*Historical* It’s hard to believe that Battersea Dogs Home once owned large kennels in Hackbridge. You would have seen them when standing at this spot on the railway bridge looking towards what are now blocks of flats.
The famous dogs home began life at Battersea in 1871, but due to a rabies outbreak in London an additional country location for animals was built in Surrey. At the time it was said… “the natural beauties of the surroundings, are very attractive and cannot fail to be appreciated”. Handily situated close to Hackbridge Railway Station it would offer boarding, quarantine and more. So put on your favourite lead and take a walk with us through some local history…
Where it stood
Built around 1898, the large kennels stood alongside the railway. Nothing is left, but we’ve marked the approximate location on the map below. The area marked ‘house’ is where we think the building above was located.
A safe lock-up
The ‘Dog Quarantine Station’ at Hackbridge was likely designed by Clough Williams-Ellis (1882 – 1978). At the time of writing, it’s not clear where this building was located. He was an architect particularly well known for designing Portmeirion in Wales – where the iconic 1960s sci-fi TV show, The Prisoner was filmed.
In 1907, aged around 24, Williams-Ellis designed the Whittington Lodge cattery at Battersea, which still stands, and is now listed.
There is a drawing he made for Hackbridge, in storage at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London – which we’ve not seen. Although Williams-Ellis often designed in an Italianate style, he was also known to create modernist buildings.
The last major outbreak of Rabies in London was in 1902.
Iron Railings are all that remain of Hackbridge Kennels
The country site at Hackbridge was sold in 1934 and Battersea opened a new site in Bow, East London. The kennels closed in the 1980s, though the exact date is unclear. The final owner kept the original railings for a new kennel business in Kent.
“My Great Uncle Jim Fiddimore worked from age 15 to becoming Superintendent at the original Battersea Dogs Home, Hackbridge Boarding and Quarantine Kennels. When it closed he started his own dog kennels in Kent. Jim saved all the original Victorian iron railings from being scrapped. The Iden Kennels site is still there today surrounded by the lovely old Victorian iron railings.”
With thanks to Battersea Dogs Home for the black and white images, Hackbridge & Beddington Corner Neighbourhood Development Group, Google Street View, Stacie Fiddimore, and various other sources. We will update this article as new information comes to light. Please do comment below with clarifications and corrections, and we will update the article in light of this.
Meet some residents of Hackbridge Kennels
A motorway next to Beddington Park? They’d even started building it…
Grew up in Sutton and Woodmanst, Dad ran Hackbridge Quarantine Station and I attended school.at Wallington County Higj
1960s/70s – as the train pulled away from Hackbridge Station towards Carshalton the pet cemetery could be seen, I think it disappeared when the Comet warehouse was built. Looks like that has gone as well …
I think it’s all gone now. Thanks for sharing your memories. There is a photo of the dog cemetery somewhere
The pet cemetery in 1948. Image courtesy of Sutton Heritage services.
I have some of he grave markers in my woodland in Sussex
Interesting. Please share a photo here if you have one.