PAST EXHIBITION:
TOO BOLD FOR ITS DAY
- THE DEVELOPMENT OF VICTORIA STREET
Did you know?
There was a busy, industrial canal where Victoria Station now
stands..... there was a prison on the site where
Westminster Cathedral was erected...there was a large brewery where the new Cardinal Place has been built... there was a burial ground beneath Christ Church Gardens… there was a hospital on the site of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre... the Royal Aquarium was demolished to make way for the Methodist Central Hall...
Victoria Street, officially opened in 1851, was built as part of the Westminster Improvement Act.
It was a bold development, which cleared nearly 4,000 houses, mainly slums, replacing them with
buildings that were remarkable at the time for their scale, grand European design and consistency
of height. However, for the first few years, Victoria Street was not a successful project. It was
over budget and under subscribed for development - hence, many people agreed with one local
resident who considered it “too bold for its day”.
This exhibition, arranged in collaboration with the City of Westminster Archives Centre, explores the rich history that surrounds Victoria Street and reveals the long forgotten
buildings and landmarks that existed before the arrival of the contemporary structures
of glass and steel.
Click here if you would like to know more about the City of Westminster Archives Centre
Click here to download a PDF of the talk 'Victoria Street – Virtues and Vices' given by Dr Richard Dennis on 19th September