PRIMROSE HILL

(1855-1992)


The first station serving the area opened on 9th June 1851 and was named Hampstead Road. This was replaced on 5th May 1855 by a new station of the same name, which is the present disused station. The "new" Hampstead Road was renamed Chalk Farm on 1st December 1862, but closed on 1st January 1917. It was re-opened, again as Chalk Farm, on 10th July 1922 and received its final name, Primrose Hill, on 25th September 1950.

The services using Primrose Hill were services between Liverpool Street and Watford Junction, which travelled on today's WAGN lines between Liverpool Street and the Graham Street curve (just south of Hackney Downs and just west of Hackney Central, then over the North London Line to just west of Camden Road, the short stretch on which Primrose Hill station is (or was) and finally on the LNWR lines from Euston to Watford Junction. The last trains on this service ran on 28 September 1992 which was also the last day of Primrose Hill but, because the station was flooded, the last train was diverted via Hampstead Heath. Today the station is overgrown but still repairable, so there is indeed a chance of reopening it to operate through services from Watford onto the North London line, but I very much doubt that the service from Liverpool Street will ever be reinstated.

(Panayiotis Constantinides)

 


 

 

The platform on the branch from the North London Line is still intact (as is the station building). There is no trace of the platforms serving the line out of Euston.

(July 2001)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking westwards.

(Apr 2005)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The station building looking very unlike a station building.

(July 2001)

 

 

 

Side of the station building. The westbound track can be seen beneath the building.

(Sep 2007)

 

 

 

View from a westbound train of the platform canopies. These were demolished a few months after this photo was taken much to the chagrin of campaigners to save it (and to eventually restore the station to passenger use).

(Sep 2008)

 

 

 

View from a westbound train of the platforms.

(Sep 2008)

 

 

 

View from a northbound mainline train out of Euston at the area where the platform canopies were. What should be noted here is the close proximity of the new flats to the line (literally built next to it). The view from at least some of those flats would have been of the decaying platform remains. It wouldn't be unreasonable to guess that complaints from the occupiers prompted the demolition of the platform buildings. This would not be the first time this has occurred: the platform building remains of Shoreditch station on the North London Line were demolished in the 1960s after complaints about them being an eyesore were made by commuters using the line.

(2010)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting map showing how the station was in the 1930s:
- it has one of its previous names (Chalk Farm)
- it is showing not only the section that still exists, on the branch from the North London line, but also the station on the main line from Euston.
- it is showing the depot, now partially demolished (a Safeway stands in its place)
- the circular image underneath the letters 'sta' is the locomotive turning shed, subsequently known as The Roundhouse, which was used for pop and other concerts in the 1960s and 70s. As of June 2005 it was still being extensively refurbished for reopening as a live events venue.

For an aerial view of this station, click here.

For a YouTube clip of this station just prior to closure, click here.

 


 

 

Holloway & Caledonian Road

 

 

Photos taken between 1977 and 1981, except where stated.