Bletchingley railroad tunnel workers huts in 1841

[JOOBLES]

My ancestor and his family (wife and 4 children), all lived along the railroad line when he worked on the new Bletchingley railway at the time of the 1841 census.

I’m wondering if there any photos of the place, particularly the workers living huts etc. that may have been taken in later years.

I found this information -
“The Bletchingley Tunnel was built in 1841 as part of the original main line between London and Dover. Ventilation shafts can still be seen in the area but most of the huts and buildings used to house the labourers at the time have mainly disappeared under the undergrowth.”

By 1851 they were all back at home in Sussex.

Thanks,
Joobles

[Andy J2022]

Photography was in its infancy in 1841, and so it is highly unlikely anyone would have been going around photographing work camps at that time, and even if they had, the photographs (ie the prints from the glass plate negatives) are even more unlikely to have survived as the chemicals used at that time were very unstable and would have broken down over time. You might find a sketch or painting however.

[Ruskie]

I was just about to post the same thing Andy. 

Even if the worker’s huts survived for a long time or were converted into something more permanent, it would be unlikley that there would be a photographic record of them. Photography was an expensive and skilled process so unlikely to have been wasted on photographing anything insignificant.

You may find more information about the huts in a local archives or through a local history group.

[mazi]

Googling (bletchingly tunnel). and selecting images, about 10 rows down is an artists impression of the building works, with a link to a YouTube video, but it’s over an hour long, along search for a 10 second “still”. 


Mike

[JOOBLES]

Thankyou.
Silly me, I will amend my post - I should have said, are there any later photos that may have been taken of the old buildings now hidden in the undergrowth !

Ok Mike, I’ll do that thanks.

[mazi]

Googling “railway navvy encampment” will give you an idea of what some looked like.

The same few contractors built most or the early railways so one camp would look much like any other.

I realise this may not be exactly what you are looking for.


Mike

[JOOBLES]

I will have a look, thanks.
It seems the workers who had their wives & children with them were given their own hut - very posh (not !!).
It must have been awful.
No wonder they went back home to Sussex as farm labourers.

[hanes teulu]

The Pictorial Times, 6 Feb 1847 (pages 12 and 13) carries a range of "artists' impressions" of activities re. the development of Bletchingley Tunnel.

[JOOBLES]

How do I see those pages ?
Thanks