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A WALK AROUND KING'S CROSS
Volume 1
King's Cross is being transformed. A once derelict and inaccessible area in the heart of London is becoming a vibrant new neighbourhood, thanks to the King's Cross Central Limited Partnership and all those who are working with it.
A lot has been achieved and there is still much to do. This map takes you on a tour of the 21 projects in the King's Cross area that are now complete.
Enjoy the walk.
1-3. Arrival at King's Cross St Pancras Underground Station King's Cross could not be better connected. Argent describes it as 'the most connected transport hub in Europe'. It is next to two major rail stations: King's Cross, which has services to the north and east; and St Pancras International, which serves the Midlands, Kent and of course, Paris and Brussels via Eurostar. Euston Station, with trains to Manchester and Glasgow, is just a few minutes' walk away. Its Underground station, which connects into both King's Cross and St Pancras, has six lines running through it, more than any other on the network. In addition, the Thameslink service that runs through St Pancras connects to both Gatwick and Luton Airport. The three other airports serving the capital, Heathrow, London City and Stansted, also have easy connections from King's Cross. So, for our visit, we are spoilt for choice. But let's imagine that, whatever our initial starting point, we have arrived on one of the six Underground lines. Our first experience of King's Cross will be coming up into the ticket hall, from where we can pass into the revamped King's Cross Station and then out into King's Cross Square.
6. Drinks at Booking Office Bar, eat at Gilbert Scott It is time to step inside St Pancras to enjoy some of its hospitality. The idea of railway stations as offering some of the finest food available has largely disappeared. Only Le Train Bleu at Paris' Gare de Lyon had really continued this tradition — until now. The Gilbert Scott restaurant is in a magnificent restored room in the hotel, with food to match. The chef is Marcus Wareing, who has devised a menu that draws on traditional cooking in a modern and delicious way.
Writing in The Guardian in 2011, the author and sometime restaurant critic John Lanchester said that the restaurant had 'the highest restaurant ceiling that I can remember', adding that 'a venue such as this deserves a restaurant to match. And it has one'.
If you just fancy a drink or a light meal, then the Booking Office Bar is exactly what it sounds like: a bar in the former station ticket office — it is another impressive space. We can then walk round to our second major railway station, St Pancras International.
7. Retail at St Pancras International Station
When you walk into St Pancras International Station, you will discover that its facilities are out of the ordinary. You can of course grab a coffee and a magazine, as you would expect to do at any terminus, but the tendency of railway stations to become shopping destinations has been taken further than most at St Pancras.
It is the only terminus in London that can be seen as functioning as a retail and lunch destination — particularly valuable while much of the retail at the Argent development is still under construction. From here we walk back to the King's Cross side, to the second of the great railway hotels in the area.
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10. Cross the canal to Granary Square
From the end of King's Boulevard we walk over the recently constructed King's Bridge to Granary Square. The bridge crosses Regent's Canal, which played a vital role in the industrial history of the site. It carried timber, building materials and coal to King's Cross Station from the industrial north. It also brought fish, potatoes, fruit to marmalade makers, beer to bottlers and grain to a flour mill where Kings Place now stands.
To unload the barges, the Great Northern Railway Company built two canal basins. Two short-branch canals led from the basins underneath the six-storey Granary Building where goods were offloaded. Other canal branches ended at the transit sheds on either side of the Granary, where cargo could be taken directly onto horse-drawn wagons for distribution.
This industrial role was abandoned long ago, although you can still see some small-scale supplies, such as gas bottles, brought along the canal. Its main role now is for leisure and to add to the character and attraction of King's Cross.
11 -13. A wander round Granary Square
Granary Square has become a tremendous draw, with crowds flocking there especially on summer weekends.
The square has also become a gourmet destination, with not only the Kerb stalls, but also two excellent restaurants. Grain Store, with chef Bruno Loubet, produces dishes that deliberately downplay animal protein, while Caravan has an informal vibe and focuses on excellent coffee and simple dishes for sharing. Both have space on the square for al fresco dining in good weather. After this refreshment, we can move on to look at the Eastern Train Shed, now school to Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design.
14. Drift along Stable Street and a glimpse to the left The Western Transit Shed, which fronts onto Stable Street, is a powerhouse of the King's Cross development. As we walk along, we pass the visitor centre to the area that also doubles as an employment centre, KX Recruit. On the upper level are Argent's own offices and the consulting engineer Hoare Lea. All this happens in a place that continues to be in a state of flux, since the other side of Stable Street is still a construction site. As you walk along Stable Street you can glance over to the left and see one of the relocated gas holders, which was refurbished in Yorkshire. An iconic symbol of King's Cross and its industrial past, this had to be moved from its original position, but has been retained to house a park. It is not currently accessible, as it is still surrounded by construction work. Looking in the same direction we can also see The Energy Centre.
15-17. Taking in Handyside Street
From the end of Stable Street, we can continue into Handyside Street and come almost at once to the Skip Garden, now in its third location on the King's Cross site. Always intended to be temporary it is by its nature mobile, growing plants in containers (including the eponymous skips). Run by charity Global Generation, it serves an educational purpose, running events for local children, allowing them to get their hands dirty, to understand where plants come from and even to get dressed up and have a go at beekeeping. There is a Skip Garden Cafe as well, serving food grown in the garden and so, in addition to being an agreeable meeting place, continuing the educational message.
