20TH CENTURY

After the havoc of wartime and the Nationalisation of 1948, the transport of freight by rail suffered an accelerated decline. In the southern part of the Goods Yard, most of the rail lines were lifted in the 1980s. Although six gasholders continued in service until 2000, the area rapidly declined from the busy industrial and distribution district it once was. By the end of the 20th Century, it was under-used industrial site with many buildings falling into dereliction. This had a detrimental impact on local communities whose residents lost opportunities for work and associated trade from the business of the goods yards.

A number of projects were instigated to improve the area such as Camley Street Natural Park, a community wildlife reserve established in the 1980s just to the west of the Regent’s Canal on the site of the Plimsoll Coal drops. The area also became known for its night life and became a hub for artist and creative organisations. Nonetheless, problems of crime and poor quality environment continued to undermine the area

– problems that many residents fought valiantly to address.

19TH CENTURY

The Regent’s Canal was completed in 1820, linking King’s Cross to major industrial cities in the north of England. Another sign of the area’s growing industrial importance was the arrival of the Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company which opened Pancras Gasworks to the south of the canal in 1824. During this same period, a number of other

“polluting” businesses such as paint manufacture and refuse sorting were established, particularly in Battle Bridge, although much of the land to the north of the canal remained open fields.

The arrival of industry fundamentally altered the nature of King’s Cross. In a move to raise the rather tarnished image of the area, a statue of King George IV was erected at the Battle Bridge crossroads in 1830. The statue attracted ridicule and it was demolished in 1842, but the new name for the area -

‘King’s Cross’ - stuck.

18TH CENTURY

Rocque’s 1745 map shows the whole of the King’s Cross site as open fields adjacent to York Way (formerly Longwich Lane and then Maiden Lane). This road, and Pancras Road (formerly King’s Road), were traditional routes out of London to the north. Dotted throughout the fields were small settlements, such as Battle Bridge. The area was popular with Londoners escaping the city to health spas and country inns. It was also the route to and from Kentish Town, Highgate and Hampstead – retirement and commuter villages even in the 18th century.

Euston Road (known as ‘The New Road’ until 1857) was completed in 1756. This kick-

started development on the southern part of the King’s Cross site. Buildings were generally low quality two-storey terraced housing but also

included the Small Pox Hospital, built in 1793-4, and the Fever Hospital completed in 1802. Both were demolished after they were purchased in 1846 by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) to make way for its terminus, King’s Cross Station.

21ST CENTURY

The arrival of the 21st century has seen some significant changes that have kick-started the next chapter in the history of King’s Cross.

In July 2001, construction work started on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the restoration and extension of St Pancras Station. Since then, the area around King’s Cross has seen an investment of over £2.5 billion on transport infrastructure. To the south of the canal, several buildings were demolished and the triplet of gasholders dismantled and the components carefully stored on site.

The new St Pancras International terminus opened in 2007. The Midland Hotel and Great Northern Hotel have also been restored and in March 2012, the £450m refurbishment of King’s Cross Station was completed. These changes have acted as a catalyst for further development and a a vibrant new city quarter is now taking shape.

properties in Barnsbury. To the west of King’s Cross, the terraces and squares of Somers Town, first developed in 1784, continued to expand albeit now occupied by railway and industrial workers rather than the gentile middle classes. An area between Somers Town and the Goods Yard known as Agar Town was leased to workmen to build their own homes and it quickly became associated with poor quality dwellings. The German Gymnasium was built in 1864-5 as a club and sports facility for the German Gymnastics Society.

Agar Town and areas of Somers Town were redeveloped in the 1860s to create space for the tracks, terminus and goods yards of the Midland Railway. This included St Pancras Station, built between 1866 and 1868, and the Midland Grand Hotel completed in 1876 for the Midland’s patrons.

The Metropolitan Railway, the world’s first underground railway running along the route of the Euston Road, was also completed at this time using a cut and cover method to build the tunnels. The first tube trains were steam engines which caused considerable

The area was popular with Londoners escaping

the city to health spas and country inns...

ORIGINS

The area now known as King’s Cross lay approximately 2km north-west of the roman settlement of Londonium. Roman remains suggest it may have been the site of a crossing of the Fleet River, and is the suggested location of the legendary battle between Queen Boudicca and Roman invaders. A settlement at St Pancras is thought to have Saxon origins, associated with the forerunner of St Pancras Old Church. King’s Cross remained a rural area with scattered settlements up to the 18th century.

