The Iron Road November 2019

Birmingham and the development of the railways

MOLA Headland Community Engagement Officer, Paul McGarrity, explores the rich railway history of and recent discoveries made at Curzon Street during archaeological work carried out on behalf of LM for HS2.

Excavations at the site of the terminus of the London to Birmingham rail route at Curzon Street station have uncovered the foundations of a engine shed, thought to be part of the original 19th century station complex. The building would have contained 16 engine bays with a central turntable, allowing the locomotives to be turned. These foundations join the single terminus building as the only remaining evidence of the original Curzon Street station; the rest was demolished in the 1860s as the nearby goods yard expanded.

Part of the turntable footing seen in one of the evaluation trenches © HS2, courtesy of Headland Archaeology

When it first opened in 1838, Curzon Street Station was at the cutting-edge of railway architecture. The building was designed by Philip Hardwick who was also responsible for the similarly classically inspired station in Euston. It was home to a refreshment room and a hotel for those who needed somewhere to stay between transfers to the adjacent Grand Junction station or before their return journey.

The line itself was built under the control of Robert Stephenson, the only son of pioneering railway engineer . Robert helped his father during the construction of the first ever commercial railway, the to Stockton line. The London & Birmingham line was his first major commission as lead engineer. It was a particularly significant project as it was the first line to terminate in London.

Rail travel itself was still a very new concept and one Birmingham newspaper thought it worthwhile to provide a step-by-step guide to navigating a journey from Birmingham to London, including such vital information as ‘…having paid your fare, you will receive a numbered ticket, which you must retain until it is required of you by the ticket-collector at the end of your journey’.

According to a September edition of the Waterford Chronicle from 1838, the first ever timetabled train from London to Birmingham arrived 8 minutes late. It is described as having ‘sixteen first-class carriages and mails, and four gentlemen’s carriages, and must in the aggregate have conveyed at least 200 passengers.’

Despite its late arrival, the train was greeted with elation:

‘The success of this, the first journey, throughout the entire line, gave unequivocal delight to all persons who witnessed the arrival of the train, and the bustle of so large a number of passengers alighting from the carriages and mixing with friends and spectators added greatly to the interest and excitement of the scene.’

Before the construction of the station, gardens and orchards covered the Curzon Street site. All of this changed with the coming of the railways, and tonnes of soil were brought in to level out the slope and seal the gardens beneath.

The station building was designed to reflect the architecture of the southern terminus in Euston with imposing Ionic columns across its front, and two covered passenger platforms extending behind. Its roof was so impressive that it was given special mention to travellers on the inaugural journeys from Euston to Birmingham. One commemorative booklet describes it as “one of the finest in the world”, having ‘covered a space of 217 feet by 113 feet’ and ‘weighed 326 tons.’

Engraving of Curzon Street Station. Midland Counties’ Railway Companion 1840

By 1852, however, the grandeur of Curzon Street was superseded by the construction of New Street station, a better- connected mainline hub. The crowds of commuters were replaced by pallets wagons and boxes as the station was converted into a goods depot for London Midland & Scottish Railway.

The archaeological programme at Park Street in Birmingham is being carried out by our experts on behalf of LM for HS2 Ltd. To find out more about the programme visit www.hs2.org.uk or for information on what is going in your local area head to Birmingham’s Commonplace.

Explore the archaeology programme on social media with #HS2digs