An ongoing project to model the development of Loughborough Junction from the mid-19th century up to the current day. Follow @_LJ4D on twitter for updates as more content is added.

This small area of South London initially gained its identity as the location of a significant railway junction. The railway station has since lost its prominence, but the railway viaducts built during the 19th century continue to define the neighbourhood. The complex history of what has been built, dismantled and rebuilt since can be difficult to read from ground level, or from two dimensional historical maps and photos alone. This project attempts to put the pieces back together by reconstructing the past in three dimensions, and at multiple points in time.

The map below indicates the area that is currently modelled. Click on the buttons to see more detail on each part of Loughborough Junction. You can also click on the images below the map.

To see an overview of the entire model click here. You may find it useful to look at the video here as an introduction to the project.

Scroll down for more details.

What area is modelled?

The map above shows the current extent of the model. At some point I may find time to expand this a little, in particular to include some more of the area around Loughborough Road, north of the railway viaduct. At the moment the model covers the time period between about 1860 and 1905, as well as the current day. At some point I would like to provide more detail on how things changed during the 20th century, as well as how the area might have looked before any of the railways arrived.

Is that a real model?

The model is virtual one, rendered to look a little bit like a traditional “white card” architectural model. Drawing it all on the computer allows me to continually update it as I find new information, and I can use the same base information to generate multiple snapshots in time.

I think you’ve got something wrong!

Everything I’ve drawn is based on my interpretation of historical maps, and old photos where they are available. So inevitably there is a bit of speculation where information is short. I’d be very interested to hear from you if you think something is wrong, or if you’ve got any extra info that might help. Please get in touch – you can email me at contact@colin-m.com.

Who are you?

I live in Loughborough Junction and work as an architectural designer – you can see my other work here.

Acknowledgements

There are a couple of websites which have been particularly useful in getting started on this project:

https://loughborough-junction.org/  a blog with lots of interesting posts on the history of Loughborough Junction and neighbouring areas

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/ an excellent site with info on lots of disused railway stations including a page on Loughborough Junction

https://sremg.org.uk/home.html and several of its members who have helped with some railway-related historical questions.