The location of King’s Cross on the outskirts of ancient London and at the meeting point of road, river, canal and rail transport has shaped the history of this fascinating part of London. This history can be seen all around us – in the old buildings, the layout of streets, and in the stories of the communities based here. This leaflet offers just a brief introduction to this history and heritage. We hope it acts as an invitation to discover more.

pollution – but were popular due to their speed and efficiency.

Major increases in rail traffic, and consequent congestion, necessitated the widening of the railway lines into King’s Cross Station and the extension of the station on its west side. Several of the gasholders were also expanded in the 1880s and by 1900, Pancras Gasworks covered 11 acres.

More housing was knocked down for this expansion, and by the mid-19th century it became difficult for railway workers to find decent affordable housing close to their place of work. As a consequence, the Improved Industrial Dwellings Society built the Stanley Buildings (1864-5 ) to accommodate 104 families to the west of King’s Cross station. The Great Northern Railway built two tenement-style blocks of flats known as the Culross Buildings along the new Battle Bridge Road behind King’s Cross Station in 1891.

Between 1849 and 1852 the Great Northern Railway (GNR) developed their London terminus. The GNR purchased land for the station to the south of the canal and land to the north for its goods station and steam locomotive depot. The first temporary passenger station opened in 1850 to the north of the canal and was used until King’s Cross station opened in 1852. The Great Northern Hotel opened in 1854, largely for patrons of the railway.

The temporary station became part of the wholesale potato market. Grain, another valuable commodity, was transported from East Anglia and stored in the specially constructed Goods Yard complex (1850-2) before being transported on across London. Coal was stored in the Eastern Coal Drops (1851) and Western Coal Drops (1860s). Various inlets allowed transfer direct from trains to barges on the canal.

The developments were not limited to industrial expansion. By the end of 1850s the construction of residential buildings was well advanced with lower quality housing along the Caledonian Road and more expensive

The first temporary passenger station was opened in 1850 to the north of the canal and was used until King’s Cross station was opened in 1852.

The German Gymnasium was built in 1864-5 as a club and sports facility for the German Gymnastics Society.

The arrival of the 21st century has seen some significant changes that have kick started the next chapter in the history of King’s Cross.

pasttimes Exploring the past of King’s Cross – the marshalling yards of the Industrial Revolution

For further information:

King’s Cross Visitor Centre Western Transit Shed 11 Stable Street London N1C 4AB

+44 (0)20 3479 1795

www.kingscross.co.uktwitter.com/kingscrossN1C

In a move to raise the rather tarnished image of the area, a statue of King

George IV was erected at the Battle Bridge crossroads in 1830.

The statue was demolished in 1842, but

the new name for the area - ‘King’s Cross’ - stuck

A number of projects were instigated to improve the area such as Camley Street Natural Park.

[August 2016]

St Pancras Hotel and Station from Pentonville Road. Usage rights courtesy of Museum of London

St Pancras Lock and the Regent’s Canal

Fish and Coal Offices, The Regent’s Canal

‘Turnhalle’, Gasholders and The Granary

St Pancras Waterpoint © John Sturrock

Bagnigge Wells. Usage rights courtesy of Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre

The King’s Cross. Usage rights courtesy of Guildhall Library, City of London

The German Gymnasium. Usage rights courtesy of Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre

Pancras Gas Works, 1900. Usage rights courtesy of Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre

King’s Cross Station. Usage rights courtesy of National Railway Museum/SSPL

The Granary, King’s Cross. Usage rights courtesy of National Railway Museum/SSPL.

The Western Transit Shed. Usage rights courtesy of National Railway Museum/SSPL.

The Great Northern Hotel. Usage rights courtesy of Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre

St Pancras Station Façade. Usage rights courtesy of Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre

Gasholder No.8 © John Sturrock St Pancras International Station © John Sturrock

Camley Street Natural Park © Sine Davidson

Reeds in Camley Street Natural Park. By Angela Inglis, courtesy of Troubador Publishing Ltd

Scala, King’s Cross © C. Talbot

Dust Heaps In Somers Town. Usage rights courtesy of Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre

2 ‘SIAMESE TRIPLET’ GASHOLDER GUIDE FRAME

Then…Gasholders Nos. 10, 11 and 12 are known as the ‘Siamese Triplets’ because their frames are joined by a common spine. The Gasholders were originally constructed in 1860-7 and enlarged in 1879-80 with new interconnected guide frames and telescopic lifts. The frames are highly decorative with three tiers of cast iron columns. The gasholders were decommissioned and purged of gas in 2000.

