Thursday 8 January 2009

Greenwich High Road gets electric

Huddled into a shady corner, identified only by the initials LESC, this small building on Greenwich High Road is easy to overlook.


However, an article by Richard Cheffins for Greenwich Industrial History Society reveals the true significance of the building. LESC, or more usually LESCo, was the London Electricity Supply Company which owned Deptford Power Station. The uninspiringly-named Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 2) Act 1889 required LESCo to provide an electrical supply to Greenwich and parts of Deptford within two years 'for the purpose of general supply'. Cheffins has dated this particular electricity substation to the early 1920s, and points out that it is a very rare physical survival of this important episode in the area's history.

Further reading: Deptford Power Station.

2 comments:

Adam said...

It's a rather nice little structure. The telephone box alongside is almost a historical monument itself, even if it is one of the more modern ones. I've seen several being lifted out of the streets of Paris recently.

Peter Ashley said...

I'm so glad you've posted this. Defunct service buildings must be amongst the most overlooked structures. I keep wanting to stop and photograph the one with a green pantiled roof (I think) near Brent Cross, but always get swept by in fast moving traffic. Still, a new year resolution...