Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVER RAILWAY

LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVER RAILWAY, a railway system from London east-sonth-eastward through Kent. It was originally called the East Kent; and it changed that name for its present one in 1859. It was authorized in 1853, as a line from Strood to Canterbury, continuous with the North Kent fork of the Southeastern, with short branches to Faversham Quays and Chilham, and with a total length of 31½ miles; it was opened from Strood to Faversham in 1858, to Canterbury in 1860; and, with subsequent extensions, it had a total mileage of 88 in 1866. The company was authorized, in 1855, to construct an extension of 16¾ miles to Dover, with branches to Admiralty pier and Dover harbour; in 1858, to construct a line from Strood to St. Mary-Cray; in 1860, to construct a line of fully 4 miles from a junction at Beckenham with the Farnborough extension of the West End and Crystal Palace to Herne-Hill, with two junctions into the Brighton and South Coast at Penge,- a line of 4 miles and 32 chains from the preceding at Herne-Hill, across the Thames at Blackfriars, to the eastward side of Faringdon-street, with two junctions into the Metropolitan respectively near Victoria-street and at Smithfield,-and a line of 2 miles and 65 chains from Herne-Hill into connexion with the Victoria Station and Pimlico at Battersea, with a short junction into the Southwestern at Battersea, and another short junction into the two preceding lines at Lambeth; in 1861, to lease the Kent Coast railway, and to construct an extension of 9½ miles to Walmer and Deal; in 1862, to lease the Mid-Kent line from Bromley to St. Mary-Cray, and to construct a junction of 1¼ mile in the neighbourhood of Battersea; in 1863, to complete arrangements with the Brighton and Great Western respecting occupancy of the Victoria station; and in 1863-6, to make extensions or enlargements of varions works, or to construct new ones, in varions places. The financial affairs of the company suffered a collapse in 1866; and extraordinary powers were obtained in Aug. 1867, to make arrangements with creditors and debenture-holders, and to raise additional capital.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a railway system"   (ADL Feature Type: "railroad features")
Administrative units: Kent AncC       London AncC
Place names: EAST KENT     |     LONDON CHATHAM AND DOVER RAILWAY

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