…and nowThe gasholders are currently being restored by a specialist engineering firm in Yorkshire. When they return to King’s Cross, their new home will be north of Regent’s Canal. Here the frame will be re-erected around a series of apartment buildings. The historic, cast-iron structures will create a stunning setting for the new apartments, many with fantastic views over the water.

3 4 THE COAL DROPS

Then…These unusual buildings played an important role in Victorian times. They were built in the 1850s to transfer coal from rail wagons to road carts. The brick and cast iron structure originally carried four high-level railway tracks, from which wagons dropped coal into storage hoppers. From here the coal was loaded onto horse-drawn carts.

1 GASHOLDER NO. 8

Then...Gasholder No. 8 was built in the 1850s for the storage of town gas for Pancras Gasworks – the largest gas works in London. It remained in use until the late 20th Century. The guide frame consists of 16 hollow cylindrical cast iron columns in two tiers. The distinctive 25m high frame has been a feature of the King’s Cross skyline for over 150 years.

…and nowIn 2011, the frame was painstakingly dismantled and transported to Yorkshire where it was refurbished by a specialist engineering firm. In 2013, it returned to King’s Cross and was re-erected on the north side of Regent’s Canal overlooking Camley Street Natural Park and St Pancras Basin. Here it will sit in new landscaping with paths leading down to the canal. The frame itself will house the new Gasholder Park designed by Bell Phillips Architects.

16 GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL

Then...The Great Northern Hotel opened its doors in 1854 to the patrons of the Great Northern Railway Company. The hotel was designed by Lewis Cubitt and was one of the earliest purpose-built railway hotels in the country. Embracing a revolutionary new age of steam the hotel was a glamorous and stylish

13 THE STANLEY BUILDINGS

Then...The Stanley Buildings were built in 1864-65 by the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company to provide a higher standard of accommodation for King’s Cross workers. The flats were unusual in that they provided completely self-contained accommodation. There were originally 5 blocks housing 104 families. Today, only one remains. The building is an early example of the use of concrete in construction.

… and nowThe Stanley Building is being restored and the structure updated with a modern addition. It will house serviced offices and meeting rooms by The Office Group.

14 GERMAN GYMNASIUM

Then...The German Gymnasium was designed by Edward Gruning in 1864-65 for the German Gymnastics Society. It was arguably the first purpose built Gymnasium in Britain and was influential in the development of British athletics. The National Olympian Association held its

East Handyside Canopy was added in 1888 to provide a covered space for unloading of potatoes. The area to the east of the canopy was a potato market.Four telegraph poles poke through the eastern side of the roof – rare survivors of a once common sight.

… and nowThe buildings are being restored and will be home to a Waitrose food store, a café, cookery school and cultural space for the Guardian Media Group.

11 FISH AND COAL BUILDINGS

Then...The Fish and Coal buildings were built as offices to house clerks employed to monitor the flow of freight through the goods yards. The first block was built c. 1851 as part of Lewis Cubitt’s design for the Goods Yard. Additional blocks were constructed in the early 1860s. The building was gutted in a fire in the 1980s. The floors and roofs have since been rebuilt.

first games here in 1866 – these continued annually until the first modern Olympic Games held in 1908 in White City. The building ceased to be used as a gymnasium sometime pre WWI and has been used as offices, storage and an exhibition space since then. The building was originally larger with a grander entrance on Pancras Road. This entrance was removed as part of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link works.

… and nowBehind the canvas, this beautiful building is being restored to its former glory and will be home to a new restaurant venue by D&D London.

15 KING’S CROSS STATION (IN BRIEF)

King’s Cross Station was built as the London hub of the Great Northern Railway. The station was designed by architect Lewis Cubitt and opened with two platforms in 1852. The station roof, the largest at the time, was supposedly modelled on the riding school of the Czars of Moscow. In 2005, a £500 million restoration plan was announced. Today the station has been transformed. The stunning new Western Concourse opened in 2012, and the original Victorian entrance was restored and opened in 2013.

… and nowThe buildings, which follow the curve of the canal, are being restored and will be used by the Jamie Oliver Group as offices and studios with restaurants at street level. A new elevated park - the Viaduct - similar to the Highline in New York will run along the front of the building connecting Granary Square and Gasholder Park.

