Minories was the western terminus of the

London and Blackwall Railway Originally called the Commercial Railway, the London and Blackwall Railway (L&BR) in east London, England, ran from Minories to Blackwall, London, Blackwall via Stepney, with a branch line to the Isle of Dogs, connecting central London to many o ...

(L&BR), located on the east side of

Minories Minories ( ) is the name of a small former administrative unit, and also of a street in central London. Both the street and the former administrative area take their name from the Abbey of the Minoresses of St. Clare without Aldgate. Both are ...

, a short distance north-east of the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

. The line was operated on a cable-hauled basis with a 400 hp pair of stationary steam engines winding a cable long, to which the trains were attached on the cable car principle. It opened on 6 July 1840, as the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

terminus for the L&BR (then known as the Commercial Railway). The following year, it was supplemented by a new station several hundred yards to its west, named

Fenchurch Street Fenchurch Street is a street in London linking Aldgate at its eastern end with Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street in the west. It is a well-known thoroughfare in the City of London financial district and is the site of many corporate office ...

, designed by

William Tite Sir William Tite (7 February 179820 April 1873) was an English architect who twice served as President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He was particularly associated with various London buildings, with railway stations and cemetery ...

. However, Minories station continued in use as an alternative terminus; it was closed temporarily between 15 February 1849 and 9 September 1849, before finally closing for good on 24 October 1853. The station site was later converted into goods sidings, and the lower levels of the old station were converted into the Mint Street Goods Depot. The depot remained open until April 1951; demolition came shortly afterward. The location of the station and winching houses are marked by the Minories public house.Christopher (2013), p. 25 The western terminus of the

Docklands Light Railway The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is an automated light metro system serving the redeveloped Docklands area of London, England and provides a direct connection between London's two major financial districts, Canary Wharf and the City of Londo ...

opened at Tower Gateway, just to the south of the site of Minories station, in August 1987.

References

External links

* Disused railway stations in the City of London Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1840 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1853 Former London and Blackwall Railway stations {{london-railstation-stub