The area of King's Cross has witnessed a dramatic transformation, with a new city rising above, alongside and within some of the country's most compelling railway heritage. The former Railway Lands remain extraordinarily rich in historical features, yet those who now reside, work, study, dine or play in this new world will find their origins hard to decipher. The Great Northern Railway, with its stations, goods depots, locomotive sheds, coal yards and stables at King's Cross, served the needs of the ever-growing metropolis, experiencing growth in the nineteenth century, competition for trade, weakness between the wars, and the high age of steam. After the demise of steam, the decaying industrial landscape was colonised by a variety of new enterprises, invaded by clubbers, contested by developers and the community, and captured by artists and photographers. In The King's Cross Story Peter Darley explores and illuminates the fascinating history of the Railway Lands over the last 200 years, tracing the evolution of its historical features through time and space.

The London & Birmingham Railway was the major project of its day, designed by Robert Stephenson, one of the great railway pioneers, who also supervised its construction and its opening in 1837. Camden Goods Station became the goods terminus and Euston Station the passenger terminus. For a few years trains were hauled by rope from Euston up the incline to Camden before the intensification of both passenger and goods services rendered such technology obsolete. The L&BR left a strong footprint on the landscape from Euston to Camden Town and Primrose Hill. The story moves from rapid economic growth to eventual decline and then to the recent regeneration. The historic features around the former Goods station are providing the basis of Camden's transformation through its markets, media, music, food and entertainment into a global brand. Join Peter Darley in unfolding this story from 1837 to the present day.