ST PANCRAS |
One of the greatest Victorian buildings in London, handling high speed rail services to mainland Europe
Photo © Andrew Dunn (CC)
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Highlights |
Gothic Main Facade
The Meeting Place
John Betjeman Statue
Station Clock
Champagne Bar
Barlow Shed
Visitor Information |
The station is open daily. Entry is FREE.
Scrapbook |
St Pancras International handles the high speed Eurostar
rail services to mainland Europe, such as Paris, with a journey time of
only 2 and a quarter hours. The station was reopened in November 2007,
following a £800-Million renovation and expansion. St Pancras remains
one of the greatest Victorian buildings in London, with impressive
Victorian Gothic architecture. It has been voted one of London’s
favourite landmarks and has a colourful history.
The Clock Tower
St Pancras station was designed by William Barlow in 1863 for Midland Railway. Barlow gave his name to the famous Barlow train shed,
which became the largest enclosed space in the world when completed in
1866, with an arch spanning 240- feet (73-metres) and over 100-feet
(30-metres) high at its apex. One of the most recognisable features of
St Pancras station is the red brick Gothic front façade, which was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott,
after his design won a competition. It was the most expensive, but the
sheer grandeur of Scott's frontage impressed the Midland Railway
directors, achieving their objective of outclassing all the other
London stations.
The Barlow Shed
Photo © Purple (CC)
St
Pancras performed an important role during both world wars, acting as a
meeting place for troops, a departure point for soldiers off to war,
and its trains helped transport children out of London to the safety of
the countryside. During WWII the station was hit during the Blitz on
London. Despite the damage and devastation caused by the war,
London Midland and Scottish Railway engineers soon had the platforms
working again.
Detailing in the restored station
Notable features that you can see at the station include the famous St Pancras clock, reconstructed by the original makers Dent, and hanging high at the apex of the Barlow Arch. A statue of Sir John Betjeman
stands at platform level to celebrate the man who was responsible for
saving the station from demolition in the 1960s. And at the south end
of the upper level of the station, a 30-foot (9 metre) high, 20-tonne
bronze statue named The Meeting Place is intended to evoke the romance of travel.
The Station Clock
The statue of John Betjeman, who saved the station from demolition during the 1960's
The Meeting Place
Did You Know?
An important London Landmark needs a unique London feature, and on the
upper level where Eurostar departs sits just that - Europe's longest
champagne bar. At around 300-feet (90-metres) no other bar in the world
comes close.
Champagne Bar
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