‘Recollections may vary’
Nostalgia, that sentimental longing or affection for a period or place in the past is derived from Greek, “Nostos” = homecoming & “Algos” = pain. Nostalgia was once recognised as a cause of death, but now it is sometimes used to improve memory or mental health.
Studying in London in the early 1960s, my father recalled Kings Cross as a dodgy, disreputable area where typical of the pollution at the time, blowing your nose at the end of the day produced a revolting dark, grimy physical record of London’s air quality.
Arriving in the early 1990s, long before Harry Potter made Kings Cross station famous by taking the Hogwarts Express from platform 9 and ¾, every September I witnessed children being sent off to boarding schools, taking trains from platforms 9, 10 or 11.
For many years, the consensus amongst most visitors to the area was that the best thing about Kings Cross was how easy it was to get away from! Yet anyone who has ever dared take the trouble to explore Kings Cross has probably found that there are many hidden curiosities and evolving through time is one of the things that this area does best.
Ever wondered where the name Kings Cross came from?
Battle Bridge
Believe it or not, this area wasn’t always known as Kings Cross. Legend has it that there was a crossing (Broad Moor Bridge) over the now hidden River Fleet. The name Battle Bridge refers to that bridge and another legend that this was one of the places that Boudicca, Queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, fought the Romans around AD 60-61. The Romans had not only reneged on an agreement and claimed her dead husband’s land but also flogged Boudicca & violated her 2 daughters. Consequently, Boudicca led the Iceni & other ancient British tribes in a bloodthirsty revolt against the Romans. The uprising succeeded in destroying many of the Roman towns at the time including parts of Londinium (London). Accounts vary on whether Boudicca died by suicide or illness after a heavy military defeat. Nevertheless, today Boudicca is viewed as a British symbol of the struggle for justice and independence. It is said that Boudica was buried under one of the platforms of Kings Cross station. While this is more likely to be an urban myth, belief in that tale simply adds more to the magic of those station platforms.
The King’s Statue
The Kings Cross area takes its name from a statue of King George IV from 1836 that once stood at the corner where Pentonville Road and Gray’s Inn Road meet. The statue was designed by architect Stephen Geary who built Highgate Cemetery which was such a highlight of Geary’s career that he himself is buried there. Sadly, such longevity wasn’t fated for the King’s statue and it was eventually demolished and removed. Today instead of a statue there stands an oddly shaped iconic “Lighthouse Building” fitted with a burger joint, offices and meeting spaces. Built around 1875, the Lighthouse Building housed at different points in history, an oyster bar and a record store. Curious about what the unlucky statue of King George IV looked like? Then check this A London Inheritance blog
The Lighthouse Building
Enjoyed this taster of my Nostalgic Nights in Kings X tour? then join me for the rest of the walk!
Over the coming months, I will be fundraising for Coram via a series of guided walks on different themes and areas.
Coram champions children’s rights and wellbeing, improves lives through legal support, advocacy, adoption services, and a range of therapeutic, educational, and cultural programmes.
From manic memories of the Scala, wistful wanderings around St. Pancras Lock or paying homage to the Hardy tree in St. Pancras Gardens just as everyone’s idea of what makes a great day or night out is different, everyone’s memories of Kings Cross are different.
Join me for a glimpse into how the royalty, cinemas, rave venues, parks, canals, industry and of course train stations have all played their part in the area’s varied history and memorable nostalgic nights and grand days out.
Scala
View of St Pancras Waterpoint and St. Pancras Lock
Louise will be running her Nostalgic Nights in Kings X walking tour around Kings Cross on
Sunday, May 25 and June 22, 2025 at 14:00, book via: camdenguides.com (or email walk.deliberately@gmail.com for more details).