Crucifix Lane Railway Arches

Hi Joe
Wikipedia say's

In architecture a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building. Preventing rainwater from running down masonary walls
is important because running water erodes the mortar between the stone blocks. Architects often used multiple gargoyles on buildings to divide the flow of rainwater off the roof to minimize the potential damage from a rainstorm. A trough is cut in the back of the gargoyle and rainwater typically exits through the open mouth. Gargoyles are usually an elongated fantastic animal because the length of the gargoyle determines how far water is thrown from the wall.
Gargoyles are said to scare off and protect from any evil or harmful spirits.

Facinating stuff, reminds me of a few girls i went out with? obviously not Bermondsey Lasses.
Only Joking girls..................
 
Bermondseyboy

Interesting  and in that case they may not be Gargoyles in that sence, but they are heads and as a child they frightened me!  some years ago my aunt said they were something to do with a biblical theme  how many there are I am unaware perhaps ten or twelve perhaps the apostles who knows but someone somewhere does.  Have you seen them ?

Joe Foster

Fosney

Can't say iv'e ever noticed them.
If they don't channel the water they must be Grotesque put there to ward off evil spirits.?
Thats enough to frighten any kid.

Bermondseyboy
Steve

Hi

Myfather was born in 1914 in crufix street it was so interesting to see the photo there were no houses last time I went there I guess they were all bombed.  Thanks for the picture  Susie

Regarding the Heads on the Arches in Crucfix Lane and St Thomas Street I now have some better pictures of these heads but can still not find out how and why they are there. Has anyone any knowledge or idea?

Hi Joe

Great Photo's, and on close inspection I noticed holes in them?
Which I would assume that would channel water, but how it's channeled from the roof i'm not sure?
Now you have got me going, I must find out for sure, perhaps some of our Members will be able to help.

Bermondseyboy

Hi all,

The BVAG (Bermondsey Village Action Group) is a newly formed action group to keep an eye on Southwark Council and it's overzealous ideas on high rise redevelopment and planning applications in the local area.  The main focus is to preserve and restore the local heritage.  In particular, we have applied to English Heritage to get these railway arches listed.  Part of it already is - the double arches right on the back of London Bridge Station by the Weston Street tunnel but it remains unknown if the remaining arches leading to the end of Crucifix Lane are.

We are also looking to find out who these arch heads belong to so we would be very interested in knowing if you find out.  We also have a brief history we have written on the the arches and the railway line, if you would like a copy please contact me.

Best wishes

BVAG

Hi Bvag
 
What a great and worthwhile Job you do.
It's a shame that many of the stunning architectual buildings have now long gone, like some of the Cinema's and Library's. and of course Pubs.
Keep up the good work and keep a careful eye on Southwark Council.
 
Bermondseyboy
Steve

Steve
Network Rail website says that they are responsible for these arches they cant sell them as they own the track which runs over them

BVAG, whatever gave you the idea that Southwark Council were overzealous on high rise redevelopment! To be honest, I get the impression that the planning department is ashamed of the area and its past - just like the 60's/70's all over again.

Take a look at this thread on SkyscraperCity (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=787222) and you'll see what many architects think of scruffy old Bermondsey & Southwark and its need for redevelopment. None of them live locally or are from the area, but anyone who opposes them is a Nimby or living in the past. There's similar threads for all the local developments at the Elephant, Chambers Wharf and Bermondsey Spa.

Hi,

Well, the planned development for BV is certainly on the map so to speak and without groups like ours all local heritage would be demolished and be our own memories!
I would prefer not to push the work of the action group on a thread like this as it sometimes gets a bit messy but more info can be found on www.bvag.net for those who are interested. I'm an administrator and the group is newly formed but I know discussions will be up and running on the websites forum soon.  In the meantime visit www.bstowers.net  as this is full of information for those would like like to know how we prevented Sellar from building the 3 houses project at the top of Bermondsey Street.  Not a done deal but Southwark have moved the Tall Building Zone back and the planned 3 houses or Shardettes will either be re designed or something else entirely.

Anyway, back to the railway arches.  I went to a couple of libraries today and found some information on the arches but not what the headstones represent.  There was very little about the stretch of arches that run along Crucifix Lane and St Thomas Street.  However, i did find out that that line on top of that bit of arch was the London - Brighton line and I am going to write to the following groups to see if they can help:

Railway Historical Society
Railway Heritage Trust
two local historians.

However, I think and this is a very wild stab in the dark that the London to Croydon line and the London to Greenwich/Brighton line fell out in a big way (documented in the books I read).  I am wondering if the railway office for the L to G/B Line had their offices on Crucifix Lane and if the stone heads are to do with the engineer, the architect, the constructor etc etc.  I did find out that any water holes you can see could be to do with the leakage of the line above the natural flow would have found its way down and on the the pillars/arches.  This is also documented as apparently the vaults underneath LB station were always slightly flooded.

Anyway, any other suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks!

