A Visit To The Roof Of Victoria Station

M@
By M@ Last edited 98 months ago

Last Updated 26 October 2016

A Visit To The Roof Of Victoria Station
Looking across the central side roof.
Looking across the central side roof.
Walking along one of the roof gantries.
Walking along one of the roof gantries.
Up close to the Grosvenor Hotel.
Up close to the Grosvenor Hotel.
Round the back of the Grosvenor Hotel.
Round the back of the Grosvenor Hotel.
Clambering over the canopies is not for the faint-hearted.
Clambering over the canopies is not for the faint-hearted.
Victoria has its own waste management centre, seen here, which recycles up to 86% of station rubbish.
Victoria has its own waste management centre, seen here, which recycles up to 86% of station rubbish.
The oldest part of Victoria -- the shelter canopies at the front of the station.
The oldest part of Victoria -- the shelter canopies at the front of the station.
A view down into the tube works.
A view down into the tube works.
The great glass roof.
The great glass roof.
Looking south-west along the tracks.
Looking south-west along the tracks.

We're walking through the glass alps. The main roof of Victoria station glints in the mid-morning sun — its slopes cover an area equivalent to three football pitches. Older sheds to the west serve as crystalline foothills. From up here, the country's second busiest railway station is silent, serene even.

Victoria's vast roof dates from 1862 and is Grade II listed, but have been heavily refurbished since. From here, you get remarkable views of local landmarks, such as Battersea Power Station and Westminster Cathedral. You also get a sense of the great development works taking place in the area, including a modernised tube station.

With thanks to Network Rail for showing us round. Read more about the secret corners and peculiar nicknames of Victoria Station.

See also: On the roof of King's Cross station.

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