Hand-painted historic railway maps that lay hidden for decades at Victoria station have been restored in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, writes Louisa Woolf…
For decades the maps, located at one of the entrances of the Grade II-listed station, were obscured from public view. Firstly by early phone booths, and then, more recently, by a newspaper kiosk.
The two ceramic hand-painted line maps, made in 1899, depict many long lost stations along the old London Brighton and South Coast Railway lines, one illustrating the entire network and the other illustrating their suburban lines.
The maps also show subway connections, race courses and golf links, and important modern-day stations including Clapham Junction and London Bridge.
The maps have been restored with funding from Network Rail and a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust, and the work was overseen by the Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern, Thameslink and the Gatwick Express.
Experts at Restore London oversaw the restoration, meticulously cleaning the maps, repairing the damaged architectural setting and matching broken tiles and surrounding stonework in both colour and detail.
A blue heritage plaque has also been unveiled at Victoria Station to celebrate the work.
The restoration of the antique maps marks 200 years since the birth of modern railway, after the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825.
When the maps were created, towards the end of the Victorian era, the London Brighton and South Coast Railway network was competing with South Eastern Railway for passengers travelling south from Victoria.
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The elaborate maps showcase this competition, according to Benedict O’Looney, Govia Thameslink Railway’s architect and a committee member of Victorian Society.
He said: “Around 1900, the two companies that developed Victorian Station built impressive new station fronts in the fashionable Beaux Arts style.
“These maps shine a spotlight on rival railway companies, deploying sophisticated Edwardian architecture, craftsmanship, and materials, to show the public their quality.”
Tim Hedley-Jones, executive director of the Railway Heritage Trust said: “These historic tile maps were discovered behind an old news stand a number of years ago and it has long been an aspiration of the Railway Heritage Trust to restore them.
“Thankfully match funding money became available within Network Rail and we were able to grant support for the works.
“These maps give us a glimpse of what the entrance to this wonderful Grade II listed station would once have looked like.”
Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director for Network Rail, said: “We were pleased to be able to support the restoration of our railway heritage at Victoria station, working with our partners at the Railway Heritage Trust and Govia Thameslink Railway, as well as our expert specialists.
“The restored maps will be a great reminder for future generations of passengers passing through Victoria station about the incredible history of our railway.”
