The annual tradition of posting a different vintage image each day during advent, and this year, it’s of London’s old railway stations.
Victoria Station
What we often think of as one large mainline station is actually the merger of two separate stations sitting next to each other.
Originally intended to be called Grosvenor Terminus, the first of the Victoria stations opened in October 1860, replacing a temporary terminus in Battersea.
The second station, sat next to the existing station was opened in 1862.
Following the merger of the two competing railway companies, the station finally had one owner, Southern Railway in 1923.
Apart from its odd history, the station is also notable in London for being the only terminus building without a basement — the ground is made of soft river gravels which proved too much of a hindrance to build though.
A problem that has plagued the area ever since, including the current upgrade to the tube station.
