Robert Stephenson, while engaged in the survey of the above line,
encountered much opposition from landed proprietors. Many years after
its completion, when recalling the past, he said:—“I remember that we
called one day on Sir Astley Cooper, the eminent surgeon, in the hope of
overcoming his aversion to the railway. He was one of our most
inveterate and influential opponents. His country house at Berkhampstead
was situated near the intended line, which passed through part of his
property. We found a courtly, fine-looking old gentleman, of very
stately manners, who received us kindly and heard all we had to say in
favour of the project. But he was quite inflexible in his opposition to
it. No deviation or improvement that we could suggest had any effect in
conciliating him. He was opposed to railways generally, and to this in
particular. ‘Your scheme,’ said he, ‘is preposterous in the extreme. It
is of so extravagant a character as to be positively absurd. Then look
at the recklessness of your proceedings! You are proposing to cut up our
estates in all directions for the purpose of making an unnecessary road.
Do you think, for one moment, of the destruction of property involved by
it? Why, gentlemen, if this sort of thing be permitted to go on you will
in a very few years _destroy the nobility_!’”