shoeburyness railway station - democracy

Shoeburyness Railway Station

Shoebury Railway Station c1910

History

The LTS (London, Tilbury and Southend) Railway first opened in June 1846 but initially only ran as far as Southend. It was extended to Shoeburyness in 1884. In the 1860s the War Department (WD) opposed such an extension possibly due to fear that the railway would bring undesirable housing development to the village. However, by the late 1970s early 1880s an extension was positively encouraged by the military authorities as they realised that it would enable the military tramways at Old and New Ranges to be connected to each other and to a mainline and it would be possible to bring in steam engines to haul the heavy guns and equipment between the sites. The station was located as close to the garrison entrance as was possible at the time and in 1891 a connection was made between the military tramway and the LTS sidings. Over the years over 75 steam locomotives were brought to work at Shoeburyness.

So important was the railway extension to the WD it is reputed that they actually undertook the construction the station building themselves and previous employees have verified that keys to the building were marked WD (War Department). This is not normal practice for the WD.

DETE11071 - Appendix 1

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The station was opened on 1 February 1884. The building is timber built, which was not typical of the time when station buildings were normally brick unless built on marshland which is not the case here, and is more characteristic of a temporary station from this era. This, however, adds weight to the theory that the building may not have been constructed by the railway company.

Unfortunately there was a serious fire in the lamp room on Christmas Eve 1890 and it is likely that sections of the building would have had to be rebuilt. There are no pre fire photos so it is unclear how extensive the damage was and if it was repaired exactly as the original design, but this seems probable. The platform canopy appears to be original but has decorative ironwork brackets which are likely to have been added at a later date for strengthening, probably sometime around 1910 when they appeared at other stations along the line. The outer edge of the canopy was cut back to the pillars in the 1980s but otherwise the building appears relatively intact.

Over the years Shoeburyness became a major terminus and in addition to serving the military need, private connections were also set up to the local brickworks and the Shoebury gasworks. The railway transformed Shoebury into a busy Garrison Town.


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Architecture

The building is arranged in a through station layout despite being a terminal station. This is also considered to be unusual as it does not allow safe passage from the northern platform to the main building.

The building itself is a simple single storey rectangular form clad in flat timber boarding (not traditional weather boarding). It has simple timber sash windows with central glazing bars. The roof is slate and has 4 prominent chimneys. On the platform side there is a simple timber canopy with a scalloped timber edge and decorative ironwork brackets. Internally the fireplace and bench seating still survives in the ticket hall.

By and large the building has survived relatively intact although evidence of twentieth and twenty first century technology such as CCTV, air conditioning and cables have been attached to the building externally and a basic brick porch extension was added at some point (probably in the late C20) which is not very attractive.

However, it is understood that a renovation programme is currently underway which includes knocking down and replacing the entry porch, refurbishing the toilets and increasing the number of car and cycle parking spaces.

Recommendation

The building is very different in design than all the other stations in the Borough and this may be due to its unique history as both a military station as well as a civilian one and it is this aspect that makes the building especially unique. The structure itself it little altered externally and still has much charm. It is therefore recommended that the ticket office building be locally listed. This view is supported by Essex County Council.

Bibliography

The London Tilbury and Southend Railway Volumes 1 and 3, Peter Kay, 2010

Essex Railway Heritage, Peter Kay, 2007

Guns and Gunners at Shoeburyness, Tony Hill 2000, Baron Books

Essex Records Office


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Hinguar School, Shoebury

History

The first school in Shoebury was a single room erected in 1862 on the site of what is now St Peter’s church, on Church Street. This was financed and built by Dale Knapping, George Smith and the Church of England. In included a schoolmaster’s house and stages. The building had space for 175 pupils and served as a chapel of ease for St Andrew’s on Sunday’s.

