Euston Arch: Difference between revisions

The '''Euston Arch''', built in 1837 (and demolished in 1962), was the original entrance to [[Euston railway station|Euston station]], facing onto [[Drummond Street, London]]. The Archarch was demolished when the station was rebuilt in the 1960s, but much of the original stone was later located—principally used as fill in the [[Prescott Channel]]—and proposals have been formulated to reconstruct it as part of the planned redevelopment of the station,<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.thecnj.com/camden/2009/050709/news050709_07.html |title= Arrival of Euston station arch delayed..._until 2012 |newspaper=Camden New Journal |location=London |date=7 May 2009 |accessdateaccess-date=20 September 2012 |first=Paul |last=Keilthy}}</ref> including the station's use as the London terminus of the [[High Speed 2]] line.<ref name=CMgr />

When Euston station was redeveloped, Drummond Street was split into two parts, on either side of the station complex, with the eastern half renamed Doric Way, after the style of the arch.

[[File:Entrance Front of the London Station by C.F. Cheffins, 1837.jpg|thumb|Entrance Front of the London Station by [[Charles Cheffins|C. F. Cheffins]], published <br/>3 April 1837.]]

[[File:Ground Plan of Euston Station, 1838.jpg|thumb|Ground plan of Euston station 1838.<br/> The grey areas were open [[granite]] [[PavementPavers (architectureflooring)|paving]]. The Euston Arch is on the left (south) of the plan between its four lodges, forming a grand entrance to the station building, on the departures side of the station]]

The arch was supported on four columns, and bronze gates were placed behind them. It stood {{convert|70|ft|m|abbr=on|adj=mid|high}} and {{convert|44|ft|m|abbr=on|adj=mid|deep}}, while the diameter of each of the columns was {{convert|8|ft|6|in|m}}. The structure was built from stone from [[Bramley, Leeds|Bramley]] in [[West Yorkshire]], and cost £35,000. Initially it had very little embellishment and no descriptive title until 1870, when the [[London and North Western Railway]] (LNWR) incised "Euston" on the [[architrave]] in letters of gold. There were two lodges on each side of the arch, executed like it in strictly classical style. Each of these lodges was separated from its neighbour by an imposing pair of bronze gates. One of the gates between the lodges operated as an entrance for carriages and very heavy goods going by train, while one of the lodges was an office for outgoing parcels.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Story of Euston: A Century of Expansion, Haulage by Rope to Camden Town |work=The Times |location= London |date=20 September 1938}}</ref>

The arch was not admired by everyone in its early years. A guide to London published at the time of the [[Great Exhibition]] in 1851 described it as "gigantic and very absurd", and placed "without reference to the courtyard it leads to". The ''British Almanac'' for 1839 remarked that it was "noble", emphasising the purity of its style, but stated that "it was not necessary, as in the case of many [[porticoes]] to country houses, to have [[sash window]]s peeping out between Doric columns; the perfection of the style could be maintained and should be appreciated."

A suggestion to move the arch was made in 1938 by the [[London Midland & Scottish Railway]] (LMS), which proposed rebuilding Euston Station according to an American-inspired design by [[Percy Thomas]], a respected architect hired with the help of a loan provided by the government. After returning from a tour of modern stations in the United States, Thomas proposed a large stripped-Classical block with wings, which incorporated a hotel, offices and the station. This plan involved removing the Euston Arch. [[Gerald Wellesley, 7th Duke of Wellington|Gerald Wellesley]] and [[Albert Richardson (architect)|Albert Richardson]] of the [[Georgian Group]], a conservation organisation, managed to persuade [[Josiah Stamp|Lord Stamp]], chairman of the LMS, that it could be resited on the Euston Road, even though Thomas had insisted that it would not be possible to move it. Ultimately these plans for reconstruction were never realised as the [[Second World War]] began the following year.<ref>{{cite news |first=Gavin |last=Stamp |authorlinkauthor-link=Gavin Stamp |title=Save the archive |date=29 April 2000 |url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200004/ai_n8900859 |work=The Spectator |location= London |accessdateaccess-date=9 November 2007}}</ref>

Conceived in the context of the BTC's plans to upgrade and electrify the main line between Euston and Scotland as part of its Modernisation Programme, the proposal called for the demolition of the entire station, including the arch and the Great Hall, which were both [[listed building|Grade II listed]] buildings. The existing station was regarded as inconveniently sited and impractically small.

