The Rise and Fall of Euston Station, 1835 - 1962, A Talk by Steven Brindle

Euston Station was built by the London & Birmingham Railway, c 1835-8, as the first-ever long-distance railway terminus. Its famous Doric portico or propylaeum celebrated this epic engineering achievement, and landmark in history. However, the early railway builders could not foresee how their industry would grow and change, and the original layout proved inadequate. Euston grew immensely, but it was constrained by its context and original design.

This complex history was brought to an abrupt end by the destruction of the entire original station in 1961-3, the subject of one of the greatest of all conservation battles, a crucial moment in the establishment of the Victorian Society.

Steven Brindle, historian of architecture and engineering, tells the whole story of Euston’s rise and fall.