Charing Cross railway station

London Charing Cross station is a central London railway terminus which is unusual in that its train services directly connect to two other railway termini; Waterloo and London Bridge. The station takes its name from the Charing Cross district of London, which itself is named after the twelfth Eleanor cross, which stands in front of the station. The cross marks the point from which all UK road distances from London are measured, so the station can claim to be the most central in London.

Related Topics:
Waterloo - London Bridge - Charing Cross - London - Eleanor cross

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The front of the station faces onto The Strand.

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The original station building was built on the site of the Hungerford Market by South Eastern Railway and opened 11 January 1864. The station was designed by Sir John Hawkshaw, with a single span wrought iron roof arching over the six platforms on its relatively cramped site. A year later the Charing Cross Hotel, designed by Edward Middleton Barry, opened on 15 May 1865 and gave the station an ornate frontage in the French Renaissance style. At the same time, the replica Eleanor Cross was erected, based on the original 13th Century Whitehall Cross which had been demolished in 1647.

Related Topics:
South Eastern Railway - 11 January - 1864 - John Hawkshaw - Wrought iron - Edward Middleton Barry - 15 May - 1865 - 1647

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More recently, in 1990, most of the rear of the station was covered by Embankment Place, a post-modern office and shopping complex designed by Terry Farrell and Partners.

Related Topics:
1990 - Post-modern - Terry Farrell and Partners

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