At a planning inquiry held in late January 1960, the LCC adopted a report by its Town Planning Committee which allowed the removal of the arch and its attendant lodges on condition that they would be "re-erected on another site in an appropriate dignified and open setting." Giving evidence to the LCC, the BTC estimated that the re-siting costs would be in the region of £180,000. It refused to countenance any suggestion that it would fund the work.<ref>{{cite news|title=£180,000 to move arch at Euston; LCC told of station reconstruction plan |work=[[The Times]] |date=27 January 1960}}</ref> In the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], the MP [[Woodrow Wyatt]] tabled a motion demanding that the arch as well as the Great Hall and Shareholders' Room in the station should be retained.<ref>{{cite news |title=MP's Preservation Call for Euston |work=[[The Times]] |date=11 February 1960}}</ref>

Under the legislation governing the planning procedure, once the BTC's notice to demolish had expired on 17 April 1960, only the [[Minister of Housing and Local Government]] could save the buildings by placing a preservation order on them. In default of the Ministerminister's action, the station would be demolished.<ref>{{cite news |title=Letters to the Editor: Change at Euston |work=[[The Times]]|date=16 April 1960}}</ref>

In 1960 the [[Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment|Royal Fine Art Commission]], the body responsible for advising on questions of "public amenity or of artistic importance", asked both the BTC and the LCC to consult it. Local planning authorities are 'advised' to seek the Commissioncommission's advice on development schemes of national or major regional importance, and the Commissioncommission will make non-binding recommendations as to the proposed development from the perspective of its impact on the local environment and its design quality. The BTC referred the Commissioncommission to the LCC which itself avoided the issue by stating that it was for the [[Ministry of Housing and Local Government]] to call-in the planning application. The Ministryministry refused to act, stating that it still remained for the LCC to deal with the application.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hobhouse |first=Hermione |title=Lost London: a Century of Demolition and Decay |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers |Macmillan]] |year=1979 |location=London |isbn=978-0-333-19826-1 |page=236}}</ref>

In May 1960 [[Henry Brooke, Baron Brooke of Cumnor|Henry Brooke]], the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] Minister for Housing and Local Government, was asked to issue a Buildingbuilding Preservationpreservation Orderorder in respect of the arch under Section 29 of the [[Town and Country Planning Act 1947]]. This would prevent any works being carried out without the permission of the LCC. He rejected the request, believing that an Orderorder was unnecessary given that the LCC was in discussions with the BTC on the future of the arch. The Royal Fine Art Commission contacted the Ministerminister in June 1960 expressing their concern for the arch, and again requested to be consulted on the proposals for redevelopment of the station site. The Ministerminister did not reply to this letter.

On 12 July 1961, in a written answer to a [[Parliamentary question#Question time in the UK|Parliamentaryparliamentary question]] by Sir [[Frank Markham]],<ref> https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1961/jul/12/euston-station-doric-arch></ref> the [[Secretary of State for Transport|Minister of Transport]], [[Ernest Marples]], confirmed that he had given approval to the early reconstruction of Euston station which, in his view, was urgent not only because of the electrification programme but also because three 50-year-old [[London Underground|Underground]] lifts had almost reached the end of their useful lives. The replacement of the lifts would cost £700,000. As he recounted,:

[[File:Euston Doric Arch demolition geograph-2991033-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|thumb|upright|The breakers moved in on 6 November 1961. This photograph was taken on a wet 12 February 1962. When the new 'Great Hall' had been completed in 1968 it was found that there was plenty of room after all.]]

The arch's imminent demolition sparked a preservation protest in which Woodrow Wyatt, [[John Betjeman]] and [[Nikolaus Pevsner]] were prominent figures, and a wider debate about the modernisation of central London. There was public disquiet over how a [[local authority]] with a good track record for architecture and town planning such as the LCC, and the BTC, an important public service operator, could allow the demolition of such an important monument. Figures such as Sir Charles Wheeler, the President of the [[Royal Academy]],<ref name="Grdn"/> backed by the [[Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings]], the Georgian Group and the [[London Society (organisation)|London Society]], lobbied in vain for the arch's preservation. Arguments which had been successfully employed to see off the previous attempted demolition in 1938 failed to sway the BTC which said that it was unable to afford the costs of reconstruction.

