The Express.
London, England, 1867-08-22 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE HIGHGATE, FINCHLEY,

AND EDGWARE RAILWAY.

To-day a branch line is opened in connexion
with the Greet Northern Railway which, we predict, in
time will be a great convenience to the citizens of London,
and a source of gain to that large class of investors, the
shareholders in the Great Northern Railway. Few readers
are ►ware of the peculiar beauties of the district now
opened up : the soil is favourable to trees and grass, the
air is bracing and salubrious, and we may add, except
during the hay season, when the labourers seem to come
from all the parishes in England and Ireland, the solitude
is most profound. Those abominations of civilised life,
brickfields, and " desirable semi-detached residences"
are not known : here and there, dotting some pic-
turesque hill and surrounded by stately elms, a gentle-
man's villa may be seen—otherwise you might
fancy you were a thousand miles from London.
Of King's-cross and Holloway it la needless to
speak. We leave the trunk line of the Great Northern at
Seven Sisters-road. The original seven sisters recorded in
legend would not know the place now, for what with the
railway, and the new Finsbury Park reaching right away
to that resort of sporting men, Hornaey Wood House, the
' place has been thoroughly transformed since they lived
and loved, and died. Passing over the railway (not yet
open), to connect Tottenham and Hampstead we arrive
in five minutes at Crouch End, the station nearest to
Hammy, with its memories of Rogers and Toni Moore.
The cottage where the poet lived-1.41a Rookh Cottage—
is still shown ; and Murrell-hill, now crowned by the
Alexandra Palace, is speedily gained, if you feel inclined
to leave the train. Muswell-hill is one of the finest
building sites in this neighbourhood, and has always been
dear to the citizens of London. Dr. Johnson used to visit
this spot, and his memory is still preserved in a walk
that bears his name.

Highgate is the next stopping place, and is reached
miter another five minutes' ride. The station is in the
Archway-road, under which there is a tunnel—the mention
of which reminds us of the immense progress which has
been made in engineering science since th►t road was
made. Our fathers regarded it as the eighth wonder of
the world, yet they made • sad mess of it. It was to
have been tunnelled, but the tunnel fell in. It proved but
an unprofitable speculation, and its fifty pound shares, for
such they were originally, may be now purchased at five
and twenty shillings. At the top of this road, near
the Woodman, is the mansion of Marshal Wade, the
military hero whose name Scotland should revere, of
the original couplet :

Had you seen these roads before they were nude,
You would lift up your hands, and bless Omani Wade.

IFrom the top of this mansion you can see over the valley
of the Thames, far away the pleaaant hills of Surrey
or Kent. You cannot wonder people love to live at High-
' gate, or that there should yet be pointed out the
house where Cromwell resided, or Andrew Marvel,
or Coleridge lived. It was in one of the lanes
leading up the hill that Coleridge met Keats and Leigh
Hunt. " There is death in the hand," said he to Hunt,
II as he shook hands with the author of " Endymion." It
was in another lane that that pleasant man about town,
land yet, is spite of himself, eminent patriot, Jack Wilkes,
came courting a rich heiress, and rode with her to meeting,
in the style affected by the great nonconformist merchants
of that day. It was at Highgate George Morland loved
to stay tippling, when he bad better have been painting ;
and to Highgate alsobelonge the credit of having turned
Hogarth into an artist when his friends would have kept
him an engraver. Walpole tells the tale as follows:
" During his apprenticeship he set out one Sunday w'th
two or three companions on an excursion to Highgate.
The weather being very hot they went into a public-house,
where they had not been long before a quarrel arose be-
tween some persons in the same room: one of the dis-
putants struck the other on the head with a quart
pot, and cut him very much. The blood run-
ning down the man's face, together with the agony of
the wound which had distorted the features into a meet
hideous grin, presented Hogarth, who showed himself
thus early apprised of the mode nature had intended he
should pursue, with a subject too laughable to be over-
looked. He drew out his pencil and produced on the spot
one of the most ludicrous figures that was ever seen."
Highgate Cemetery, a little to the left, is one of the few
places near London in which you would wish to lie ; and
Highgate Grammar School, founded in 1562 by Sir Roger
Cbomeley, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, is still a
flourishing institution, if we may judge by the handsome
schoolroom and chapel just erected by the trustees. After
all Highgate has much the air of a provincial town : the
great city is creeping up the bill, and trying to claim it as
its own, but Highgate, with its quaint brick houses and
fine old trees, forbids the banns. In the good old times
the fare by the stage to the Bank was half-a-crown, and
these coaches rattled up and down the hill—for it was
the Great North-read—all day long, and the traveller

was solemnly sworn on a pair of horns—not to eat brown
bread when he could get white—not to kiss the maid when
he had a chance of 'eluting the mistress—not to drink
small beer when he could have strong, unless be preferred
to do otherwise.

