The Newham Story
The Newham Story => Historical Newham => Topic started by: carol price on 07 August, 2008, 03:19:33 PM
- The item below was taken from this weeks recorder, a subject that came up a lot on the Local history board..
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A WELL-LOVED piece of local history was removed by crane at the weekend in the name of progress.
The footbridge linking Star Lane with Stephenson Street in Canning Town, known locally as the Peggy Leggy Steps, was lifted away in order to build the new DLR station as part of the extension to Stratford International.
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The newham recorder came be viewed online in digital form , it can be read the same as a newspaper but you will need to register, the address to get onto the newham recorder site is below ,it is part of the way down the page on the right ,just follow instructions ,this weeks probably doesnt go for a couple of days.
Carol.
http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/content/newham/recorder/default/default.aspx
- We cannot shed too many tears as the true Peggy Leggy steps were removed years ago and replace by a new much long steel steps when the underground lines were installed for the Jubliee line.
But I have included this photo.
As the new Star Lane DLR station is due to have a center platform, there will be a third `new` Peggy-Leggy steps, and if somebody ever finds the `true` meaning for the name prehaps the DLR will note this in the station design
- The original Peggy Leggy Steps were a great place for a bit of romance en route from the Imp to Star Lane. You had to time it when a steam loco wasn't passing underneath otherwise it resembled Brief Encounter.
I was told the steps were named after someone who lost a leg (or legs) when crossing the line before the steps were built. I like that story better than the more mundane versions I have heard.
- I remember playing on the steps in the mid 50's. In those days the steps had only two staircases, the one in Star Lane and the other in Stephenson Street. In about 1960 the steps were extended to cross a newly laid railway siding for use of the West Ham Power station. The new section of the steps terminated opposite Cody Road. It was also at this that I believe the level crossing was installed. During the work, my me and my mates used to talk to the watchman at the site, his job was to guide people safely over the track between trains.
Andy C
- Can I just guide you to this page of The Newham Recorder.
http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/content/newham/recorder/news/story.aspx?brand=RECOnline&category=newsNEWHAM&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsnewham&itemid=WeED06%20Aug%202008%2008%3A48%3A52%3A100
- Now the peggy leggy steps are gone
a trip to the Dartmouth arms is more awkward assuming its still open
does anyone know what street other than Bidder st the Dart was on before they built the B power station and cooling towers in 1953.
SMUDGER
- Smudger,
According to my maps of 1915 and the DART has always been in Bidder Street. In the early days it was at the corner of New Road, next to the school. It appears that at some time, Bidder Street was re aligned to its present position, but the small section that the DART is in kept the name Bidder Street. From memory, the DART was then directly outside the power station gates.
Hope that helps
Andy C
- We were recently In Newham and saw the last of the Peg. Leg. Steps before they were demolished, It would be interesting to know how the name originated, I have heard a few different stories, does anyone know for sure.
Sheila
- Could someone fill me in on these steps please? Specifically how long they've had their name, and the various reasons why they were named as such?
I have an ancestor - James Dooley - who was known at the time as Peggy Dooley due to having a wooden leg, but I think it's a stretch to claim that he was responsible for the steps being named! ;D
Still, he sounded like a bit of a character as the information from the Old Bailey Online shows for 1903/4:
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/images.jsp?doc=190405160095 (http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/images.jsp?doc=190405160095)
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/images.jsp?doc=190405160096 (http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/images.jsp?doc=190405160096)
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/images.jsp?doc=190405160097 (http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/images.jsp?doc=190405160097)
- One of the many versions of the Story of Peggy-leggy steps is that when the were the original steps, a man who may have been an ex-seaman was paid what at the time was a few pence to keep the steps clean, and this was the reason for `Peggy-Leggy` Steps.
Remebering that there was a lot of steam locomotives going under these steps every day carrying both fright and passenegers, so these steps must have got very dirty.
He certainly sounds a man who enjoyied his drink!