Foster’s Education Act of 1870 made elementary education compulsory and parishes were required to make school places available for all children. At South Shoebury, Hinguar Street School (on the site of St Peter’s) fulfilled the requirements of this Act until the 1880s when a School Board was elected to raise funds for a new school. A Board School, which accommodated 370 children was erected a few yards east of the existing Hinguar Street school in 1886. In the early 1890s there discussions were held regarding enlarging the school, with some of the Board members in favour of extending the school on the existing site, and others favouring the establishment of a separate school on the Cambridge Estate. Eventually the decision was made to enlarge the Hinguar Street school buildings in 1897.


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Architectural Quality

Hinguar School is considered to be a local landmark, making an important contribution to the character of the local streetscene and reflecting an important period in Shoebury’s historic development. Hinguar is considered to be a fine example of late Victorian school architecture, reflecting the design characteristics of school buildings of the era including:

– multiple gables; – tall windows positioned high off the floor (a feature often seen on Victorian school

buildings, used to prevent the children from getting distracted); – its crowning cupola feature with spire; and – the use of red brick.

The distinctive entranceway for ‘girls’ on the front elevation has been well preserved, adding to the character of the building. The windows appear to be original, and are well preserved. A low, red brick wall has been retained to the front boundary, although it appears that this has undergone minor alterations including the loss of the iron railings and capping stones.

Recommendation

It is considered that Hinguar School qualifies to be Locally Listed by virtue of its being a good example of late Victorian school building architecture, displaying a number of well preserved features and making a positive contribution to the historical character of Shoebury. It is therefore recommended that Hinguar School be added to the Local List. This recommendation would apply to the Victorian elements of the George Street frontage of the building only. This recommendation is supported by Essex County Council’s Historic Buildings Advisor.


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The ‘Birdcage’

Ash Court and Beech Lodge, Rosewood Lane, Shoebury

History

Although outside of the main boundary wall, this part of shoebury was part of the garrison jurisdiction. The land was purchased in 1865 initially to provide overspill accommodation for the National Artillery Association who held their annual competition range at Shoebury Garrison. This event attracted over 1000 military competitors and ‘Campfield’ as it was known then, provided the location for the tented accommodation for the competitors.

The ‘Birdcage’ (now Ash Court and Beech Lodge, Rosewood Lane), c1900, was built as the Sergeants’ Married Quarters for the Garrison. The buildings are without the innovation of the earlier Horseshoe, but with the same simplicity of design and quality of detail. They demonstrate the evolution of military architecture and its expression of status between ranks.

Architecture

The buildings comprise a pair of mirrored blocks of two-storey buildings with a walkway to the front at first floor, covered by a projection of the pitched roof and with simple iron columns, stairs and balustrade. Each block has a symmetrical frontage with individual boarded doors to each unit and sliding sash windows with small panes. The covered external walkway at first


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floor front with its iron columns and simple balustrade is its distinguishing feature and the reason why these blocks were nicknamed the ‘birdcage’.

The buildings are painted brick with slate roofs and large red brick stacks which form a dominant feature at roof level. They have no private amenity space but are set adjacent to a communal lawned area to the rear. The pavement to the front is Yorkstone kerbs with granite sett gutters. This provides an attractive setting for the building although the tarmac parking area adjacent could be improved.

Overall the buildings are remarkably intact with very little alterations or loss of traditional features.

Recommendation

These are unique buildings with a unique history. They are well preserved and make a positive contribution to the streetscene. It is recommended that these buildings be locally listed. This view is supported by Essex County Council.


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Leigh Community Centre, Elm Road, Leigh

Original front elevation 1914

History

This building was constructed in 1914 as the premises for the Conservative and Unionist Club Ltd. The building originally contained 4 shop units to the ground floor which were to be let separately from the rest of the club. The building was designed by Percy R Fincher who also built a few other houses in the area but this seems to be his largest commission in the area.

In addition to the 4 shops the building originally included the accommodation for the Conservative and Unionist Club which comprised a billiards room, a buffet lounge, a smoking room, a reading room and a large hall for political meetings.

