Where else in London could you find sailors, ravers and fish? The long history of King's Cross Goods Depot. Coal Drops Yard: www.coaldropsyard.com Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/jagohazzard Patreon: / jagohazzard
@@bigbenigs that would never happen. To have any work done on that kind of scale requires lots and lots of planning permission and other hoops to jump through as there are a lot of local businesses and possible residential areas that would need to be dealt with before even the first brick or plank of wood is bought.
@@Rose.Of.Hizaki That being said, a listed building may be demolished if it becomes a safety hazard. Because of the expense of restoring derelict buildings with listed status, there are supposedly some unfortunate incidents where bulldozers accidentally ran into corners of buildings so that they became unsafe. Not to mention a few fires.
@@iankemp1131 That maybe the case. However you would still need to apply for planning permission to demolish it. so you still need to jump through the same hoops before any work can start. listed building usually have extended maintenance to deal with any serious safety hazards to stop them just suddenly collapsing in on themselves out of the blue so they arent exactly being left to rot.
The offices where that drive slowly sign is was known as the police offices when I was there in the 80s, 90s, 2000s, they were derelict and the Cross nightclub moved into the arches below which had been used for storage up till then, The granary was used as storage for all kinds of goods, but again had been mostly empty for years, one area on the first floor was a large open plan office for clerks to record the goods coming into and leaving the warehouse, I was lucky to see the place before it got cleared out and some of the ledgers were still there on the desk at the head of the office, a bit pigeon pooed but inside the listings were in perfect condition, if you got onto the roof of the granary there were short lengths of bright orange plastic chain to twirl above your head as this was a nesting area for Herring Gulls, if you didn't twirl a chain you would probably get attacked and end up with a nasty head wound, apparently the gulls had followed the barges from the docks and finding plenty of food at the warehouse they had made it a permanent home. there were also a couple of Peregrine Falcons that nested high on the front of the Granary building and sometimes as you walked across the yard the sky would explode with feathers as another pigeon became dinner for them. The yard during the week was a bustling hive of activity, from the outside some thought it was just an empty wasteland where druggies and prostitutes hung out, but in reality, it was full of mostly small but some quite large independent businesses, at the weekend, when it was mostly quiet, you could sit in parts of the yard and it seemed as if you were miles away from civilization, the sky was massive as there were no high rise buildings nearby, eventually, the evening would come, and the crowds would start drifting in for the night at Bagleys, then in the morning after the last clubber had gone home the tranquility returned for a while at least.
Hello Ira, our business had a large carpet and underlay warehouse in Barpart House. We also used Berlin Bank and The Granary at some point. I used to love coming to visit from Burnley and meeting the staff and customers, it was a fascinating place back then and an amazing transformation has taken place. I can remember the Drive Slowly sign, did you ever see our large yellow trailers? A chap called "Hamilton" was the landlord's site manager, if I remember correctly.
@@RmRat1302 I used to see your trailers sitting up on the Berlin Bank all the time, went past your place a couple of times but never got to look inside, the yard manager I remember was a man named John,short guy with a reputation for not suffering fools.
The Coal yard was also the starting location tion for a transatlantic air race. A Harrier jump jet landed in and took off from the yard in 1969. The yard was renamed RAF St Pancras for the occasion.
I travelled to London to see it. All I remember was that a lot of cinders and ballast took flight that day. I think the race started from the top of the Post Office Tower, not sure where the end was (the top of the CN tower ?).
@@andyknott8148 I don't blame you, having seen the footage of the Wessex landing and Harrier leaving, I think preserving your eyes was pretty important. Still one great occasion to have experienced, I bet, even with the coal dust! Bet there was plenty of noise too.
