While running the Guts and Glory Smithfield walking tour, I’ve been keenly following the progress of ‘The Cottage’ at 3 Hayne Street.

You can walk along Hayne Street off Charterhouse Square, newly-revealed now that Crossrail’s hoardings have come down.

3 Hayne Street looks like something left from a film set, or simply an old house that everyone’s forgotten about.

So what’s its story?

History of 3 Hayne Street

The road was first laid out in 1687 by Thomas Neale, most famous for his work at Seven Dials.

But then came the Metropolitan Railway, which acquired the whole South side of Charterhouse Square in 1864 and started work on the rail extension from Moorgate to Farringdon. The entirety of Neale’s Charterhouse Street was demolished.

But then in 1873-74 a new thoroughfare was finished, named Hayne Street, which according to Pevsner is after the new developer.

So now, teetering on the edge of the tracks, 3 Hayne Street is the final reminder of this 19th century street.

Fate of 3 Hayne Street

Back in August 2020, I saw a thread on Twitter from Tim Dunn (the historian, broadcaster and railway aficionado) saying it was scheduled for demolition in the Crossrail plans from January 2006.

“The dwelling at 3 Hayne Street is scheduled to be acquired and demolished shortly after the works in this area.”

Another Crossrail document, The Farringdon Station Detailed Desk Based Assessment from 2008, simply describes it as a residential building called ‘The Cottage’ and concludes there is probably no archeological deposits underneath as it’s so close to the railway cutting.

Finally, a City of London 2010 report also lists 3 Hayne Street as earmarked for demolition.

But now the access shaft and ticket hall is complete and with the street finished, it seems untouched.

Here are the various stages of works captured from Google Street view in 2008, 2017 and 2021;

Image Credits: Google Maps (2008, 2017, 2021)

Maybe I’m being optimistic, but perhaps it will be saved after all? It’s not listed or of any particular historic or architectural importance but it seems a real shame to lose it.

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