen- wards below the track bed, which apparently sation to the miller. The inner end of this adit (now blocked presumably by collapses) is in a was done, although Network Rail have not as yet now flooded section of the quarry. The location of located this. It is referred to as having been made the collapsed outfall lies between Rockshaw Road in William Whitaker’s Geological Survey and the M25, and still seems to be leaking water Memoir on The water supply of Surrey pub- slowly as there is a damp patch still visible near lished in 1912. the northern end of the footbridge over the M25 to the east of both railways. [7] In 1896-1899 the second railway tunnel was driven for the Quarry Line for the London, [2] By 1811 the Jolliffe & Banks civil engineering Brighton & South Coast Railway. As this is at a partnership had driven a slope shaft inclined higher level than the 1841 tunnel this work downwards to the south from near the open encountered no problems with groundwater, chalk pits, whereby it appears a stationary and no voids. steam engine hauled stone up to the Croydon, Merstham & Godstone Iron Railway. A man died Practical Usefulness of Industrial Archaeology as a result of the engine exploding. The upper It is interesting to add that industrial archaeology and end of this shaft is now buried under chalk pit historical research can have some present-day practical spoil banks. The lower end has been located by importance. The writer was some years ago consulted by divers in the flooded quarry. the railway authorities concerning a proposal to stand a [3, 4] At about this time there were two proposals tower crane just outside the south portal of the 1841 for canals at Merstham, one to have had a very tunnel. This was to replace electrical transformers in long tunnel under the Downs from Coulsdon, connection with increasing the line voltage. I expressed the other to have served as a continuation of the my opinion that there was no risk of the crane collapsing Croydon, Merstham & Godstone Iron Railway into quarry voids and, possibly, short-circuiting the elec- southwards through a tunnel under what is now trified line, but stressed that this was a personal opinion Rockshaw Road. Neither scheme was proceed- based on evidence I cited. However, I also pointed out ed with. that the 1830s adit made to drain groundwater from the railway tunnel during construction would presumably

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(Continued from page 11) still exist below the tracks, although there appears to be be born in mind, and the location monitored for the pos- no current knowledge of the location of the inner end sibility of subsidence. A derailment closer to the tunnel within the railway tunnel, or the outfall. I am not a quali- portal on 27 June 1949 was found to be the result of fied engineering consultant, and have no insurance cover poor track maintenance below the bridge carrying Pe- for the risks imagined! The transformers were replaced ter’s Siding into the former Merstham limeworks, not without mishap. subsidence. I have more recently advised Network Rail that there are As a result of my advice, also, the builders of the M25 crown hole collapses both sides of the 1899 line, some took account of the possibility of the Jolliffe & Banks’ distance south of the Quarry line tunnel portal. Both 1810 quarry drainage adit reopening, and a flood of have been explored and recorded by members of local water, mud and rock spilling onto the motorway. The caving clubs and proved to be small sections of under- structure of the earth bank along the north side of the ground quarry workings. No clear evidence of connecting motorway was modified down-slope of the outfall voids at shallow depth below the Quarry line was found, location. ¤ but as roof falls limited exploration the possibility should

The Oxted Gasholder note from Peter Tarplee

Members may be interested to learn that the gasholder at Oxted is to be demolished. This gasholder has been disused for many years and was described in Surrey’s Industrial Past which SIHG published in 1999. This has been a notable landmark near Oxted station for many years. The developers, St William, give details of the plans on their website: www.oxtedgasholder.co.uk/.

www.geograph.org.uk/ photo/4264240 © Copyright S 0tefan Czapski and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. 2014