Metro-land development
The cover of the Metro-Land guide published in 1921
Unlike other railway companies, which were required to dispose of surplus land, the Met was in a privileged position with clauses in its acts allowing it to retain such land that it believed was necessary for future railway use.
[note 31] Initially, the surplus land was managed by the Land Committee, made up of Met directors.
[174] In the 1880s, at the same time as the railway was extending beyond Swiss Cottage and building the workers' estate at Neasden,
[110] roads and sewers were built at Willesden Park Estate and the land was sold to builders. Similar developments followed at Cecil Park, near
Pinner and, after the failure of the tower at Wembley, plots were sold at Wembley Park.
[175][note 32]
In 1912, Selbie, then General Manager, thought that some professionalism was needed and suggested a company be formed to take over from the Surplus Lands Committee to develop estates near the railway.
[178] World War I delayed these plans and it was 1919, with expectation of a housing boom,
[179] before
Metropolitan Railway Country Estates Limited (MRCE) was formed. Concerned that Parliament might reconsider the unique position the Met held, the railway company sought legal advice, which was that although the Met had authority to hold land, it had none to develop it. An independent company was created, although all but one of its directors were also directors of the Met.
[180] MRCE developed estates at
Kingsbury Garden Village near
Neasden,
Wembley Park, Cecil Park and Grange Estate at
Pinner, and the Cedars Estate at
Rickmansworth, and created places such as
Harrow Garden Village.
[179][180]
The term
Metro-land was coined by the Met's marketing department in 1915 when the
Guide to the Extension Line became the
Metro-land guide, priced at 1
d. This promoted the land served by the Met for the walker, visitor and later the house-hunter.
[178] Published annually until 1932, the last full year of independence, the guide extolled the benefits of
"The good air of the Chilterns", using language such as
"Each lover of Metroland may well have his own favourite wood beech and coppice — all tremulous green loveliness in Spring and russet and gold in October".
[181] The dream promoted was of a modern home in beautiful countryside with a fast railway service to central London.
[182]
From about 1914 the company promoted itself as "The Met", but after 1920 the commercial manager, John Wardle, ensured that timetables and other publicity material used "Metro" instead.
[1][note 33] Land development also occurred in central London when in 1929 Chiltern court, a large, luxurious block of apartments, opened at Baker Street,
[182][note 34] designed by the Met's architect
Charles Walter Clark, who was also responsible for the design of a number of station reconstructions in outer "Metro-land" at this time.
[163]