On 24 October 1961, a group of campaigners including [[James Maude Richards|J. M. Richards]], the editor of the ''[[Architectural Review]]'', went to see [[Harold Macmillan]], the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], to plead for the preservation of the arch, arguing that if it really had to be moved, that it should be dismantled and re-erected elsewhere. As J. M. Richards recalled, "''Macmillan listened – or I suppose he listened [...] he sat without moving with his eyes apparently closed. He asked no questions; in fact he said nothing except that he would consider the matter''."<ref>{{cite news |first=Gavin |last=Stamp |authorlinkauthor-link=Gavin Stamp |title=Steam ahead: the proposed rebuilding of London's Euston station is an opportunity to atone for a great architectural crime |date=1 October 2007 |url= http://www.apollo-magazine.com/189416/steam-ahead.thtml |work=[[Apollo (magazine)|Apollo: the international magazine of art and antiques]] |accessdateaccess-date=9 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071101082227/http://www.apollo-magazine.com/189416/steam-ahead.thtml |archivedatearchive-date=1 November 2007 }}</ref>

Two weeks later Macmillan gave his response to the proposals. He stated that he had decided against adopting the suggested preservation strategy, and explained that "every possible way" of preserving the arch had been investigated by the BTC, but the lack of available land, the operational requirements of the station and the removal costs entailed made the project infeasible. He revealed that the only place the arch could be put where it would not look "incongruous" was the traffic roundabout on the Euston Road, a possibility which had been considered unsuitable by the LCC. He refused to allow any further delay or to allow the Victorian Society time to raise funds, for that would delay the reconstruction of the station and involve extra expenditure of £100,000.<ref>{{cite news|title=Euston Portico Fate Inevitable says Mr Macmillan; little or no prospect of finding an alternative site|work=[[The Times]]|date=4 November 1961}}</ref><ref name="Grdn"/>

Demolition began in December 1961. [[Leonard Fairclough & Son|Leonard Fairclough Limited]] of [[Adlington, Lancashire|Adlington]] in [[Lancashire]] were appointed as demolition contractors. The company revealed that it would take several weeks to demolish the arch, as the job would have to be done by hand — explosives being out of the question owing to possible damage to the adjacent buildings.<ref name="Grdn">{{cite news |title=Euston Arch begins to fall - archive, 1961 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/nov/07/euston-arch-rail-london-demolished-1961 |access-date=26 August 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=7 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=How Euston Arch Will Be Demolished |work=[[The Times]] |date=28 September 1961}}</ref>

The ''Architectural Review'' criticised the cynical means employed by British Railways in achieving the demolition of the arch:<ref>{{cite news |date=April 1962 |title=The Euston Murder |url= |work=[[Architectural Review]] |location=London |pages=234–238 |volume=131 |issue=782 |issn=0003-861X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About us / The History |url=http://www.eustonarch.org/about-us/the-history |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403041204/http://www.eustonarch.org/about-us/the-history |archive-date=2015-04-03 |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=Euston Arch Trust}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Ruth |date=2017-01-02 |orig-date=Updated 30 April 19622017 |title=John Betjeman, the Euston Arch, and the Fight to Save London's Industrial Heritage |url=https://chmcc.hypotheses.org/2663 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924001848/https://chmcc.hypotheses.org/2663 |archive-date=2023-09-24 |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=Politiques de la culture |language=}}</ref>

Frank Valori, a representative of Leonard Fairclough Ltd., later revealed to [[Oliver Sylvain Baliol Brett, 3rd Viscount Esher|Lord Esher]] that he had undertaken the demolition "without pleasure" and had offered to provide the Governmentgovernment with an alternative site at his own expense at which he would store the stones of the portico with a view to re-erecting it elsewhere. This offer was "disdainfully rejected by the Government on the flimsy pretext that no place could ever be found." Valori presented a silver model of the arch to Lord Esher who admitted that the gesture "made him feel as if some man had murdered his wife and then presented him with her bust".<ref>{{cite news |title=Silver Memory of Euston Portico |work=[[The Times]] |date=7 March 1962}}</ref> Valori later incorporated part of the arch into the stonework of the house which he had constructed for himself in [[Bromley]].<ref>{{citation|url name=http"://www.pastinthepresent.com/BUILDINGMATERIALS.htm|title=Building0" Materials|accessdate=9 November 2007}} {{Dead link|date=April 2009}}</ref> <!-- 2009-14-18, removed search engine cache stuff from link, but still a dead link, indeed site seems to be parked-->

The campaign to preserve the arch was a significant factor in the development of [[Industrialindustrial Archaeologyarchaeology]] as a distinct discipline.

