Farringdon Station, Cowcross St, London ; 1922 reconstruction for the Metropolitan Railway, architect Charles Clark
I have many memories of this station as this facade, Listed now, forms part of the huge and on-going reconstruction to make this Underground station one of the key interchanges between the Tube, Thameslink and Crossrail (Elizabeth line). I spent over a decade managing elements of this place. This photo, an LT 'official' one, was taken in 1922 when the Metropolitan Railway's reconstruction of the 1865 station building was in full swing. The Met used a simple commercial calculation as to funding their post-WW1 rebuilds - would the rental from reatil and offices pay back the cost? Here you can see the range of shops and the famous 'buffet' that would indeed do just that. The architect was their own, Charles Clark, and this style of building in pale marble faience was used at a number of central area Met stations. The company's red 'diamond' logo (answer to the Underground Group's red circle) can be seen as well as the name it carried until 1936 when the then LT dropped the 'High Holborn'. The Met had a tendancy to 'big up' station names to make them appear more local!
One feature is that Buffet & Restaurant lettering. The Met were very early when it came to station catering, indeed amongst the very earliest in the 1860s, and this lettering reappeared during the 2010 works to the facade. Maynard's were a famous confectionery brand founded in 1896 in north London. Over time they exapnded in both manufacturing and retail and became part of Cadbury's. The brand continues now under the ownership of the wretched Mondalez since Cadbury's sold out.
Farringdon Station, Cowcross St, London ; 1922 reconstruction for the Metropolitan Railway, architect Charles Clark
I have many memories of this station as this facade, Listed now, forms part of the huge and on-going reconstruction to make this Underground station one of the key interchanges between the Tube, Thameslink and Crossrail (Elizabeth line). I spent over a decade managing elements of this place. This photo, an LT 'official' one, was taken in 1922 when the Metropolitan Railway's reconstruction of the 1865 station building was in full swing. The Met used a simple commercial calculation as to funding their post-WW1 rebuilds - would the rental from reatil and offices pay back the cost? Here you can see the range of shops and the famous 'buffet' that would indeed do just that. The architect was their own, Charles Clark, and this style of building in pale marble faience was used at a number of central area Met stations. The company's red 'diamond' logo (answer to the Underground Group's red circle) can be seen as well as the name it carried until 1936 when the then LT dropped the 'High Holborn'. The Met had a tendancy to 'big up' station names to make them appear more local!
One feature is that Buffet & Restaurant lettering. The Met were very early when it came to station catering, indeed amongst the very earliest in the 1860s, and this lettering reappeared during the 2010 works to the facade. Maynard's were a famous confectionery brand founded in 1896 in north London. Over time they exapnded in both manufacturing and retail and became part of Cadbury's. The brand continues now under the ownership of the wretched Mondalez since Cadbury's sold out.