In the 90s i used to go to a huge Aussie drinking den called the Church(open on Sunday mornings) precisely there,it was fantastic,beer,comedians and stripteases,the perfect combination for this punter Woke up by that canal path a couple of times,happy days
@@keithwhittygmail look pal,i didnt mention prostitutes,they were professional strippers,male and female that im sure were paid handsomely,and by the end of the show girls would jump onto the stage and flash their boobs(for free) Ask anyone that went there
@@DavidWilson-hh2gn of course the house was a mock up. The scene from the front door is from Argyle Street which runs up to Euston Road as you can see St Pancras station
Worth noting that "made with the kind cooperation of coal drops yard" is neccesary because that "public" space is actually all privately owned. The owners can boot you out for any reason they like. Very little new genuinely public space gets made these days.
'The History Lord' channel has featured a few small parks and public gardens developed since the war on abandoned or donated land in central London. When you consider the huge cost of inner city land, I'm astonished that there have been any new parks at all. But good on the owners of this development for providing what is effectively new public space in the area.
Having grown up in Americas Great Lakes/Rust Belt region I find places like this Coal Drop Kings Crossing very interesting. I find old industrial infrastructure to be quite fascinating. I must make it to England someday....
If you do visit try seeing some of our Northern Cities,Manchester,Leeds,Birmingham and Liverpool all have some great industrial buildings and facinating stories around them.
As an American currently living in Northern Virginia who's been to the UK numerous times (I had a British mum), I say you should make your way there as soon as the virus regulations permit! And by all means, explore beyond London. No offence to London, but I enjoyed my times in the midlands (Coventry, Nottingham, Birmingham, etc) and 'the north" (Liverpool, Manchester, York, Newcastle, etc) immensely.
Your coal from the northeast made me smile, in the late 80s early 90s I worked for British Rail based in Manchester and we took over a container train loaded with coal that came down from Newcastle....this is where the story gets odd. It was Polish coal that was shipped in ran across the UK to Ellesmere Port loaded onto a Soviet ship and taken across to the Republic of Ireland for one of their power stations! So the whole saying "carry coal to Newcastle" has its own meaning to me!
So in those bad old days of intense religious secularism, the Irish would rather pay extra to transport Polish coal which was decently Catholic (albeit with some Marx), rather than get that dodgy Protestant coal from England?
@@Dave_Sisson You maybe right, although by the late 80s I very much doubt British Coal was a cheaper option!! All that being said It seemed a very odd thing to do! but it was a regular job and it was an interesting break from the normal work we did(I think it was our only coal train)
@@mjc8281 Ah, I had forgotten about the decline of the British coal industry. High prices and constant strikes meant that it was expensive and supply was unreliable. So Polish coal may have been cheaper even with the extra transport costs and with no strikes, the supply would have been reliable.
@@djtrainspotter3079 As I recall we had a handful of jobs in the evening that took empties back with a break in Wakefield(I will always associate really good Curry Houses with Wakefield!)and then returned with heavy oil trains going to Glazebrook (although we re-crewed at Ashbury's). I don't believe we handled any of the loaded trains, I'm assuming they would have been Bank Quay crews and I started after Agecroft Colliery closed(I think while I was training they where in the process of pulling up the sidings, never remember seeing anyone in there).
@@Dave_Sisson From what I remember reading of the slight controversy in Ireland at the time, the reason for us bringing in Polish coal was only economic and nothing to do with history or religion. When British coal and other facilities were more economic, we used them for a long time
I really enjoy the economic aspects of how things panned out the way they did. The reasons behind decisions taken at the time and their consequences (and the curve-balls that no-one predicted). Don't get me wrong, I enjoy looking at the infrastructure and physical evidence too though!
It looks like the developers have done a very sympathetic job. I will certainly go and have a look there next time I’m in the Smoke. Those gasometer flats look cool too!
I can recognise some of the buildings from the 70s. What about Battlebridge, the bridge that went over by the gasometers, is that still there? Named after a Saxon battle nearby.
@@sirmeowthelibrarycat French chemist Antoine Lavoisier invented the gas holder; he called it the gazomètre. Gasometer is the commonly used Anglicised version of the word.
The quail warehouse being noisy amused me and then you suggested that the fish could get rowdy! That had me giggling. Love your vids, pls keep them coming.
