Gloucester Road, Primrose Hill, NW1

Image: © Kate Jewell Taken: 30 Mar 2014

Gloucester Road is the Northerly boundary to Primrose hill urban village. Behind the houses on the left is the main railway line out of Euston. When the Primrose Hill houses were first built around 1837 the railway was seen as a bit of a curiosity with only 3 trains a day along a single track. The proximity to the railway was seen as a distinct advantage giving wealthy residents easy access to the City to do business. But unfortunately as trade grew with Birmingham and the Midlands the railway traffic increased with land bought up and houses demolished to build a bigger railway. Chalk Farm, just to the north of Primrose Hill became the centre of railway maintenance and the resulting noise and pollution put the whole area into decline. Most of the large villas were converted into tenements to house the railway workers and from 1860 onwards the streets of Camden Town and Chalk Farm became a byword in depravity and prostitution. The Victorians believed that north of Euston Road was corrupt and degrading and there is documented police evidence of brothels in St. Mark's Crescent, Gloucester Avenue and Park Village East, amongst other roads. Even in the 1950's this area was described as dirty and depressing. However the electrification of the line in 1960, done solely for the convenience and efficiency of British Rail, helped begin the renaissance of the area and today, these three streets probably represent some of the most sought after homes in Primrose Hill.

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