== Remains of the Archarch ==

The ornamental iron gates from the arch were saved at the time of demolition and are now in the [[National Railway Museum]] in [[York]].

In 1994 the historian [[Dan Cruickshank]] discovered that at least 60% of the stone from the Archarch was buried in the bed of the [[River Lea]] at the [[Prescott Channel]] in the [[East End of London]]. The location of the stones, for which he had been searching for 15 years, had been revealed by Bob Cotton, a [[British Waterways]] engineer, who had acquired the material in 1962 to fill a chasm in the bed of the channel.

Cruickshank revealed on the ''[[One Foot in the Past]]'' television programme, broadcast on 7 June 1994, that the stone had barely weathered at all. As he explained, "This makes the reconstruction of the arch a tangible reality,&nbsp;... The arch is made of stone from the Bramley Fall quarry in Yorkshire which is incredibly hard, almost like granite." A section of fluted column was brought up from the river bed, where the stones with "Euston" marked in gold lettering are believed to be located.<ref>{{cite news |title=Euston Arch found at bottom of river |work=[[The Times]]|date=4 June 1994}}</ref> Other stones are lying in the gardens of those involved in the arch's demolition. The television programme showed at least one large piece being part of the rear wall of a large rockery in one garden.

In May 2009 British Waterways raised many more stones from the Prescott Channel, in conjunction with work to repair waterways serving the [[Olympic Park, London|Olympic Park]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.waterscape.com/features-and-articles/news/2431/unlocking-the-secret-of-the-euston-arch-stones |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110505132932/http://www.waterscape.com/features-and-articles/news/2431/unlocking-the-secret-of-the-euston-arch-stones |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 May 2011 |title=Unlocking the secret of the Euston Arch stones |publisher=Waterscape.com |accessdateaccess-date=20 September 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8055034.stm | work=BBC News | title='Euston Arch' stones to be saved | date=18 May 2009 | accessdateaccess-date=2 May 2010}}</ref>

A [[Fuller, Smith & Turner|Fuller's]] pub in the new station, named ''The Doric Arch'' after Euston arch, has a display of some of the recovered stone behind the bar.<ref>{{citationcite web |url=http://www.doric-arch.co.uk/about |title=The Doric Arch – About |accessdateaccess-date=28 March 2014}}</ref>

In 1996 [[Dan Cruickshank]] launched the [[Euston Arch Trust]], an organisation dedicated to the rebuilding of the arch, which counted among its members the [[Modern architecture|modernist architects]] [[Alison and Peter Smithson|Peter Smithson]] (who with his wife Alison had written a history of the arch) and [[Piers Gough]]. The trustees saw the opportunity to put right a historical wrong whilst at the same time addressing the fragmented townscape around Euston, including possibly the restoration of [[Euston Square]] which was laid out in the early nineteenth century but fell victim to the re-developmentredevelopment of Euston Station in 1968. [[Railtrack]] were reported to be 'keen' on the idea of reconstructing the arch and the [[London Borough of Camden]] were said to have 'no case against revival'. The estimated cost of rebuilding in 1996 was said to be £5 million.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jonathan |last=Glancey |authorlinkauthor-link=Jonathan Glancey |title=The campaign to rebuild Euston Arch is not nostalgia |date=16 October 1995 |url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19951016/ai_n14012409 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080422212607/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19951016/ai_n14012409|url-status=dead |archive-date=22 April 2008 |work=The Independent |location= London |accessdateaccess-date=9 November 2007 }}</ref>

On 6 November 2007 the historian [[Tristram Hunt]] reported in ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper that a project to rebuild the arch as part of the redevelopment of Euston Station could be led by [[Alastair Lansley]], the lead architect for the reconstruction and rebuilding of [[St Pancras Station]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Tristram|last=Hunt|authorlinkauthor-link=Tristram Hunt|title=The people's station reborn|date=6 November 2007|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/story/0,,2205829,00.html|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdateaccess-date=9 November 2007 | location=London}}</ref>

On 18 February 2008 [[Marcus Binney]] reported in ''[[The Times]]'' newspaper that the Archarch may be rebuilt as part of the redevelopment of [[Euston railway station|Euston Station]] from 2009.<ref>{{cite news|first=Marcus|last=Binney |authorlinkauthor-link=Marcus Binney |url= http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article3385860.ece |title=Landmark of the railway age may be resurrected |work=The Times|date=18 February 2008|accessdateaccess-date=18 April 2009 | location=London}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