I've just graduated from Central Saint Martin's which is on the door step of the Coal Drops Yard. I love walking along the canal and have fond memories of the place.
Another fascinating history lesson by Jago. Thank you. Not railway-related, but in 1969, during the Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race, a Harrier "Jump-jet" landed in this goods yard and certainly blew away any remaining coal dust from the yard! The race was from the top of the (then) Post Office tower nearby to the top of the Empire State building in New York and Kings Cross goods yard was the nearest landing site to the Post Office tower. You'd *NEVER* get permission to land any aircraft in a city centre nowadays!
I think the rave scene should have been more emphasized as the whole Coal Drops Yard building was Bagley's. 3000+ ravers a week would attend Friday and Saturday, it was a huge part of my life for years.
Back in the day used to go to raves in Bagley's which was held in the depot and this was before 90s dance music became known to the wider public, so it was "Our Thing"
@@darganx Same for me when I was typing the comment it brought back nothing but good memories, which is why Im still very attached to how the King Cross area once was.
I remember that area in the 1970s - it was grim and not particularly safe to wonder around - glad new uses were found for the old buildings - it's new state is a great transformation
I used to work for Freightliners Ltd, at Bishops Bridge Road, Paddington. I can still remember the King’s Cross terminal was number 45. Willesden was 47, while Stratford was 43. Strange what I remember from early employment. 🤔
The top end by Stable St used to be a potato market until a few years back. Got to say that the area is much improved, considering what it was like in the 90s. Ladies of the night central!
I was driving through there early one morning and pulled over to get something from the glove box ..my passenger door opened and in jumped a lass , asking if I wanted business hahaha ..she even got a few cigs from me .
@@frankyw8803 No, Richard Potter's. I don't think you getting something out of your glovebox was in Mona Lisa but the, err, profession carried out in the area sets the background for the film.
Thank you for a most informative and well produced video. I like the way that lots of the original railway infrastructure has been kept and incorporated into the new development. I look forward to your next video.
Great video as usual. I learn more in 5 minutes from your videos than pretty much any other RU-vid channel! It's been a while since I've been to this area. I want to go back now and have another (more informed) look!
I worked for British Rail, and I was based at Kings Cross station from 1989 to 1991. BR had a Red Star Parcels Office in the Goods Yard until @ 1990. I remember being sent here to fill out forms in triplicate for a parcel that I was asked to send.
I remember the Mutoid Waste Company! Such imagination and creativity. We used to skulk around here from time to time. Security cameras in their zillions were a thing of the future. The Scala, offering a club, bar and cinema and more was a short walk away. "No trespassing" signs were clearly visible, but chains lacked padlocks and security guards were not patrolling often. The artists and artisans had an area, but much was seemingly abandoned, bored older teens like ourselves got a sense of adventure taking a stroll through areas we weren't meant to be in. Just one of the many things London had to offer for free back then. I shall try and get the book, but a huge thank you for the work you do bringing this fabulous city and my old memories back to life. I think we might have to make a journey and moor up nearby for a long weekend. Brilliant video, as ever.
BULLENS removal company was based there in the 80,s.also pickfords removals had a spell there too . I also was a freight guard there at 5 arch depot,in the 1970,s when the electrification overhead program started on the east coast main line and great northern surburban lines. electrification work trains worked out from from 5 arch yards ,as did the sand trains my first job .great memories in those days.I was first guard to work a train into the EMU switched on newly electrified 313 and 312 depot at Hornsey EMU sidings.yes bring those memories back if only you could.
Stunning place. Lots of CCTV cameras about I see. I presume it's to livestream 24/7 fantastic industrial archeology to interested persons. Thank you for your great research!
It was discovered back in 2019 that it isn't just CCTV but also facial recognition. There was a lot of noise about data protection as private companies must ask your permission before trying to identify you.
