The two once competing stations of Kings Cross and St Pancras have combined, yet still separate in functions, and remain central to London’s access to the east coast, midlands, Scotland, London’s Underground lines, and more recently Paris or Lille via Eurostar. Links to the London 2012 Olympic site will also run from Kings Cross, which is logical to every Londoner.
The Kings Cross station was the first of the two to open in 1852 (the station building where platforms 1-8 are) and was designed by architect Lewis Cubbitt, on the site of a small fever and smallpox hospital, to provide access to the UK’s east coast and midlands during the big industrial revolution.
Located close to Euston Station, and The British Library, it sits next to St Pancras station, which replaced Waterloo in International trains to Paris in 2007. Kings Cross has been influential in the expansion of London city, not only on the MonopolyBoard. Its recent transformation had taken years and a lot of hard work, and included connecting both stations for ease of access for the commuter. Kings Cross tube station is served by more tube lines than any other station in London.
St Pancras Station, designed by William Barlow was a Midland Station built in the 1860’s specifically competing to outdo Kings Cross, hence the buildings extravagance. The Barlow Train Shed arch is still impressive to the visitor today and at one time it was the largest enclosed building in the world. Midlands Railway ran to both Euston and Kings Cross but wanted headquarters of their own, so commissioned St Pancras Station. The name comes from the area (although seems slightly redundant today), St Pancras’ medieval Parish dating back to the 4th century, the remains of St Pancras Church with the original alter still there.
St Pancras’s Grade I listed building is made up of red brick became the Midland Great Hotel and was completed in 1877, designed by Sir Gilbert Scott but closed in 1935 to make way for the railway offices and became known as Pancras Chambers (abandoned when BR privatized our railways). It will again become a luxury hotel. The line from St Pancras was built over Regents Canal (hence why passengers climb up stairs to the platform) whereas Kings Cross line was built underneath it.
The close location to Kings Cross station connected the stations physically for the purpose of the London commuter, although the addition and reopening of the Kings Cross Thameslink line on Pentonville Road meant that the trains coming into St Pancras were fewer. Eurostar was a welcome addition and the size of the space as well as central location made it ideal, the redevelopment meant the Thameslink became incorporated. The restoration of the roof was ornate in replicating the original design only with glass which was not only due to British heritage but also Eurotunnel guidelines.
The Kings Cross area in the borough of Camden had gained a reputation as a seedy area of London. The St Giles area of Kings Cross was the setting in Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, as it was one of the poorest areas at the time. However, recent developments beginning in the 1990’s and further plans suggest how much of a reformation it has had.
The redevelopment of the area included, visual arts, London’s Canal Museum (opened by HRH in 1992) and the two mainline stations Kings Cross and restoring and modernizing St Pancras.
The refurbishment of St Pancras commemorates Sir John Betjeman with a statue and a pub. This is because of his connection to the place, in the 1960’s, following the demolition of Euston Station in 1966 plans were also put forward to combine the two stations as just Kings Cross destroying St Pancras. These were strongly refuted by the public with Betjeman running a large campaign. In 1967, under pressure the building was granted Listed Building status Grade I. The Eurostar train, platforms, restaurant, shops and the longest champagne bar in Europe, sit under the impressive single spanning steel rods of Barlow’s Victorian roof where glass sheets replace the old ruined roof allowing the light to poor in, quite an entrance to London for our international commuters.
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Today the station is best known for the fictional Platform 9¾’s from J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter. During the film series, the station scenes take place within the main station, with platforms 4 & 5 renumbered 9 & 10. Any exterior shots use St Pancras station due to its Victorian Gothic architecture being more suitable than Kings Cross.
However, the history is far deeper and more interesting than that of the likes of fictional Roland Rat living below in the station sewers. It is rumored that Queen of East Anglia Boadicea is buried under one of the platforms on the site of her final battle; myths of her ghost haunt the station, although there is no actual evidence that suggests this. The battle left her army defeated to Roman general Caius Suetonius Paulinus’s army, when she is believed to have killed herself in AD61.
Kings Cross in its rural history was an area known as Battlefields, the valley where the Battle is believed to have taken place. It wasn’t until the 1750’s that link roads were set up into London City that the area became densely populated, renamed when a huge statue commemorating King George IV who reigned between 1820 and 1830 was erected in 1836 (demolished in 1845) on the cross roads of what is now Euston Road, York Way, Grays Inn Road and Pentonville Road.