In September 2009 the Euston Arch Trust revealed detailed plans to rebuild the Archarch in front of Euston Station, between a pair of existing lodges on Euston Road (see right). It was reported that lettable space in the Archarch could help pay the cost of construction, now estimated at £10 million. The Trusttrust suggests this might involve a 'banqueting room' at the top of the Archarch and a 'nightclub' in the basement.<ref>[http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3149168 Cruickshank plans to reconstruct Euston Arch] Building on line, 21 September 2009</ref>

In March 2014 it was announced that a revived £1.2bn scheme to rebuild London’s Euston station as the gateway to the [[High Speed 2]] line might include reconstruction of the Euston Arch. The [[Secretary of State for Transport|Transport Secretary]] [[Patrick McLoughlin]] said: "I will ... ask HS2 Ltd and Network Rail to develop more comprehensive proposals for the redevelopment of Euston, working with the rail industry and the local community. This work should include proposals for the Euston arch, which should never have been knocked down and which I would like to see rebuilt."<ref name=CMgr>{{cite news |title=Crewe and Camden could benefit from HS2 rethink |url=http://www.construction-manager.co.uk/news/euston-and-crewe-could-benefit-hs2-rethink/ |work=Construction Manager |date=18 March 2014 |accessdateaccess-date=18 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318154449/http://www.construction-manager.co.uk/news/euston-and-crewe-could-benefit-hs2-rethink/ |archive-date=18 March 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In November 2016, the then [[Minister of State for Transport]], [[John Hayes (British politician)|John Hayes]], also supported reconstruction of the Euston Arch, saying "We will make good the terrible damage that was done to Euston, by resurrecting the Euston Arch."<ref name="AJ4/11/2016">{{cite news |last1=Waite |first1=Richard |title=Minister blasts 'descendants of Brutalism' and pledges to rebuild Euston Arch |url= https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/10014431.article |accessdateaccess-date=4 November 2016 |work=Architects' Journal |date=4 November 2016}}</ref> Uncertainty about the future of HS2 nonetheless raised doubts about the reconstruction of the arch. While the plan remained for the line to run to Euston, the redevelopment of the station was delayed in October 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Donovan |first=Tim |date=4 October 2023 |title=London Euston: HS2 will run into centre of capital, PM confirms |work=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67004617 |access-date=21 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=London Euston |url=https://www.hs2.org.uk/building-hs2/stations/euston/ |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=HS2}}</ref>

The demolition of the Archarch inspired the artist [[Tom Eckersley]] to design a tile motif at [[Euston tube station|Euston Underground station]] displaying the Archarch for the new [[Victoria line]], which was opened in 1968, shortly afterwards. The motif shows the Archarch in black and red on a red background.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://golondon.about.com/od/Victoria-Line-Tile-Motifs/ss/Euston.htm|title=Victoria Line Station Tile Motifs – Euston|publisher=Go London|accessdateaccess-date=21 July 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728184642/http://golondon.about.com/od/Victoria-Line-Tile-Motifs/ss/Euston.htm|archivedatearchive-date=28 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

* {{cite book|last=Hillier|first=Bevis|authorlinkauthor-link=Bevis Hillier|title=Betjeman: the bonus of laughter|publisher=[[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]]|location=London|year=2004|isbn=0-7195-6495-6}}

* {{cite book|last1=Smithson|first1=Alison|last2=Smithson|first2=Peter|authorlinkauthor-link=Alison and Peter Smithson|title=The Euston Arch and the growth of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway|publisher=[[Thames & Hudson]]|year=1968|location=London}}

* {{cite book|first=Gavin|last=Stamp|authorlinkauthor-link=Gavin Stamp|contribution=Early Twentieth Century Stations|title=The Architecture of British Transport in the Twentieth Century (Paul Mellon Centre)|editor-first=Julian|editor-last=Holder|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|location=Connecticut|pages=23–46|year=2004|isbn=978-0-300-10624-4|editor2=Parissien, Steven}}

* {{cite book|last=Stamp|first=Gavin|authorlinkauthor-link=Gavin Stamp|title=Britain's Lost Cities|publisher=[[Aurum Press]]|year=2007|location=London|isbn=978-1-84513-264-4}}