St Pancras station clock tower 140823 5617
Railways, stations and trains. The clock tower of the former Midland Railway's Midland Grand Hotel, adjoining St Pancras station in London.
At the time of the opening of the station on 1 October 1868, the single span roof, whose end is just visible on the right, was the biggest enclosed space in the world, the whole being designed by William Barlow.
Sir Gilbert Scott won the competition to design the hotel that the Midland Railway decided was required and created the ornate red brick Gothic building. Opened fully in April 1876, the hotel had many then innovative features, such as fireproof floors and hydraulic lifts, but the lack of bathrooms amongst other factors ended its hotel days in 1935.
From 1935 to 1980 it served as railway offices, this part of its life then coming to a close as it failed the then fire safety standards, perhaps ironic since fire safety features had made the hotel stand out in its early days.
Earlier than that, in the mid 1960s, closure of the station was being considered, as was demolition of the whole site, but Grade 1 Listing in 1967 concentrated minds on how it would be maintained for a long term future.
The hotel reopened as the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in 2011. By then the station was St Pancras International, Eurostar services having transferred here from London Waterloo in November 2007.
St Pancras station clock tower 140823 5617
Railways, stations and trains. The clock tower of the former Midland Railway's Midland Grand Hotel, adjoining St Pancras station in London.
At the time of the opening of the station on 1 October 1868, the single span roof, whose end is just visible on the right, was the biggest enclosed space in the world, the whole being designed by William Barlow.
Sir Gilbert Scott won the competition to design the hotel that the Midland Railway decided was required and created the ornate red brick Gothic building. Opened fully in April 1876, the hotel had many then innovative features, such as fireproof floors and hydraulic lifts, but the lack of bathrooms amongst other factors ended its hotel days in 1935.
From 1935 to 1980 it served as railway offices, this part of its life then coming to a close as it failed the then fire safety standards, perhaps ironic since fire safety features had made the hotel stand out in its early days.
Earlier than that, in the mid 1960s, closure of the station was being considered, as was demolition of the whole site, but Grade 1 Listing in 1967 concentrated minds on how it would be maintained for a long term future.
The hotel reopened as the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in 2011. By then the station was St Pancras International, Eurostar services having transferred here from London Waterloo in November 2007.