Selected article
|
St Pancras railway station is a railway station in the St Pancras area of central London, between the British Library building to the west and King's Cross station to the east. It is the southern terminus of the Midland Main Line, and is the main departure point from London for services to the East Midlands, via Leicester to Sheffield and other parts of Yorkshire. It has been the London terminus for Eurostar services to continental Europe since November 2007 and the terminus for Southeastern domestic high speed services since December 2009.
St Pancras is termed as the "Cathedral of the railways" and includes two of the most celebrated structures built in Britain in the Victorian era. The main trainshed (completed 1868), by the engineer William Henry Barlow, was the largest single-span structure built up to that time. In front of it is St Pancras Chambers, formerly the Midland Grand Hotel (1868-77), one of the most impressive examples of Victorian gothic architecture. Designed by architect George Gilbert Scott, the building initially appears to be in a polychromatic Italian Gothic style - inspired by John Ruskin's Stones of Venice - but on a closer viewing, it incorporates features from a variety of periods and countries. From such an eclectic approach Scott anticipated that a new genre would emerge. Access to the spectacular interiors of the former hotel is by tour only. (Full article...)
All selected articles
|
Selected biography
|
Henry Charles Beck (4 June 1902 – 18 September 1974), known as Harry Beck, was an English technical draughtsman best known for creating the present London Underground Tube map in 1931. Beck drew up the diagram in his spare time while working as an engineering draftsman at the London Underground Signals Office. London Underground was initially sceptical of Beck's radical proposal, an uncommissioned spare-time project, but tentatively introduced it to the public in a small pamphlet in 1933.
Beck's approach to the map was to remove all geographical content except the River Thames so that the focus could be on the arrangement of lines and stations and to enable the central area to be expanded map. Beck first submitted his idea to Frank Pick in 1931 but it was considered too radical because it didn't show relative distances between stations. After a successful trial of 500 copies in 1932, distributed via a select few stations, the map was given its first full publication in 1933 (700,000 copies). It was immediately popular, and the Underground has used topological maps to illustrate the network ever since.
Beck's contribution to the visual style of London Underground is recognised with a plaque at what was his local Underground station, Finchley Central; with a blue plaque at his birth place in Leyton and the Beck Gallery at the London Transport Museum. (Full article...)
All Selected biographies
|
Did you know...
|
- ...that an estimated half a million mice live on the Underground system, and can often be seen running around the tracks?
More Did you know...
|
Related portals
|
|
|
Selected pictures
|
-
Image 1Arguably the best-preserved disused station building in London, this is the former Alexandra Palace station on the GNR Highgate branch (closed in 1954). It is now in use as a community centre (CUFOS).
-
-
Image 3Southern approach to the Rotherhithe Tunnel that runs under the River Thames in east London between Rotherhithe and Limehouse.
-
-
Image 5The south façade of King's Cross railway station London terminus of the East Coast Main Line.
-
Image 6The newly constructed junction of the Westway ( A40) and the West Cross Route ( A3220) at White City, circa 1970. Continuation of the West Cross Route northwards under the roundabout was cancelled leaving two short unused stubs for the slip roads that would have been provided for traffic joining or leaving the northern section.
-
-
-
Image 9London Underground Battery-electric locomotive L16 designed to operate over tracks where the traction current is turned off for maintenance work.
-
Image 10Hammersmith Bridge, opened in 1887, crosses the River Thames in west London.
-
-
Image 12Escalators at Westminster Underground station descend between beams and columns of the station box to reach the deep-level Jubilee line platforms.
-
Image 13Rail, road and river traffic, seen from the London Eye.
-
Image 14The original Hampton Court Bridge in 1753, the first of four on the site.
-
Image 15The New Routemaster built by Wrightbus has three entrances, two staircases and is designed to be reminiscent of the Routemaster.
-
-
Image 17Preserved AEC Routemaster coaches in London Transport Green Line livery.
-
Image 18View of Old London Bridge, circa 1632 by Claude de Jongh.
-
Image 19Qantas Boeing 747-400 about to land at Heathrow Airport, seen beyond the roofs of Myrtle Avenue, Hounslow.
-
Image 20"Boris Bikes" from the Santander Cycles hire scheme waiting for use at a docking station in Victoria.
-
-
Image 22Vauxhall Bridge across the River Thames opened in 1906 and features sculptures by F. W. Pomeroy.
-
Image 23Woolwich Ferry boats "John Burns" and "James Newman" on the River Thames, 2012.
-
Image 24Albert Bridge, opened in 1873, crosses the River Thames between Chelsea and Battersea.
-
Image 25Original stations on the Metropolitan Railway from The Illustrated London News, 27 December 1862.
-
Image 26Sailing ships at West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs in 1810. The docks opened in 1802 and closed in 1980 and have since been redeveloped as the Canary Wharf development.
-
-
-
Image 29Clapham Common Underground station north and south-bound platforms on the Northern line.
-
Image 30The multi-level junction between the M23 and M25 motorways near Merstham in Surrey. The M23 passes over the M25 with bridges carrying interchange slip roads for the two motorways in between.
-
Image 31Tram 2548 calls at Arena tram stop. This is one of the trams on the Tramlink network centred on Croydon in south London.
-
Image 32Archer statue by Eric Aumonier at East Finchley Underground station.
-
Image 33Ruislip Lido Railway's 12-inch (300 mm) gauge locomotive "Mad Bess" hauling a passenger train.
-
Image 3455 Broadway, headquarters of the UERL and its successors, is a Grade I listed building in Westminster designed by Charles Holden.
-
-
Image 36London General Omnibus Company B-type bus B340 built in 1911 by AEC. One of a number of London buses purchased by the British military during World War I, this vehicle was operated on the Western Front.
-
-
Image 38Hornsey Lane Bridge, Archway, more commonly known as "Suicide Bridge".
-
Image 39A tram of the London United Tramways at Boston Road, Hanwell, circa 1910.
-
-
Image 41Day (left) and Night (right) sculptures by Sir Jacob Epstein on the London Underground's headquarters at 55 Broadway.
-
Image 42London Underground A60 Stock (left) and 1938 Stock (right) trains showing the difference in the sizes of the two types of rolling stock operated on the system. A60 stock trains operated on the surface and sub-surface sections of the Metropolitan line from 1961 to 2012 and 1938 Stock operated on various deep level tube lines from 1938 to 1988.
-
Image 43The Circle routes of Victorian London, comprising the Inner Circle, Middle Circle, Outer Circle and Super Outer Circle.
-
Image 44The western departures concourse of King's Cross railway station.
-
Image 45TX4 London Taxi at Heathrow Airport.
-
-
Image 47Helicopter landing at London Heliport, a jetty constructed in the River Thames in Battersea.
-
Image 48Central London Railway poster, published in 1905.
-
Image 49Early style tube roundel in mosaic at Maida Vale Underground station.
All Selected pictures
|
In the news
|
Archive
|
Anniversaries
|
|
|