These cast-iron beauties were put up in the middle of the 19th century and
are a grand example of how even utilities of the time were sculptured into
treasures that declared such functional apparatus not an eyesore but a carved
element in London's landscape. Sadly, these classical pieces found themselves
to be redundant like the whole area just north of London's Kings Cross Station,
where the changing times saw the stretch of goodsyards and workshops become
mostly disused, and waves of magnificent buildings forced into semi
dereliction. But even in retirement, the great ironmongery of the Gasometers
stood proud on the skyline, and with the unusual wind of Station backstreets
they became a brilliant backdrop for the
many great outhouses that still survive that era. Slowly, the area began to
redevelop itself, with many small businesses and communities. A large segment of
land was sectioned off into a natural park, of wildlife and fauna, and
a wonderous sanctuary it was too, all in the shadow of the Gasometers.
There are several of these gas storing monsters,
painted relics from the gas age,
Thanks to a massive campaign, the Camley Street nature reserve was pardoned
from execution, and even in the midst of the horrid Euro-rail project, some
of the older buildings seem to be worked around. But most of the area has been
blitzed by the works. Who knows what real fate awaits the gasometers, but I see
they've dismanteled all but one, laying the pieces carefully out in racks, for
who knows what?
Charles (of London Town)
The London Destruction Website. |
and they have great artistic and historical
value, and like the rest of the area, deserved a good future. But everything has
fallen foul of the heavy duty Euro-Rail redevelopment plans, who only see it
all as an abandoned obstacle to high profits. There have been whispers over
the Gasometer's preservation, this remains to be seen. As ever, the only
thoughts in the planners mind is how they can flatten everything into wasteland
and creat their mindlessly boring Eurostar Terminal, which we need like a hole in the head.
Its a shame that they're wrecking one of the last unspoilt plains of
north cental London.
These creepy winding streets and goodsyards have always been a mysterious
part of old London, and the gasometers always stood up as an intergal
part of that scene. You can see them add dimension to the film 'The
Ladykillers' bleak noiresque setting, that with the ultra gothic station of
St Pancras, doth cast macarbre shadows in the night. Money just cant buy that
sort of terror, but money can and will destroy it with ease.