Person    | Male  Born 6/8/1844  Died 21/10/1896

James Henry Greathead

Categories: Engineering

Countries: South Africa

Railway and tunnelling engineer. Born in Grahamstown, South Africa. Arrived in England in 1859. Studied with and then worked with civil engineer Peter W. Barlow on the Tower Subway tunnel. The travelling shield was invented by Marc Isambard Brunel. Greathead introduced modifications which meant it was generally used in constructing tunnels, in particular the tunnels of London's deep level tube system including the Waterloo and City line. Chief engineer, City and South London Railway.

We have found 3 abandoned tunnelling shields around London: at either end of the Rotherhithe tunnel and in a tunnel at Bank station. Died in London.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
James Henry Greathead

Commemorated ati

Greathead shield at Bank

This 'Greathead' type tunnelling shield ws left at this point 18 metres below...

Read More

James Greathead statue

Note that part of the Greathead shield used in digging the tunnels at Bank St...

Read More

James Greathead - SW13

James Henry Greathead, 1844 - 1896, railway and tunnellng engineer, lived her...

Read More

Other Subjects

Rotherhithe Tunnel Airshaft

Rotherhithe Tunnel Airshaft

The building contains a staircase down to the tunnel and pedestrian footpath. The photograph is of this airshaft's partner on the north bank.

Building, Engineering

1 memorial
George Robert Welby Wheeler, AMICE

George Robert Welby Wheeler, AMICE

George Robert Welby Wheeler was born on 20 November 1845 in Bermondsey, Surrey (now Greater London), the eldest of the six children of George Charles Wheeler (1820-1886) and Charlotte Wheeler née W...

Person, Architecture, Engineering, Liveries & Guilds

1 memorial
Peter Lind and Co Ltd

Peter Lind and Co Ltd

Peter Lind was a Danish construction engineer who came to England when, in 1913 he was appointed designer for the British Reinforced Concrete Engineering Company. His firm built the silos for The S...

Group, Engineering

1 memorial
C. S. Bainbridge

C. S. Bainbridge

MPGB, FRICS, MIMunL., Borough Engineer & Surveyor. Andrew Behan researched Bainbridge: Clement Spencer Bainbridge was born on 15 November 1896 in Askern, Doncaster, Yorkshire, the youngest of ...

Person, Engineering

1 memorial
Lighthouse Automation Programme

Lighthouse Automation Programme

The conversion to automatic operation of all the lighthouses and light vessels. The last one to be done (perfectly timed to occur on Trafalgar Day) was North Foreland Light in Kent. For the 400 yea...

Event, Engineering, Transport

1 memorial