Pancras Square, Kings Cross

Entrance to Pancras Square (click for full size)

As I entered the new Pancras Square built on the site of the once teeming freight hub of Kings Cross/St Pancras the light channelled into the view had a dense and highlighted quality which would have been normal in this area 50 years ago.

The area behind these stations was once populated by an estate of mean looking but much loved tenement buildings, big Victorian coal gas holders, train repair sheds, coal drops (for the trains and gas) and freight sidings for, amongst other things, potato and vegetable deliveries for the markets and eventual households of the metropolis. Some fantastic photography exists from the industrial era, especially by John Gay.

You often find smokey, sooty, dark photographs infused with steam and smutty air from all the steam trains which bring a magic feel to the images. I've tried to recreate some of the lost atmosphere in this photo - caused by the low winter sun streaming into the square which is built on top of all the demolished industrial architecture.

Once associated with names like Great Northern Railways, and enshrined in the wonderfully dark Ealing Comedy 'The Ladykillers' the area is now home to Google and YouTube.

Funny old world, isn't it?

Photographed with a Fujifilm GFX50S camera and Fujinon 23mm f4 lens.