Beyond the Skip Garden is an area dedicated to a different kind of outdoor activity, a free-to-use outdoor sports area with an all-weather pitch that can be used for anything from five-a-side to basketball. Next to it, for those not quite old enough for organised sports, is an outdoor play area. From here we go to look at residential developments in the north of King's Cross.
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18. Return down York Way
After leaving the student housing, we turn to walk back south along York Way. On the other side of the road you will see a low building with a sawtooth roof, which currently forms part of The National Skills Academy for Construction. This is the King's Cross Construction Skills Centre, designed by David Morley. It will eventually be redeveloped as part of the big picture, but this elegant building will adorn the site for some time yet.
York Way is a busy thoroughfare that has not been the focus of much affection. As part of the masterplan there will be improvements, with granite kerbs and street trees as well as some much-needed new crossings. Already, though, pedestrians are starting to take alternative, quieter routes through the King's Cross development. Just before the canal we arrive at another residential development, the ArtHouse.
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19. Handyside Gardens through to Shrimpy's If we go around the back of the ArtHouse we can walk through Handyside Gardens. Designed by Dan Pearson, the garden sits between the apartments and the new Waitrose supermarket and cooking school, which are currently under construction. The Art-House shields the garden from the busy traffic of York Way. There are raised beds that were essential to achieve the necessary depth of soil, as the garden runs over the East Coast mainline. At present the garden is only accessible from York Way, but construction of the landscape linking it to Granary Square and Regent's Canal is now under way. From here our tour returns to York Way and crosses Regent's Canal to The Filling Station, where we can eat at Shrimpy's.
4-5. Stroll across to St Pancras International Station You will scarcely get a chance to stretch your legs in the walk to St Pancras, since the two stations sit right alongside each other. Even the Gare du Nord and Gare de I'Est in Paris are a good five minute march and two Metro stops apart.
St Pancras is a London landmark. Despite the engineering feat the William Barlow-designed train shed represented — when it was completed in 1868, it was the widest and largest uninterrupted space that had ever been enclosed — it is the former Midland Grand Hotel that really grabs attention. A work of neo-Gothic exuberance, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, its initial success was checked by changes in the hotel sector.
Devised before the introduction of en-suite bathrooms, it relied on an army of servants to carry, fill and empty tubs, bowls, spittoons and chamber pots. As a result, it went into decline, closing in 1935. It was a building with potential, but until recently it stood empty, contributing to the area's run-down feeling that is hard to recall today.
8-9. Food at Plum + Spilt Milk restaurant, drinks at GNH Bar, walk up King's Boulevard
While the restaurant and bar associated with St Pancras Hotel have a retro feel, echoing the charming heritage of the old Midland Grand Hotel, those in the Great Northern Hotel, facing towards King's Cross, have a modern vibe, suiting its plainer history and contemporary structural gymnastics. They do not, however, turn their back on history altogether.
The Plum + Spilt Milk restaurant is named after the colours of the original LNWR dining car, decorated in the railway's livery. Low-hanging pendant lights hold exposed-filament bulbs — a kind of knowing looking back, which suits the restaurant. Meanwile, the GNH Bar on the ground floor evokes a 1920s Manhattan bar. Going out we turn into King's Boulevard, a street in a constant state of flux, with development happening on both sides. With clever use of hoardings and, until recently, the Kerb street food offering (now moved to Granary Square) this route into the heart of King's Cross is full of character and gives access to two stunning office developments; one by David Chipperfield, the other by Allies and Morrison.
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20. Inside Kings Place
From The Filling Station we cross York Way to Kings Place, a mix of offices and a major cultural space away from the traditional concentration of such facilities. What makes it particularly bold is that it was constructed, and opened, before any of the surrounding regeneration had taken place. As well as one-off events, there are regular weekly strands of programming, including chamber music on Sundays, contemporary music and the spoken word on Mondays, comedy on Thursdays, folk on Fridays and jazz on Saturdays. In addition to the performance venues, there are two spaces for visual art. Kings Place runs an annual festival in September and also has regular collaborations with The Guardian, which has its offices there.
There are more opportunities to eat and drink, at the Rotunda restaurant and the Green & Fortune Cafe.
21. To Regent Quarter and Drink, Shop & Do
Our route continues down York Way to the re-imagining of a series of old buildings in Regent Quarter. At the back of this is a special venue.
There must be quite a few places in London where you can practise crafts. There are plenty of places where you can sip afternoon tea, and there are bars with cocktails, music and dancing. There are also shops selling vintage furnishings, or braid craft, or old-fashioned sweets. But there can't be many that do all of these things. Drink, Shop & Do, however, does offer all this and more. Recent events, for example, included musical bingo, a class for building Lego robots and lessons in dancing like Beyonce.
The old King's Cross, prior to the coming of St Pancras International and the new development, was sleazy and run-down but it also had the occasional charming anarchic corner. Drink, Shop & Do, tucked behind the Regent Quarter, is a reminder of that spirit, and provides a fitting end to this tour.
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