We’re stepping back in time and returning to the nineteenth century once again to explore how Londoners travelled from A to B when private carriages and good old-fashioned walking weren’t an option. This month, we’re putting the magnifying glass on trams. Originally powered by steam, these vehicles later made the transition to literal horsepower in the second half of the century. The extract below comes from pages 234 – 235 of an original edition of Dickens’s Dictionary of London 1895.
For reference: s. = Shilling/Solidus, d. = Pence/Denarius. 12 pence equated to 1 shilling. 1 shilling approximately equates to 5 pence in modern money. A penny approximately equates to 0.416 pence in modern money.
“Tramways.—The following information respecting the principle tramways has been furnished, on request, by the respective companies:
The penny fares are in some cases suspended on Bank Holidays.
The North Metropolitan Tramways Company
BALLS POND LINE.—Colour, Green. Route, Graham-rd, Balls Pond-rd, Essex-rd, and Goswell-rd. (3½ miles, 35 minutes.) Fares, Mare-st, Hackney, and Aldersgate, 3d.; Mare-st, Hackney, and Angel, 2d.; Dalston Junction and Aldersgate, 2d.; Dalston Junction and Mare-st., 1d.; Angel and Aldersgate, 1d.; Dalston Junction and New North-rd., 1d. First car from Mare-st, 7.20; last 11.10, First car from Aldersgate-st, 7.58; last, 11.51.
BARKING-ROAD LINE.—Colour, Red. Route, Canning Town Station to Greengate. (11/8 miles, 12 minutes.) Fares, any distance, 1d. First car from Canning Town, 5.25; last, 11.13. First car from Greengate, 5.5; last, 10.53.
BARKING BUSSES.—From Poplar Stn. to Canning Town Stn. (3/4 mile, 10 min.) Fares, 1/2d. First bus from Poplar Station, 7.50; last, 11.5. First bus from Canning Town Station, 8.6; last, 11.21.
BISHOPSGATE LINE.—Colour, White. Route, Stoke Newington-rd, High-st, Kingsland-rd, Shoreditch. (3 miles, 30 minutes.) Fares, Weaver’s Arms and Norton Folgate, 2d.; Weaver’s Arms and Amhurst-rd, 1d.; Church-st and Dalston-jtn, 1d.; Dalston-jtn and Shoreditch, 1d.; Downham-rd and Norton Folgate, 1d. First car from Weaver’s Arms, 7.38; last, 10.42. First car from Norton Folgate, 8.12; last, 11.16.
CANONBURY LINE.—Colour, Chocolate. Route, Seven Sisters-rd, Holloway-rd, Canonbury-rd, New-North-rd, East-rd, City-rd. (4 miles, 40 minutes.) Fares, Finsbury-pk and Moorgate-st, 3d.; Finsbury-pk and Essex-rd, 2d.; Highbury-stn and Moorgate-st, 2d.; Finsbury-pk and Nag’s Head, 1d.; Nag’s Head and Highbury-stn, 1d.; Liverpool-rd and Essex-rd, 1d.; Mintern-st and Moorgate, 1d. First car from Finsbury-pk, 7.50; last, 11.4. First car from Moorgate, 8.25; last, 11.51.
EDMONTON AND FINSBURY PARK.—Route, Tramway-av, Edmonton, via Lower Edmonton, Tottenham, Seven Sisters-rd, Manor House, and Finsbury-pk. Fares, all the way, 5d.; Finsbury-pk and Angel br, 4d.; St Anne’s-stn and Tramway-av, 4d.; Finsbury-pk and White Hart-la, 4d.; St. Anne’s-stn and Angel br, 3d.; High Cross and Tramway-av, 3d.; Finsbury-pk and Bruce Grove, 2d.; St Anne’s-stn and White Hart-la, 2d.; High Cross and Angel-br, 2d.; White Hart-la and Tramway-av, 2d.; Finsbury and St Anne’s-stn, 1d.; Manor House and Seven Sisters-rd, 1d.; St. Anne’s Station and Bruce Grove, 1d.; High Cross and White Hart-la, 1d.; White Hart-la and Angel-br, 1d.; Angel-br and Tramway-av, 1d.
FINSBURY PARK AND WOOD GREEN.—Route, Finsbury-pk, via Manor House, Finsbury-pk-rd, Harringay, and Wood-gr. Fares, Finsbury-pk and Harringay-stn, 1d.; Manor House and Queen’s Head, 1d.; Harringay-stn and Alexander Hotel, 1d.; Queen’s Head and Wood-gr, 1d.; all the way, 2d.
FINSBURY PARK AND MOORGATE-ST.—Colour, Yellow. Route, Seven Sisters-rd, Holloway-rd, Upper-st, and City-rd. (4¼ miles, 42 minutes.) Fares, Finsbury-pk and Moorgate, 3d.; Finsbury-pk and Angel, 2d.; Finsbury-pk and Nag’s Head, 1d.; Nag’s Head and Highbury-stn, 1d.; Highbury-stn and Angel, 1d.; Angel and Moorgate, 1d.; Highbury-stn and Moorgate, 2d. First car from Finsbury-pk, 7.5; last, 11.4. First car from Moorgate, 7.50; last, 11.53.
HIGHGATE AND MOORGATE-ST.—Colour, Blue.—Route, Upper Holloway, Holloway-rd, Upper-st, and City-rd. (4¼ miles, 42 minutes.) Fares, Highgate and Moorgate, 3d.; Highgate and Angel, 2d.; Highbury-stn and Moorgate, 2d.; Highgate and Nag’s Head, 1d, Nag’s Head and Highbury-stn, 1d.; Highbury-stn and Angel, 1d.; Angel and Moorgate, 1d. First car from Highgate, 7.0; last, 11.8. First car from Moorgate, 7.45; last, 11.57.
HIGHGATE AND ALDERSGATE-ST.—Colour, Red. Route, Upper Holloway, Holloway-rd, Liverpool-rd, and Goswell-rd. (3¾ miles, 38 minutes.) Fares, Highgate and Aldersgate, 3d.; Highgate and Angel, 2d.; Station-rd, Highbury, and Aldersgate, 2d.; Highgate and Nag’s Head, 1d.; Nag’s Head and Station-rd, 1d.; Station-rd and Angel, 1d.; Angel and Aldersgate, 1d. First car from Highgate, 7.45; last, 10.46. First car from Aldersgate, 8.26; last, 8.30.”
What initially struck me about the above is the amount of time it took to travel a short distance. For example, 4 miles took 40 minutes, which is unthinkable these days. Clearly, the speed of a tram was dictated by the speed of the horse(s) pulling it. I also found it interesting that one of the tram stops is a hotel. It makes me wonder whether the hotel owners paid for this convenience.
If you enjoyed this blog, please consider subscribing to my monthly newsletter the Gaslight Gazette to be notified of new blogs, Bow Street Society book news, and more.
~T.G. Campbell, April 2026
Leave a Reply