

LEA BRIDGE STATION: A STORY
all the photographs and information are second hand sources from the websites: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/l/lea_bridge/ https://www.londonreconnections.com/2013/lea-bridge-lives-again/ this booklet was collated for project 1 as supporting information for our site. this provides us with a better understanding for the Lea Bridge Station, placing our redevelopment proposal into context.
A BRIEF HISTORY The Lea Bridge Road Station was the first intermediate station north of Stratford on the Tottenham to Stratford line in 1840. From Stratford, the trainline continued up the Lea Valley and Lea Bridge Road station was shorted to Lea Bridge in 1871.
The station’s single storey main building that was reachable from the overbridge was once over the earliest known examples of an ‘overtrack’ station building. In the 1870s, a shanty town named the Lea Bridge Gardens developed around the station consisting of around 70 wooden houses, where residents undertook market gardening. It was demolished in the 1920s and was replaced by a speedway stadium. The station building was gutted by a fire in 1944, though the frontage survived, the insides of the building were all burned. The building was subsequently repaired in the 1950s
 
The station building in 1897 (top) and in the 1920s (middle and bottom)
 
In the 1920s, Lea Bridge was extremely popular in London for the sport Speedway due to its proximity with the Lea Bridge Stadium that was built on the site of the Lea Bridge Gardens shanty town. The Bridge hosted speedway and was home to the Clapton Saints speedway team. 1930: It was also used by Clapton Orient football club. Spectator facilities included a covered stand on the southern side of the ground and embankments around the remainder. During its peak, the stadium’s record attendance was over 20,000. By 1937, Clapton Orient was unhappy with the sporting home and a move was made to Leyton where the club was renamed Leyton Orient. Without the attraction of football, the stadium soon closed.
1940: The station building at street level was brick-built in a classical manner
1947: Aerial view of Lea Bridge station. The street level building is seen as a blackened shell from a fire in 1944
 
1952: Lea Bridge station; raised walkway on left linking to street level building


Lea Bridge in the 1960s
1975: ‘New’ street level building that already looks weathered and run down. Station would be unstaffed the following year. Though the Lea Bridge building officially closed to goods traffic in 1970 it was retained as a parcels depot.
1975: The down shelter of the platform was retained and the navy sign on the bridge abutment reads ‘Cross the line by the footbridge only’
1984: The down shelter is now demolished with only the back wall remaining. The bus shelter and the navy sign inviting people to cross the bridge is also removed. The parcels depot closed in the late 1970s after less than 10 years of disuse and is badly vandalised.
November 1984: The structure that replaced the original road level entrance building no more than an open shelter.
 
1985: People gather at the station at its final day of operation.
 
1986: Leave Bridge Station 18 months after its closure. Little has changed but the street-level building’s poor, run-down state is clearly visible in the image above
2008:Vegetation has taken over the platforms and footbridge after the station has been disused for so long
2008: Compared to the image of the station in 1986 with a similar viewpoint, the street level building was used to provide shelter for homeless people
 
2015: Building has yet to begin on the new Lea Bridge Station. The street level shelter has now been demolished. Work on the new station has been delayed by 2 years due to conflicts of interest from 3 freight operators
mid 2015: Construction for the new station has finally begun. The new station entrance will be the fences off area in the trop right image.
2016: The new station is open with trains coming from Tottenham Hale. The new footbridge and walkway, with lifts is seen.
2016: The new upgraded trains approach the busy station
Current view of the crowded platform and arrival trains
Current view of Lea Bridge Station from the street-level building