Book #43 for 2024: Cathedrals of Steam by Christian Wolmar
Cathedrals of Steam: How London’s Great Stations Were Built - And How They Transformed the City by Christian Wolmar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
One thing that is quite recognisable is its network on railways, and their large terminus stations, originally built in the 19th Century. What is less known is that many of the original ones were abandoned.
As author Christian Wolmar notes: "This has left London with a dozen terminus stations, many of which have great architectural qualities but which are underappreciated both by Londoners and visitors because they tend to be tucked away in streets that offer no opportunity to view them with any perspective. Several, such as the three in the City - Cannon Street, Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street - are tucked away in side streets with virtually no space in the forecourt from which to contemplate their design."
Wolmar is clearly fascinated with the design of the stations themselves, and he goes into great detail about this, as well as providing a detailed history of how London became a commuter hub. Not surprisingly, when the railway was originally brought to London, there was considerable scepticism from the public, who were reluctant to travel by train.
I really enjoyed this book, which mentioned all of the quirks and oddities about how the stations were originally designed, and the unusual uses that the trains had. In Victorian times, a daily funeral train service departed from Waterloo to transport coffins and undertakers to the "necropolis". Apparently it was a system that some people abused by sneaking on board it disguised in black suits as though they were in the funeral business. The book probably could have made more comment on the effect that the COVID-19 outbreak had on stations and commuting into London.
The final chapter analyses how the stations look nowadays, following modern redevelopment works. As he notes, London Bridge - a station that Sir John Betjeman thought was the worst in London - has improved, as has King's Cross, following the removal of an ugly facade. Wolmar is more critical of how Cannon Street Station looks, now located under a modern office building.
As Wolmar concludes: "London's dozen (stations), all built in the nineteenth century, have survived and thrived for well over a century and, I predict, will all still be there at the end of this one."
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