In the first Greenwich Industrial History Society talk after our summer break, Richard Allen will be recounting the history of the North Kent line and the other associated railways,such as the London and Greenwich Railway, plus the Thames and Medway Canal.
For booking details, scroll to the end of this post.
Richard, a chartered electrical engineer who has worked in the rail industry for 22 years, says that it is difficult to imagine now,not only how industrialised the area once was– but that almost all the industries were major users of the railway. The area rivalled places such as Tyneside and south Wales in the number of rail-served industries that once existed. Only Angerstein Wharf remains as a reminder of that era.
Richard will cover the history of the line chronologically, and will also cover the many industrial railways associated with it, such as Angerstein Wharf, the Woolwich Arsenal and the various cement works between Dartford and Gravesend, and he will take the audience on a virtual tour of the line from London to Strood.
Richard is from Blackheath– and his first train journeys were on the North Kent line. After working in places as diverse as Tyneside and Bahrain,he now lives in Hertfordshire.
How to reserve your place at this free talk:
You can book a place now by emailing greenwichindustrial@gmail.com with the subject line “GIHS railway talk” and we will send you Zoom log-in details just before the talk starts.
We gather electronically at 19:15 UK time (not earlier) with the talk starting at 19:30
You’ll be able to ask questions via the chat function.
Please book your place by 19:00 on the day of the talk.