My Mum used to talk about the canal . It was one of her favourite places to investigate as a kid which was in the steam era. She said from memory they used Clydedales to move some barges. Around World war 11 in the early 1940’s
As always a fascinating and interesting film, thank you. Looks like it’s been a sympathetic restoration looking after some of London’s history, always good to see.
Wow, this looks amazing. Passed this area for years (coming up from Ashford via HS1) and observed a lot of the development. If I'm ever allowed back in to the UK will need to visit, and will be able to view this from a different perspective.
That`s changed! I worked in The King`s Cross good yard as part of my railway apprenticeship in the early seventies. The Drive Slowly sign is genuine as I remember it being there in 1972. beyond the Coal house was the steam Loco maintenance shed: "Top Shed" as it was known and the pit for the loco turntable was still there as were the pits for maintaining the underneath the locos. None of the other buildings were in use at that time, save the potato market so I could wander around to my hears content imagining what is was like at its peak. Thanks for uploading this great video.
Fascinating history, thank you. Despite coming and going from King's Cross for 25 years, I'd never ventured here until a couple of years ago. Very nicely redeveloped. It's a pleasant walk along the canal to/ from Camden, with a stop for refreshments at Coal Drops Yard.
Thanks Jago, brings back memories of warehouse raves in the 80s/90s.. I actually liked when it was run down and decrepit, had a certain charm as it looked like Dickensian London, or how I pictured it.
I remember the Mutoid Waste Company and their skull lorry they appeared at Glastonbury too with their carhenge good times. Thanks for the video excellent stuff
Ah you finally did it! Thanks so much Jago, I will certainly have a read of that book. Very interesting video - great job! I've been trying to find some better pictures from the period to see what it was like in full operation back in the day but there's not a lot to be found sadly. Very interesting place though.
Fantastic transformation of all this area. I have seen Granary Square and sat some times on the fake grass steps next to the canal. Need to check the Coal Drops Yard, that wasn't still finished last time I was there.
Good views of the area before redevelopment in the video to Move It by Reel 2 Reel from 1990 something (1994?) before King Julian in Madagascar. I remember it in the 80s as being somewhere the 'ladies' took punters (I was too young and too scared!) but the view from the old St Pancras (where I did work experience in 1984) over looked it and the view from the top of Barlow's train shed was incredible. So much has changed in London from when I was a regular visitor in the 80s, and even from my last visit in 2014. Happy memories...
Nice. I've been there too as a tourist. I liked the old industrial vibe there. In great contrast with the fancy people of the fashion school over there.
The Great Northern Railway wasn’t the only company involved in the construction of the East Coast Main Line. It was built by 3 companies, The North British Railway, The North Eastern Railway and The Great Northern Railway.
That was fascinating and freaky at the same time. Did RU-vid know I was there the day after you uploaded this, thus recommending I watch it? I stumbled upon the yard when walking along the canal with my girlfriend and was fascinated by what it once was. Now you've told me Jago, thank you!
Kinda reminds me of what they did to the suburb of Tenerife in Brisbane. Used to be a highly industrial town of Bulimba existing on both sides of the river, but when boats got bigger the docks moved downstream leaving old industrial brick buildings empty. Then they get turned into restaurants and offices with disused track all over the place.
Great video. I worked on the redevelopment of coal drops yards and the (fish and) coal offices along with a few other plots around KXC. It was very interesting to see them prior to the renovation commencing, I can confirm the sign on the offices is an original.
So the hydraulic system was in place until 1838, before the yard opened, then was replaced by electric powered capstans, so that's very very early for electric, a hundred years early. LOL. Great content as usual.
In the 1960s as a train spotter one had to climb through the coal depot to get access to Kings Cross motive power depot aka 34A if you tried the front gate a BR jobsworth would chase you away. I managed coal depot access many times once in the shed they tolerated spotters.
I believe that the Kings Cross railway lands were part of the deal to construct the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. These lands, along with the railway yard at Stratford and many other places in London, were given over to London and Continental Railways (LCR) in 1996.
