EPW040813 ENGLAND (1933). Housing estate under construction at Kings Road, Rayners Lane, from the south, 1933

A hoarding advertising the Nash housing development.

I believe this hut to be an estate sales office, possibly that of the builders; E S Reid or T F Nash. Such temporary offices were commonly found in Metro-land areas under development. Such huts would either be dismantled after their primary purpose had been fulfilled, or else they were put to alternative retail use. An advertising hoarding on the land on the other side of the railway signifies that this plot was soon to be developed by Reid's.

This wooden hut survived until the 1980s. By then it was becoming a little dilapidated and appeared to be unused. It was a smaller version of the original Met Railway booking office on the other side of the road. Its original purpose is a little unclear. It may have once been a coal merchant's office. An entry on the London Transport Museum website describes it as a booking office. I believe this to be incorrect. The low level of passenger traffic in an area largely undeveloped at this time, barely justified the existence of one booking office, let alone two. Furthermore, there was no access to the railway platforms on this side of the bridge.

Village Way

Imperial Drive

Rayners Lane

Alexandra Avenue