Hi all

I own a Business in one of the Railway arches on Crucifix lane and have done for the past 15 years in this time I have heard various stories about the viaducts. As for the gargoyles I am afraid they have no connection for the dispersal of rain water but nice idea. The front of these arches are merely a facade and have no structural importance to the railway arch as pretty as they may be. I have been told by various local residents that they had used these arches as air raid shelters in  WW2 and previously used as storage for wine & spirits and a bottling company long before I had got here. Onto another matter on a post from BVAG they are correct in saying that these arches are not listed, And I am surprised that they are not having a lease for this property. We have been given some information on the future of crucifix lane and St Thomas street as there is plans in place as part of the Thameslink 2000 London Bridge program nick named the (master plan) so expecting an eviction notice within the next 12 months all this information is available by Googling it. Don't think that this will not happen take a look at Borough Market. 

I will keep you posted if I get any more information on this, and keep you updated.

Hi lsmd

Thanks for your post, you have put my mind at rest about the Gargoyles, I always thought they were something to do with the drainage owing to the fact that they had holes around them, which i thought were the outlets, still they do add to the character of the arches.
I wonder who they were, if they were modeled on anyone?
Sorry to here about the redevelopement, as you know Bermondsey has change so much, this is why these old photo's we have are so important, it reminds us oldies of the (good o'l times).

Bermondseyboy
Steve

Hi lsmdThanks for your post, you have put my mind at rest about the Gargoyles, I always thought they were something to do with the drainage owing to the fact that they had holes around them, which i thought were the outlets, still they do add to the character of the arches.I wonder who they were, if they were modeled on anyone?Sorry to here about the redevelopement, as you know Bermondsey has change so much, this is why these old photo's we have are so important, it reminds us oldies of the (good o'l times).BermondseyboySteve

-bermondseyboy

I worked in these arches, briefly, in the early 1960's, At that time they were known as the Crucifix Lane Vaults. They were leased by the sherry company Pedro Domecq (I believe) and they had been there a long time. The vaults held some wonderful vintage sherries in cask.

The heads look to me like portraits rather than gargoyles, and they look like 19th century men.  Could it be possible they were portraits of Domecq family members?

Hello Curly
I worked at Cricifix Lane Bonded Vaults in the early 60's as an engineer on the bottling equipment. Some of the people working on the line would fill up capsules (metal bottle closures) with sherry and send them along the conveyor belt. My 10am a number of the bottling workers were well oiled and couldn't remember how to switch on their machines, let alone work them properly. Kept me busy. I was 'removed' from my position when the previous engineer was released from prison who had something on the manager. Hope it wasn't you.
Roy James

hi jumbo do you remember the food shop in crucifix lane that sold  rolls  and a lot more, and run by john and bet barrett? lovely couple they where

Hello CurlyI worked at Cricifix Lane Bonded Vaults in the early 60's as an engineer on the bottling equipment. Some of the people working on the line would fill up capsules (metal bottle closures) with sherry and send them along the conveyor belt. My 10am a number of the bottling workers were well oiled and couldn't remember how to switch on their machines, let alone work them properly. Kept me busy. I was 'removed' from my position when the previous engineer was released from prison who had something on the manager. Hope it wasn't you.Roy James

-jumbo

Hi, Jumbo.

No, it wasn't me.  I worked for Customs and Excise.  I was based at Willson's Wharf Wet Clerical Office in 67 Tooley Street, and was only sent out the the various bonded warehouses in the district to fill in for the permanent staff who were on holiday, or whatever. I also worked in Willson's Wharf Landing Office, 68 Tooley St (United Rum Merchants Bottling Bond), Mark Brown's Wharf, etc.

I can confirm your recollection of the workers (usually local women and girls) who worked on the bottling lines. But I think alcoholism in that area should have been recognised as an industrial disease. If you spent more than 5years working in the industry you were hooked for life.

Hello Curly
Customs
One morning a bottling line was down and I rewired the 3-phase connector as that appeared to be dodgy. The bottling line manager (John) was given the okay and preparing to restart he grabbed hold of the metal rail that stops the bottles from falling on to the floor only to receive a mighty shock that hurled him over the conveyor belt. Shaken and dazed I took him into the Customs office, sat him down and looked for a suitable drink. The Customs always had plenty of drink in their cupboards. I selected a white liquid that we thought was wine and poured John a large glass, which he gratefully swigged down. Unfortunately, it was over-proof vodka. He was quite a sight when his wife came to collect him and he was off work for 2 weeks.

Hello ColinSLaney
I can't clearly recall the food shop - don't know why. I used to travel to work on a Triumph 250cc scooter, which I parked outside between the columns and probably went home for lunch. I was then living in Barlow St off of East Lane so not very far to go.
The bottling line managers used to get rolls, etc. I remember this because when I rebuilt my engineers workshop I also constructed a rest area with seating that was used by the managers.
It was an interesting place to work as I was born in Guys, living in Snowsfields at that time (1940) and I got married in Bermondsey St.
Regards