The Kings Cross station was the first of the two to open in 1852 (the station building where platforms 1-8 are) and was designed by architect Lewis Cubbitt, on the site of a small fever and smallpox hospital, to provide access to the UK’s east coast and midlands during the big industrial revolution.
Located close to Euston Station, and The British Library, it sits next to St Pancras station, which replaced Waterloo in International trains to Paris in 2007. Kings Cross has been influential in the expansion of London city, not only on the MonopolyBoard. Its recent transformation had taken years and a lot of hard work, and included connecting both stations for ease of access for the commuter. Kings Cross tube station is served by more tube lines than any other station in London.
St Pancras Station, designed by William Barlow was a Midland Station built in the 1860’s specifically competing to outdo Kings Cross, hence the buildings extravagance. The Barlow Train Shed arch is still impressive to the visitor today and at one time it was the largest enclosed building in the world. Midlands Railway ran to both Euston and Kings Cross but wanted headquarters of their own, so commissioned St Pancras Station. The name comes from the area (although seems slightly redundant today), St Pancras’ medieval Parish dating back to the 4th century, the remains of St Pancras Church with the original alter still there.
St Pancras’s Grade I listed building is made up of red brick became the Midland Great Hotel and was completed in 1877, designed by Sir Gilbert Scott but closed in 1935 to make way for the railway offices and became known as Pancras Chambers (abandoned when BR privatized our railways). It will again become a luxury hotel. The line from St Pancras was built over Regents Canal (hence why passengers climb up stairs to the platform) whereas Kings Cross line was built underneath it.
The close location to Kings Cross station connected the stations physically for the purpose of the London commuter, although the addition and reopening of the Kings Cross Thameslink line on Pentonville Road meant that the trains coming into St Pancras were fewer. Eurostar was a welcome addition and the size of the space as well as central location made it ideal, the redevelopment meant the Thameslink became incorporated. The restoration of the roof was ornate in replicating the original design only with glass which was not only due to British heritage but also Eurotunnel guidelines.
The Kings Cross area in the borough of Camden had gained a reputation as a seedy area of London. The St Giles area of Kings Cross was the setting in Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, as it was one of the poorest areas at the time. However, recent developments beginning in the 1990’s and further plans suggest how much of a reformation it has had.
The redevelopment of the area included, visual arts, London’s Canal Museum (opened by HRH in 1992) and the two mainline stations Kings Cross and restoring and modernizing St Pancras.
The refurbishment of St Pancras commemorates Sir John Betjeman with a statue and a pub. This is because of his connection to the place, in the 1960’s, following the demolition of Euston Station in 1966 plans were also put forward to combine the two stations as just Kings Cross destroying St Pancras. These were strongly refuted by the public with Betjeman running a large campaign. In 1967, under pressure the building was granted Listed Building status Grade I. The Eurostar train, platforms, restaurant, shops and the longest champagne bar in Europe, sit under the impressive single spanning steel rods of Barlow’s Victorian roof where glass sheets replace the old ruined roof allowing the light to poor in, quite an entrance to London for our international commuters.
.JPG)
Today the station is best known for the fictional Platform 9¾’s from J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter. During the film series, the station scenes take place within the main station, with platforms 4 & 5 renumbered 9 & 10. Any exterior shots use St Pancras station due to its Victorian Gothic architecture being more suitable than Kings Cross.
However, the history is far deeper and more interesting than that of the likes of fictional Roland Rat living below in the station sewers. It is rumored that Queen of East Anglia Boadicea is buried under one of the platforms on the site of her final battle; myths of her ghost haunt the station, although there is no actual evidence that suggests this. The battle left her army defeated to Roman general Caius Suetonius Paulinus’s army, when she is believed to have killed herself in AD61.
Kings Cross in its rural history was an area known as Battlefields, the valley where the Battle is believed to have taken place. It wasn’t until the 1750’s that link roads were set up into London City that the area became densely populated, renamed when a huge statue commemorating King George IV who reigned between 1820 and 1830 was erected in 1836 (demolished in 1845) on the cross roads of what is now Euston Road, York Way, Grays Inn Road and Pentonville Road.
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