Q: SSR route under the Minories?

[Deleted]

Does anyone know of a source for an accurate route of the Circle/District under the Minories area between Aldgate/Aldgate East and Tower Hill? I'm pretty sure it goes under the Aldgate bus garage area, but struggle to find anything about its exact course (under buildings or roads...).

thanks for any pointers

[Deleted]

I have a copy Godfrey Edition, Old OS Maps, Sheet 63, Whitechapel.
www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk/
This shows open air sections of the Circle, one just east of Trinity Square, another just south of Aldgate Stn. Joining these in a smooth curve agrees (more or less) with the Circle Line as shown here
london1868.com/weller18.htm (MAPCO : Map And Plan Collection)
So, yes, the bus station is built over the tracks.

[Deleted]

There is a useful website www.old-maps.co.uk that has old OS maps online.

[Deleted]

Thanks, the old-maps site seems to give accurate routes from the 1:1056 scale maps. Basically, its under the bus garage, then under Minories, before turning to Tower Hill after Portsoken Street.

[mikebuzz]

Mar 30, 2012 0:00:20 GMT @stephenc said:

Thanks, the old-maps site seems to give accurate routes from the 1:1056 scale maps. Basically, its under the bus garage, then under Minories, before turning to Tower Hill after Portsoken Street.

It's as I thought Stephen, curving round just to the east of the minories!

[Deleted]

See the 1896 map on www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html at co-ordinates 533510,181120 and 533510,180990 to see it follows Minories exactly in the middle.

[phillw48]

I have a map drawn up in 1944 for the Corporation of London that shows all the railways in and around the City at that time. It shows the exact line of the SSR lines as well as the deep tube lines and the Post Office Railway. Most of the sub surface lineswere built beneath roadways to avoid having to pay property owners for way leave. My map shows that the line runs beneath Minories almost until the Fenchurch Street station viaduct where it begins to turn to the west.

[Deleted]

Avoiding wayleaves was the reason for the original deep level tube lines following the street pattern. For the sub-surface lines the simpler reason is that they were generally built by cut-and-cover, opening up the street, digging out the tunnel then covering over again.

[mikebuzz]

Mar 30, 2012 22:20:17 GMT @stephenc said:

See the 1896 map on www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html at co-ordinates 533510,181120 and 533510,180990 to see it follows Minories exactly in the middle.

Thats a good find. It does indeed follow the Minories for quite some length as well as traversing the bus garage between the buildings.

It joins Minories just south of the junction with India Street and leaves it at tis junction with Crosswall/Portsoken street.

It goes under the building of Besso Group and into Tower Hill.

[Deleted]

I used to be possible to stand in aldgate bus station and hear the district line trains as the pass as there is a air vent just south of aldgate station that comes out next to the bus station.
I dont know if you can still do that as the bus station has recently been modified.