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Now the peggy leggy steps are gone
a trip to the Dartmouth arms is more awkward assuming its still open
does anyone know what street other than Bidder st the Dart was on before they built the B power station and cooling towers in 1953.
SMUDGER
the Dartmouth arms is still open i go past it ever day my grandfather was a potmen in there in the late 30's/40's and they callen him pegge as he had only one leg . I know the next st was clakeson st as thats were my mum lived but that's gone now
- I remember the original section of the steps that crossed the old branch line to the power station. These were still in place in the early '90s, with the modern section continuing on across Manor road.
Ashley
- The photo shows the new `Peggy-Leggy` steps going in to place for the Star Lane DLR Station.
- I remember going over the steps back in the early 60s to play over the 'old town'
Always told by our parents never to go over there as it was dangerous!
Never knew why it was dangerous but gave us more reason to go an explore!!!
Pat Mahoney
- Just found a photo on this site that I am pretty sure are the old Peggy Leggy Steps. There is also an aerial view on Britain from Above website that shows them in 1946 though they are a fair way from the cam,era the location is unmistakable.
http://spitalfieldslife.com/2012/05/28/this-was-my-landscape/
- Biff great link, viewing those photographs brought back a few memories. You are correct the "Iron Bridge" is Peggy Leggy Steps and a close look at the iron work shows where the old bridge was extended in the late 50's.
Along the Track photo was taken from the steps and shows the breakers yard at the beginning of Star Lane and the houses at the rear are in Malmesbury Road.
The "Scrap Yard" was at the top of Liverpool Road in the distance, centre picture, is the Durham Arms in Stephenson Street.
Andy
- How about a campaign to rename Star Lane Station 'Peggy Leggy Steps Station'? I wish I'd done something about this earlier when I saw the new station being built. I wonder, were TFL or whoever names stations aware of the local, historical name?
As to the origin of the name, my mum who grew up in Canning Town in the 1920/30s always said it was named for an old character with a peg leg who used to sit on steps. He was tormented by local children (not her of course) who loved to get him riled and chasing them - as best he could!
- Biff,
Having played many many times on the Peggy Leggy Steps as an 7/9 year old in 1937/9 which as you can see is many years ago. I would not say that (Iron Bridge) in the photograph was the PLSteps.
Bearing in mind Biff much has alteredm since then. When we kids standing on that bridge we had clear views to either side ( to the right was the Glass Works which has been confirmed in other posts) could also look straight ahead over the rail lines to a Wood Yard (huge place) and Canning Town Station. . By my Paperwork Kathy suggested the GW were there until about 1963? and then may-be moved to Isle of Sheppey. Of course those huge (Cooling Towers?) could have been built much later. She herself had also played on these steps and bridge and got covered in steam smoke as did we. Then rushed home to have a wash in cold water before Mum saw me.Biff it might have been a poor part of the East End but I never noticed it and had a whale of a time growing up in this Area until |Evacuation in 1939
Louise
- Hi
I have done a bit of digging and found that the original Power Station which opened in 1904 was taken over by the L.E.B in 1948 and a new power station (West Ham B) was completed in 1951.
The original (West Ham A) had cooling ponds whereas West Ham B had the two cooling towers that are in the photo but would not have been there prior to 1951
I have attached a couple of maps of the area which show the area.
- I started to use those steps to get to work (at Cohens Scrap Metal sites) in December 1959 & for the next 3 years or so. I began to hate every bloody step, specially when covered in ice & snow. Still sorry to hear they have gone though. Another segment of my life confined to the dustbin.
- This is a picture of the Peggy Leggy steps in 1946 from the Britain from above website.
(http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/sites/all/lib/aerofilms-images/zoomify/england/EAW000652/TileGroup1/5-3-9.jpg)
- Here is a link to Britain from Above website and a photo that shows the whole area of Bromley Gas Works and
Canning Town Glass Works and I think if you go on the zooming in feature you can just about see P L Steps on the
extreme RH edge of the photo.
- It must be my age
Here is the link that I forgot to attach on the previous post
http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw010699