The Dream of a Suburban Idyll
In 1915, the Metropolitan Railway coined the term 'Metroland' to describe a band of countryside just to the west of London, marketed as a land of idyllic cottages and wild flowers.
The origins of the word 'Metroland' derive from the Metropolitan Railway Line, however, the word Metroland has subsequently become associated with the BBC documentary film written and narrated by the then Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Sir John Betjeman.
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| John Betjeman at the time that Metroland was being developed |
The film celebrates with an excess of nostalgia, suburban life in the area to the west of London that grew up in the early 20th century around the Metropolitan Railway.
The line itself - commonly known as the Met - was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its main line heading north-west from the capital's financial heart in the City to what were to become the Middlesex suburbs.
Its first line connected the main-line railway termini at Paddington, Euston, and King's Cross to the City.
The first section was built beneath the New Road using the "cut-and-cover" method between Paddington and King's Cross and in tunnel and cuttings beside Farringdon Road from King's Cross to near Smithfield, near the City.
It opened to the public on 10 January 1863 with gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives, the world's first passenger-carrying designated underground railway.
The line was soon extended from both ends, and northwards via a branch from Baker Street.
It reached Hammersmith in 1864, Richmond in 1877 and completed the Inner Circle in 1884, but the most important route was the line north into the Middlesex countryside, where it stimulated the development of new suburbs - suburbs that were subsequently described as 'Metroland'.
Electric traction was introduced in 1905 and by 1907 electric multiple units operated most of the services, though electrification of outlying sections did not occur until decades later.
Unlike other railway companies in the London area, the 'Met' developed land for housing, and after World War I promoted housing estates near the railway using the 'Metro-land' brand.
On 1 July 1933, the Met was amalgamated with the Underground Electric Railways Company of London and the capital's tramway and bus operators to form the London Passenger Transport Board.
With the outbreak of war in 1914, unlike other railway companies, which were required to dispose of surplus land, the Met was in a privileged position with clauses in its acts allowing it to retain such land that it believed was necessary for future railway use.
Initially, the surplus land was managed by the Land Committee, made up of Met directors.
In the 1880s, at the same time as the railway was extending beyond Swiss Cottage and building the workers' estate at Neasden, roads and sewers were built at Willesden Park Estate and the land was sold to builders.
Similar developments followed at Cecil Park, near Pinner and, after the failure of the tower at Wembley, plots were sold at Wembley Park.
In 1912, Selbie, then General Manager, thought that some professionalism was needed and suggested a company be formed to take over from the Surplus Lands Committee to develop estates near the railway.
In 1919 an independent company was created, although all but one of its directors were also directors of the 'Met'.
MRCE developed estates at Kingsbury Garden Village near Neasden, Wembley Park, Cecil Park and Grange Estate at Pinner, and the Cedars Estate at Rickmansworth, and created places such as Harrow Garden Village.
The term Metro-land was coined by the 'Met's' marketing department in 1915 when the 'Guide to the Extension Line' became the 'Metro-land Guide', priced at 1d.
This promoted the land served by the 'Met' for the walker, visitor and later the house-hunter.
Published annually until 1932, the last full year of independence, the guide extolled the benefits of "The good air of the Chilterns", using language such as "Each lover of Metroland may well have his own favourite wood beech and coppice — all tremulous green loveliness in Spring and russet and gold in October".
The dream promoted was of a modern home in beautiful countryside with a fast railway service to central London.
In 1924 and 1925, the British Empire Exhibition was held on the Wembley Park Estate and the adjacent Wembley Park station was rebuilt with a new island platform with a covered bridge linking to the exhibition.
The 'Met' exhibited an electric multiple unit car in 1924, which returned the following year with electric locomotive No. 15, subsequently to be named "Wembley 1924".
A national sports arena, Wembley Stadium was built with a capacity of 125,000 spectators it was first used for the FA Cup Final on 28 April 1923 where the match was preceded by chaotic scenes as crowds in excess of capacity surged into the stadium.
In the 1926 Metro-land edition, the 'Met' boasted that that had carried 152,000 passengers to Wembley Park on that day.
In 1925, a branch opened from Rickmansworth to Watford.
Although there had been a railway station in Watford since 1837, in 1895 the Watford Tradesmen's Association had approached the 'Met' with a proposal for a line to Watford via Stanmore.
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