This is the mouth of the River Wandle, with the River Thames in the background. The terminus of the line was near the right of the photo.
In this web page I will be using photos to illustrate the line of the route today. Most of the traces of the railway were obliterated by 19th and 20th Century development but there are a few traces and linear features which still remain.
The line was basically a turnpike with rails, which anybody could pay to use for freight. The carriages were horse drawn and had plain wheels, with the track being flanged on stone sleepers. The Wandsworth to Croydon section was double track and the Merstham extension was mostly single track.
There are maps and further information in the Railway Magazine Archive at semgonline.com :
This is the mouth of the River Wandle, with the River Thames in the background. The terminus of the line was near the right of the photo.
In the wall of the brewery in Ram Street. From here to Summerstown the line ran roughly parallel to the River Wandle, and as far as I know all traces of this section were removed by subsequent development.
The next place where it is possible to see the alignment of the line is on Mead Path, near Wimbledon Stadium. From here to Mitcham there is another section which has been obliterated.
The section from Mitcham to Waddon formed part of the route of the Wimbledon to Croydon Railway when it opened in 1855, and is now used by Croydon Tramlink. This photo is the spot where the Surrey Iron Railway curved away to the right towards Wandsworth.
This photo is taken from Willow Lane looking towards Croydon. A short branch to Hackbridge curved away to the right here, behind the houses. Part of the line of this branch is now used by a footpath known as Tramway Path, which is the subject of the next four photos.
Tramlink runs along the alignment of the Surrey Iron Railway as far as Waddon Marsh tram stop, where the SIR curved eastwards. This photo is taken from Factory Lane, part of which follows the course of the Iron Railway. This is looking towards Wandsworth; where Factory Lane curves to the right, the SIR carried straight on, parallel with the electric cables.
This is Factory Lane looking towards central Croydon. Where the road bends sharply to the left, the SIR carried straight on towards the terminus near Pitlake.
At Pitlake there was an end-on connection with the Croydon Merstham and Godstone Railway, and near what is now Reeves Corner there was a triangular junction with a short branch to the Croydon Canal, at what is now West Croydon station. After the Croydon Canal closed, much of the route of the canal was used for the West Croydon to London Bridge railway line. The SIR branch closed in 1836 and Tamworth Road was built along its course. Since Croydon Tramlink opened, trams once more run along this route.
These four photos are of Church Road in Croydon, which was built on the route of the line and was formerly known as Tramway Road. The cottages in the first photo were built in the 1850s, not long after the line closed.
From Croydon to Coulsdon the line ran parallel to the main Brighton Road (now the A235 and A23). The road is at the bottom of a dry valley, and the line ran slightly to the west on a terrace in the hillside. These two photos are of a service road at the back of the shops and houses between Haling Park Road and St Augustines Avenue, which must run very close to the alignment of the railway line.
This is a similar footpath along the back of the properties slightly further south, known as Haling Down Passage. The area now occupied by Biddulph Road was the site of Hayling Chalk Pit, which provided some traffic for the line.
Rotary Fields, Purley
This path in Rotary Fields runs along the line of the railway. The terrace can clearly be seen.
The next modern road to run close to the line of the railway is Purley Rise. This is looking towards Croydon; the railway probably ran to the west of the road.
The other end of Purley Rise looking towards Merstham
Near Smitham station the line curved westwards and then back towards the Brighton Road, crossing Chipstead Valley Road on an arched bridge. This is part of the embankment, next to the car park in Lion Green Road.
The railway crossed the Brighton Road on the level at Woodplace Lane, and then ran alongside the road on the eastern side. After the closure of the railway the LBSCR built the main line to Brighton on this alignment, and also the later Quarry Line which runs parallel to the main line. All traces of the Iron Railway were removed when the deep cuttings were dug.
When the Brighton and Quarry Lines enter the tunnels under the North Downs, it is once more possible to trace the line of the Iron Railway. This is the original bridge under Dean Lane, which has now been filled in.
This small vineyard is in between the two carriageways of the A23, just to the north of the start of the M23 motorway.
The railway ran through the cutting where the trees are.
At the point where the two carriageways of the A23 join back together is this section of the original cutting, now a Scheduled Ancient Monument
At the southern end of the cutting is this old bridge, now filled in, which carried an old road over the line.
This is Weighbridge Cottage in London Road, Merstham, and was the original toll house and weighbridge for the line.
Near Joliffe Road the line curved eastwards to the terminus at Greystone Lime works. This area has changed considerably, with the original quarry having been filled with landfill, and the M23 crosses the line of the railway in a massive cutting. This example of the track used is in the High Street in Merstham, away from the course of the Iron Railway.
Thanks to F Norman for recent updates. More information or corrections welcomed at paulb143.website@ntlworld.com
Try these websites for more information
Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society
Merstham Quarry and Lime Works Road (search for Merstham Quarry from the homepage)
