Plimsoll monument in peril

Plans for the redevelopment by Argent St George of the area behind King’s Cross include the demolition of the Plimsoll Viaduct, which is inside a conservation area. It was built by Samuel Plimsoll in the 1850s, when he changed the pattern of the British coal industry by bringing coal by rail to London from the South Yorkshire coalfields on the newly opened Great Northern Railway, breaking a monopoly and changing the custom of transporting coal from the North by sea. This in itself makes the structure an important monument in the industrial history of Britain, along with its associated Coal Drops. It is not only an interesting and aesthetic piece of industrial architecture, but also historically significant and irreplaceable.

It is also the last surviving monument (apart from posthumous memorials) to Plimsoll, who went on to become a great national hero with his prolonged agitation for the safety of sailors at sea, leading to the establishment of the load line that bears his name. Over the years, Plimsoll’s former homes in Camden, in Hatton Garden, in Victoria, in Park Lane and his office at the Elephant and Castle have all been demolished, as has his stately home in Yorkshire. This viaduct is the last structure from his lifetime that commemorates him. To demolish it would be an act of historical vandalism. Argent should incorporate this important structure into its plans, instead of destroying it.

The Kings Cross Think Again campaign is working to save the industrial buildings and structures in this conservation area. There is currently an injunction against further development until a judicial review at the end of May. You can help by signing the petition. Please do, and spread the word to anyone else who might care to save our architectural heritage.

More information available here.

Photo by Angela Inglis