The building was extended in 1923 by the same architect which included the creation of an additional function room at first floor, behind the main facade and partly covering the original central light well and a narrow extension on the north side of the building which is visible above the northern most door on the front elevation. Both these extensions are in keeping with the overall architecture of the building.

The building is currently occupied by the Leigh Centre which is part of the Southend Adult Community College, but this function will be relocating to the new Belfairs High School Building from September 2011. The building also provides a venue for other community uses such as the monthly farmers market and quarterly vintage fair and is available for private hire.

In 2004 the building was adapted for disabled access which included an entrance ramp and internal lift.


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To the rear of the site is the Connexions Youth Centre which is a later twentieth century building totally detached from the site. It is not considered that this building has architectural merit.

Architecture

This is a substantial two storey building constructed of red brick with elaborate stone dressings and a slate roof. Its architecture is representative of a community building of its time and its fine detailing highlights the building’s status in the local community.

The building has unfortunately lost one or two of its original features to the front elevation including

the shopfronts (which have been replaced with uncharacteristic high level windows) the balcony detail above door and some of the first floor windows have been altered slightly (although their proportions

have been retained)

otherwise building frontage remains intact and it is still an impressive building in the streetscene. It should also be noted that these issues could be easily reversed. The reinstatement of the shopfront or larger windows at ground floor would also significantly enhance the building.


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The forecourt, unfortunately, is tarmac with parking which does not enhance the setting of the building but this also has the potential for improvement.

It is also worth noting that the building is located on the axis of Pall Mall and therefore forms an important termination of the long view down this street. This view, its scale and the impressive stonework detailing make this building a local landmark.

Recommendation

Despite a few alterations to the frontage this is still an impressive building with significant architectural quality and potential. It is considered to be a local landmark and makes a positive contribution to the streetscene. It is recommended that this building be locally listed. This recommendation would apply to the Elm Road street frontage of the building only, but should be held in abeyance until development proposals for the site are finalised. This recommendation is supported by Essex County Council’s Historic Buildings Advisor.


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129 Chalkwell Avenue (‘Hollingbourne’)

History

This large, three storey detached dwelling house, with garage, was built in 1924. It was designed for an H. E. Frith by the architect Percy G Hayward of Southend and London, who also designed a few other houses in the local area, notably a number on Chadwick Road. The house originally comprised of three reception rooms and kitchen at ground floor, five bedrooms and one bathroom at first floor, and a billiard room at second floor.

Records show that the house has undergone a number of extensions in the past, including an extension to the verandah in 1932, a rear extension in 1979, and replacement glazing in 2006 (part of a retrospective planning application). In 2009 planning consent was granted for the demolition of the existing detached garage, and its replacement with a double garage with linked roof to the existing house, together with the erection of two detached 2 storey dwellings with one detached garage and one attached double garage, forming a new vehicular access onto Esplanade Gardens.

The request to locally list this building was put forward to help preserve the property for future generations, and avoid any further alterations to its facade and character.

Architecture

This is a substantial three storey dwelling constructed of red brick with white render and red hanging tile detail to the bays. It is a good example of interwar architecture, with its strong canted bays and gable features, and is reminiscent of other properties in the local area.


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It position on a corner plot at the junction of Chalkwell Avenue and Esplanade Gardens affords it some prominence in the streetscene, although the canopy of trees surrounding the boundary does provide some screening of views to the property.

It is noted however that a number of extensions and alterations have been undertaken, which have in part detracted from its quality. The original windows were lost in 2006.

Recommendation

While 129 Chalkwell Avenue is an attractive property, with prominence in the streetscene, it is not considered that it is architectural interest is significant enough in its own right to satisfy the local listing criteria. The local listing of this building is not supported by Essex County Council’s historic buildings advisor. It is therefore considered that this building should not be added to the local list.


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shoeburyness railway station - democracy

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