The arrival of the railway in 1850 not only brought in a lot of
workers for the railway, but also enabled businesses to transport goods more quickly, opening communications with London, Cambridge, the Midlands and the North. This precipitated
development between the Station and the town centre consisting of a mix of terraced cottages for workers and larger villas
for the middle classes. This in
flux of people required places of
worship, so Holy Saviour Church was built in Radcliffe Road;
Walsworth Road Baptist Church was erected on the corner of
Highbury Road; and the Salvation Army Hall was built in Florence Street. The Reverend George Gainsford who founded Holy Saviour
Church also established a school, an orphanage and almshouses in Radcliffe Road. The Sacred Heart Convent moved
around the area and eventually settled in Verulam Road, so
spiritual and educational needs were both catered for. The community in the Triangle was served by a whole range
of businesses, including numerous small shops, and for the
first 100 years the area was almost self-sufficient, supplying all
the needs of daily life for the residents. Most of all, however,
this is a story of a community with a continuous history which
is still vibrant today. Sadly some buildings have disappeared,
but much has been preserved of this interesting area and the
book not only tells the history of the buildings, but reveals a
fascinating cast of characters past and present.