Finchley is a very extensive parish, formerly • common,
reaching as far as Enfield, and has two stations ; the first,
East End, after crossing the Great North-road, is reached in
five minutes after leaving Highgate. The view on your
left towards Hampstead and Nen Wood, the pest of the
Earl of Mansfield, is very pretty and reminds you of
Devonshire. The cutting here is but slightly below the
level of the road. Here also we gain • fine view of distant
Harrow. But we must hasten on. On our left is the Maryle-
bone Cemetery, • little to the right is that of St. Pancras and
Islington, and further on is Colney Hatch. As we are
passing rapidly along, we get • glimpse of the tree known
as Turpin's Oak, where gangs of his merry men
were wont to hide, so runs the tale, for the purpose of
pouncing on the unwary or belated passenger. A little
further, and you may see the farmhouse where Dickens is
said to have written ' Bleak House," and the chimneys of
the little cottage in Fallow Corner where Grimaldi used
to live. But whilst thus looking around us six minutes have
passed, and we are now at the second Finchley station,
where the name of Hendon as well as that of Finchley
suggests to us that about • mile and a quarter to the left
is the rural parish of Hendon, but little altered lino.
Henry Bate Dudley, "the sporting parson," one of the
boon companions of George IV., was curate there, and
used to play at cribbage in the vestry on Sundays between
the morning and afternoon serviee. Leaving Finchley, we
pass over a viaduct, which has been the moat troublesome
part of the line to make, over Dollies) Brook, and reach
Mill-hill station, • mile further on If you leave the
station and climb the hill you will be well repaid for
your trouble. The views on every side, especially when
looked at in the morning sun, are beautiful indeed, At
Lour feet, as you stand with your face turned to where
ndon should be, is the valley of the Brent, and around
you are hills with waving woods and green fields, where
the cow lazily feeds—where the heavy-winged rook slowly
sails—where the din and smoke of London never reach.
Close by is the great dissenting grammar-school, with its
old cedars of Lebanon, planted, we believe, by Linn/cut
himself. As we look back to Finchley we see Finchley
old church, where a small monument records the name of
Major Cartwright, the well-known reformer, when reform
Walla dangerous game to play, and not, aa now, a passport
to place and power.

Returning to the train we reach, after a journey
of ten minutes the ancient and impoverished town of
Edgware, a place apparently inhabited by the poorest of
the poor, but which, now that it has • railway, must revive.
All along the line in the neighbourhood of the stations
pen le are preparing to build. At Finchley alone it is
said, on one estate, no less than 450 houses, at rents
from 401. to 1001., are to be erected within a few months,
and Edgware will, in like manner—if land is to be had,
and builders are spirited enough—revive and flourish. But
the land here belongs to All Soul's College, Oxford, and
it is hard to buy. Beyond Edgware the country becomes
as charming as ever. At Staumore old Dr. Parr
began
life es • schoolmaster—and he could not have had
a better place for the training of the rising
generation. There is a hill there from the top of which
may be seen St. Albans, Westminster Abbey, the towers
of the new houses of parliament, Hampton Court, and
Windsor. At Stanmore Priory, now the residence
of Mr. Belk, the railway contractor, lived the late Dowager
Queen Adelaide, and before her the Marquis of Abercorn ;
and at the church of Wbitchurch, half a mile from Edg-
ware, are some interesting memorials of the Chandos
family. It will be remembered the Duke of Buckingham's
grand palace of Cannons was close by. Thus the
neighbourhood is full of interest, and the coun-
try is as country all that can be desired.
The line has been examined by the govern-
ment inspector, Colonel Hutchinson, daring the lest three
days, and may now be pronounced perfect! y safe.
The act for making it was obtained in 186 L In
1863 the works were commenced. Last year they
were carried on by the Great Northern Railway Company,
which purchased the line of the original shareholders.
The length of the railway is about mne miles, and the
works have been very heavy, as will be apparent when we
state that there are 40 bridges, four tunnels, a viaduct—
that at Dollies-brook-70 feet above the roadway, and in
many of the cuttings theerobeakments are4o feet high. The
engineers are Messrs. John Fowler and Brydone, to whom,
and to the resident engineer, Mr. A. O. Linn, the utmost
credit is due. The accommodation provided in the matter
of trains, under the superintendence of Mr. Cockshott,
the local manager, is of • character to ensure public
support.