St Pancras station and hotel

October 2025 - beautiful sunny day in London

While this may not be a country house, I believe it deserves a blog post! I was visiting a potential client in London, and as usual, an Earl Grey and some food were calling. You can't walk past St Pancras without stopping to admire the architecture of these buildings. What also amazes me is that in 1965, there was a proposal to demolish the station. Fortunately, it was saved and given a Grade 1 listing. So I always wonder... why was it under threat of demolition? History tells a fascinating story:

In the 1700s, St Pancras was a rural and sparsely populated parish. It was named after St Pancras Old Church, from medieval times and the area was mainly composed of fields, farms, and small hamlets. Starting in the mid-eighteenth century, the area began to transform due to industrial growth. The completion of the Regent’s Canal in 1820 ( Tip: if visiting you can access the towpath for a lovely walk )spurred urbanization, bringing in wharfs and breweries. Although the canal era was a relatively short-lived freight network, it played a significant role in transforming St Pancras from farmland into an industrial area.

The Midland Railway Company was established in 1844 through the merger of the Midland Counties, North Midland, and Birmingham and Derby Junction Railways, forming a strong company within an already competitive and rivalrous network. Initially, it depended on running rights into Euston since it lacked a direct terminus. However, by the 1860s, the Midland Railway constructed its own line to London, culminating in one of the era's most ambitious railway projects: St Pancras.

William Henry Barlow, chief engineer, designed the Train Shed , the vast single span iron roof, you really need to stand underneath it to appreciate the amazing engineering. It was the largest single span in the world on completion in 1868. Wrought iron arches and glass panels purveying strength and light in an age of industry and progress. It was strong , lightweight and eliminated the need for internal columns, also striking!

His two level design allowed trains upper and goods storage below.

Sir George Gilbert Scott won a design competition (great idea to save on architectural costs, whether this was the case..!) held by The Midland Railway company to design a hotel next to the station along with the station facade. In the style of Gothic Revival with tall spires, turrets and the combination of red brick and creamy stone created a Victorian Masterpiece. The interior brimming with gilded ceilings, grand staircase (famously known for featuring in the spice girls video) and ornate tile work. The Midland Grand hotel opened in 1873 and served as a statement of wealth, modernity and ambition offering luxury and comfort for travellers.

A newspaper article from 1873:

“It is not a hotel, but a monument….a palace for the people who travel”

Middle photo shows coats of arms of the Midland Railway Company - a mythical dragon adopted as its symbol along with heraldic symbols representing several cities served by the railway: Birmingham, Derby, Bristol, Leicester, Leeds.

So you ask - how can this luxurious , modern masterpiece attracting the discerning traveller end up almost being demolished.

By the 1920’s - 1930’s the hotel was seen as outdated and impractical. It was lacking in ensuite bathrooms, some areas had no central heating and inconvenient layouts for modern guests. Post WWl the hotel struggled financially as there were fewer wealthy travellers staying in London. By this time more modern hotels near stations of Euston , Kings Cross had been built. Road transport was also increasing. By 1923 St Pancras had become part of the London,Midland Scottish Railway so St Pancras was no longer a unique hub, Euston and Kings Cross had more convenient routes.

The Hotel closed in 1935 but the building continued to be used as railway offices.

Post WW ll maintenance costs were high and the station had suffered damage to its roof and its infrastructure and so in 1965 demolition was proposed. Campaigners including John Benjamin campaigned to save St Pancras and by 1967 it gained Grade 1 listing. Partial restoration maintained the stations operation but the Eurostar connection spurred major redevelopment, preserving Barlow’s train shed but renovating the interior. The station reopened in 2007 and after a large renovation to the hotel this opened its doors in 2011 as The St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel but has since rebranded in June 2025 and now The Autograph Collection and this is where my visit ends sat in the Lobby enjoying a club sandwich (well worth sampling)

if you are lucky enough to be travelling to France on Eurostar, take a moment both outside and in to admire the beauty of the building. You don’t have to be a fan of Gothic Revival to appreciate the design and scale of detail in the building. It may now be surrounded by buildings but I can imagine how impressive it must have been when it was first built and the bustle of people using the station and hotel.

On entering the station from the south you are met by The Meeting Place , a stunning 9mtr tall bronze sculpture of a couple embracing, symbolising the romance of travel. It actually stops you in your tracks. If you have a moment in the station, look up to admire Barlow’s Victorian design and of course look down as there are shops and cafes if you are in need of tea and cake!

Tip: if you are visiting the British Library next door St Pancras is an ideal stop for a cup of tea and cake or lunch. (The British library is built on what was a large goods yard for St Pancras)

Quirky fact: Thomas Hardy (novelist) started his career as an architectural assistant, supervising the exhumation of graves in The Old Church St Pancras graveyard to make way for the railway line. The gravestones were moved and placed around an ash tree now known as The Hardy Tree.

Worth a visit: Even just to pop in to admire the architecture, absolutely , this is not your typical railway station!