Princess Margaret will visit Hampstead Garden Suburb – founded by the late Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1907 – when it celebrates its golden jubilee in July. Down the years Hampstead has been served by no fewer than eight different railway systems, starting

Princess Margaret will visit Hampstead Garden Suburb - founded by the late Dame Henrietta Barnett in 1907 - when it celebrates its golden jubilee in July.

Down the years Hampstead has been served by no fewer than eight different railway systems, starting with the London-Birmingham route in 1837 via Chalk Farm and Kilburn High Road. All the companies had to get round the barrier of the Hampstead-Highgate ridge. They all, except the Northern Line, go east or west to avoid the barrier of the Highgate ridge (430 feet) and the Hampstead Heath ridge (450 feet).

The Great Central railway was the dream of Sir Edward Watkin ('mad' Watkin). In 1899 he planned to link Manchester with Paris via London and a channel tunnel. But money was short and investors were frightened. Sir Edward died at the turn of the century, a disappointed man.