12 REGENERATION HOUSE

Then...Regeneration House was built as the principal Goods Yard offices in 1850. It was designed by Lewis Cubitt as part of his work on the Goods Yard complex. These offices were the ‘nerve centre’ for freight operations across the site. The building suffered extensive bomb damage in WWII and had to be rebuilt. It was refurbished again in the 1980s by the London Regeneration Consortium.

… and nowNow known as 2 Granary Square, the former Goods Yards offices are home to the Art Fund and House of Illustration - the world’s first public gallery dedicated to the art of illustration.

8 WEST HANDYSIDE CANOPY

Then...This is a canopy roof constructed in 1888 to provide a covered area for unloading of fish and other perishable goods from railway carriages for onward distribution around London. Fish was sold here on Sundays when Billingsgate in the City of London was closed. Railway traffic ceased during the 1970s but the area continued to be used for deliveries and parking.

… and nowThe canopy has been restored and is being used as an events space and to host weekly and seasonal markets.

9 10 MIDLAND GOODS SHED AND EAST HANDYSIDE CANOPY

Then…The Midland Goods Shed was built by the GNR as a carriage shed in 1850. It started life as a temporary passenger terminus while the current King’s Cross Station was being built. Once King’s Cross Station was completed, it became a goods shed and a three-storey annex was added at its southern end. The name the Midland Goods Shed survived even though the shed was subsequently used for offices.

5 6 7 WESTERN TRANSIT SHED, THE GRANARY AND EASTERN TRANSIT SHED

Then...The Goods Yard complex, designed by Lewis Cubitt, was completed in 1852. The complex comprised the Granary, the Train Assembly Shed, and the Eastern and Western Transit Sheds. The buildings were aligned to the axis of the Copenhagen tunnel through which the trains arrived.

The Granary was mainly used to store grain, while the sheds were used to transfer freight from or to the rail carts. Loading from the rail trucks was made easier by cranes and turntables powered by horse and, from the 1840s, hydraulic power. Loaded and unloaded carts were moved in to the Train Assembly Shed and formed into trains for departure northwards. Stables were located under the loading platforms – some of these remain in the Western Transit Shed.

… and nowThe Granary Building is now the stunning new home of the world famous arts college - Central Saint Martins - part of University of the Arts London. The building has been transformed by architects Stanton Williams. The Western Transit Shed has been converted into unique office spaces with shops and restaurants at street level.

The coal drops were used to store goods for most of the 20th century. By the 1990s however, they were being used as workshops, studios and night clubs

… and nowThe Coal Drops are currently being restored and will become a unique new retail quarter. The Victorian brick arches will house a vibrant mix of boutiques, galleries, bars and cafés, while the cobbled streets will play host to markets and street festivals.

18 REGENTS CANAL (IN BRIEF)

The Canal was built between 1812 and 1820 and links The Limehouse Basin, on The River Thames, to The Grand Union Canal at Little Venice.

destination. Originally the hotel looked across a large expanse of garden to the station. Over the years the garden was annexed by station buildings and became

“Station Place”.

… and nowThe hotel lay derelict for 12 years but reopened in 2013 as a luxury boutique hotel. Many of the original features have been retained and the redesign reflects all the style and class of this iconic building’s past.

17 ST PANCRAS STATION (IN BRIEF)

St Pancras Station was built in 1866-8 as the London terminus of the Midland Railway. William Barlow designed and engineered the train shed which at the time was the largest single-span structure ever built. The Midland Grand Hotel – now St Pancras Renaissance – was erected across the front of the station in 1876. This gothic masterpiece was designed by George Gilbert Scott and is one of Britain’s most celebrated Victorian structures. The hotel and station were threatened with demolition in the 1960s but were saved by preservationist campaigners led by the poet John Betjeman.

The heritage of King’s Cross

© Crown copyright and database rights 2015 Ordnance Survey 100053954

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Tube Entrance

Barclays Cycle Hire

St Pancras Lock, Regent’s Canal and Gasholder No. 8 © John Sturrock

The restored Granary © John Sturrock

Siamese Triplet Gasholders. By Angela Inglis, courtesy of Troubador Publishing Ltd

The Granary © John Sturrock

East Handyside Canopy © John Sturrock

King’s Cross Square © John Sturrock

Fish and Coal offices © John Sturrock

The Great Northern Hotel © John Sturrock

St Pancras International Station © Sine Davidson

St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel staircase and chambers. Usage rights courtesy of St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel