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{{short description|Area of central London, England}}
{{Short description|Area of central London, England}}
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{{Other uses|St. Pancras (disambiguation){{!}}St. Pancras}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
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{{Infobox UK place
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{{Other uses|St. Pancras (disambiguation){{!}}St. Pancras}}
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| country = England
{{refimprove|date=February 2017}}
| map_type = Greater London
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{{infobox UK place
|country = England
| region = London
|map_type = Greater London
| population =
|region = London
| official_name = St Pancras
|population =
| static_image_name = London St Pancras New Church portico.jpg
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| static_image_width = 300px
|official_name = St Pancras
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| static_image_caption = [[St Pancras New Church]], Euston Road.
|static_image_name = British Library + St Pancras 7527-31hug.jpg
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| coordinates = {{coord|51.5262|-0.1178|display=inline,title}}
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|static_image_width = 300px
| london_borough = Camden
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|static_image_caption = The [[British Library]], [[St Pancras railway station|the railway station]] and [[Euston Road]] seen in 2009
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| constituency_westminster = [[Holborn and St. Pancras (UK Parliament constituency)|Holborn and St Pancras]]
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|coordinates = {{coord|51.5262|-0.1178|display=inline,title}}
|london_borough = Camden
| post_town = LONDON
| postcode_district = WC1
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|constituency_westminster = [[Holborn and St. Pancras (UK Parliament constituency)|Holborn and St Pancras]]
|post_town = LONDON
| postcode_area = WC
|postcode_district = WC1
| postcode_district1 = NW1
|postcode_area = WC
| postcode_area1 = NW
|postcode_district1 = NW1
| dial_code = 020
|postcode_area1 = NW
| os_grid_reference = TQ305825
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|dial_code = 020
|os_grid_reference = TQ305825
}}
}}


'''St Pancras''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|æ|ŋ|k|r|ə|s}}) is a large district in [[north London]]. St Pancras was originally a medieval [[Civil parish#Ancient parishes|ancient parish]] and subsequently became a metropolitan borough. The metropolitan borough then merged with neighbouring boroughs and the area it covered now forms around half of the modern [[London Borough of Camden]].
'''St Pancras''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|æ|ŋ|k|r|ə|s}}) is a district in [[central London]]. It was originally a medieval [[Civil parish#Ancient parishes|ancient parish]] and subsequently became a metropolitan borough. The metropolitan borough then merged with neighbouring boroughs and the area it covered now forms around half of the modern [[London Borough of Camden]]. The area of the parish and borough includes the sub-districts of [[Camden Town]], [[Kentish Town]], [[Gospel Oak]], [[Somers Town, London|Somers Town]], [[King's Cross, London|King's Cross]], [[Chalk Farm]], [[Dartmouth Park]], the core area of [[Fitzrovia]] and a part of [[Highgate]].

The area of the parish and borough takes in the sub-districts of [[Camden Town]], [[Kentish Town]], [[Gospel Oak]], [[Somers Town, London|Somers Town]], [[King's Cross, London|King's Cross]], [[Chalk Farm]], [[Dartmouth Park]], the core area of [[Fitzrovia]] and a part of [[Highgate]]. Braodly speaking, the names of the sub-districts are more widely used than that of the wider St Pancras area.


==History==
==History==
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===Ancient Parish===
===Ancient Parish===
[[File:St Pancras Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg|thumb|A map showing the wards of St Pancras Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916.]]
[[File:St Pancras Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg|thumb|A map showing the wards of St Pancras Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916]]
The [[Civil Parish#Ancient parishes|ancient parish]] of St Pancras (also known as Pancrace or Pancridge<ref name="Chalfant2008">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sPLExnmXvCYC&pg=PA136|title=Ben Jonson's London: A Jacobean Placename Dictionary|author=Fran C. Chalfant|date=1 July 2008|publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=978-0-8203-3291-8|pages=136–}}</ref>) was established in the medieval period to serve five manors: two manors named St Pancras (one prebendial, one lay), [[Kentish Town|Cantlowes (Kentish Town)]], [[Tottenham Court Road#Manor of Tottenham Court|Tottenham Court]] and [[Chalk Farm|Rugmere (Chalk Farm)]].<ref>BHO - used to support the five manors making up St Pancras https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol19/pt2/pp1-31</ref>
The [[Civil Parish#Ancient parishes|ancient parish]] of St Pancras (also known as Pancrace or Pancridge<ref name="Chalfant20082">Chalfant, pp. 136–</ref>) was established in the medieval period to serve five manors: two manors named St Pancras (one prebendial, one lay), [[Kentish Town|Cantlowes (Kentish Town)]], [[Tottenham Court Road#Manor of Tottenham Court|Tottenham Court]] and [[Chalk Farm|Rugmere (Chalk Farm)]].<ref>{{cite web|title='Introduction', in Survey of London: Volume 19, the Parish of St Pancras Part 2: Old St Pancras and Kentish Town|first1=Percy|last1= Lovell |first2= William McB. |last2=Marcham |location=London|year=1938|pages= 1–31|publisher=British History Online |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol19/pt2/pp1-31 |access-date= 13 April 2021}}</ref>


[[File:LONDON, MARYLEBONE by BARTLETT, F.A. and B.J. DAVIES.jpg|260px|thumb|The [[Civil Parish#Ancient Parishes|Ancient Parishes]] of - west to east - [[Paddington]] and [[Marylebone|St Marylebone]] (in the modern [[City of Westminster]]), and St Pancras (in the modern [[London Borough of Camden]]). 1834.]]
[[File:LONDON, MARYLEBONE by BARTLETT, F.A. and B.J. DAVIES.jpg|260px|thumb|The [[Civil Parish#Ancient parishes|Ancient Parishes]] of – west to east – [[Paddington]] and [[Marylebone|St Marylebone]] (in the modern [[City of Westminster]]), and St Pancras (in the modern [[London Borough of Camden]]) in 1834]]


By the end of the nineteenth century the ancient parish had been divided into 37 ecclesiastical parishes, including one for the old church, to better serve a rapidly growing population. There are currently 17 [[Church of England]] parishes completely contained within the boundaries of the ancient parish, all of which benefit from the distributions from the St Pancras Lands Trust and most of which are in South Camden Deanery in the [[Bishop of Edmonton (London)|Edmonton Area]] of the [[Diocese of London]].
By the end of the nineteenth century, the ancient parish had been divided into 37 ecclesiastical parishes, including one for the old church, to better serve a rapidly growing population. There are currently 17 [[Church of England]] parishes completely contained within the boundaries of the ancient parish, all of which benefit from the distributions from the St Pancras Lands Trust and most of which are in South Camden Deanery in the [[Bishop of Edmonton (London)|Edmonton Area]] of the [[Diocese of London]].


===Pre-urban period===
===Pre-urban period===
In the Middle Ages it had "disreputable associations",<ref name="Chalfant20082">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sPLExnmXvCYC&pg=PA136|title=Ben Jonson's London: A Jacobean Placename Dictionary|author=Fran C. Chalfant|date=1 July 2008|publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=978-0-8203-3291-8|pages=136–}}</ref> and by the 17th century had become the "'[[Gretna Green]]' of the London area".<ref name="Chalfant20082" /> On that account [[English Renaissance theatre|Elizabethan playwright]] [[Ben Jonson]] alludes to the area frequently in his plays.<ref name="Chalfant20082" />{{Refn|This is the foundation for the expression "[[Pancridge Parson]]", i.e. a minister who will "perform suden or irregular marriages".<ref name="Chalfant2008" />|group=}} It was a rural area with a dispersed population until the growth of London in the late eighteenth century.
In the Middle Ages it had "disreputable associations",<ref name="Chalfant20082"/> and by the 17th century had become the "'[[Gretna Green]]' of the London area".<ref name="Chalfant20082" /> On that account [[English Renaissance theatre|Elizabethan playwright]] [[Ben Jonson]] alludes to the area frequently in his plays.<ref name="Chalfant20082" />{{efn|This is the foundation for the expression "[[Pancridge Parson]]", i.e. a minister who will "perform suden or irregular marriages".<ref name="Chalfant20082"/>|group=}} It was a rural area with a dispersed population until the growth of London in the late eighteenth century.


===Urbanisation===
===Urbanisation===
In the 1790s [[Earl Camden]] began to develop some fields to the north and west of the old church as [[Camden Town]].<ref>Camden Town and Primrose Hill Past by John Richardson (1991) {{ISBN|0-948667-12-5}}</ref> About the same time, a residential district was built to the south and east of the church, usually known as [[Somers Town, London|Somers Town]]. In 1822 the [[St Pancras New Church|new church of St Pancras]] was dedicated as the [[parish church]]. The site was chosen on what was then called the New Road (now [[Euston Road]]) which had been built as London's first bypass, the [[M25 motorway|M25]] of its day. The two sites are about a kilometer apart. The new church is [[Grade I listed]] for its [[Greek Revival architecture|Greek Revival style]]; the old church [[Victorian restoration|was rebuilt]] in 1847. In the mid-19th century two major railway stations were built to the south of the Old Church, first [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross]] and later [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras]]. The new church is closer to [[Euston railway station|Euston station]].
In the 1790s [[Earl Camden]] began to develop some fields to the north and west of the old church as [[Camden Town]].<ref>Richardson.</ref> About the same time, a residential district was built to the south and east of the church, usually known as [[Somers Town, London|Somers Town]]. In 1822 the [[St Pancras New Church|new church of St Pancras]] was dedicated as the [[parish church]]. The site was chosen on what was then called the New Road (now [[Euston Road]]) which had been built as London's first bypass, the [[M25 motorway|M25]] of its day. The two sites are about a kilometre apart. The new church is [[Grade I listed]] for its [[Greek Revival architecture|Greek Revival style]]; the old church [[Victorian restoration|was rebuilt]] in 1847. In the mid-19th century two major railway stations were built to the south of the Old Church, first [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross]] and later [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras]]. The new church is closer to [[Euston railway station|Euston station]].


===Metropolitan borough===
===Metropolitan borough===
[[File:Camden Town Hall 2005.jpg|thumb|left|[[Camden Town Hall|St Pancras Town Hall]]]]
The parish of St Pancras was administered by a [[vestry]] until the [[Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras]] was established in 1900. In 1965 the borough was combined with two others to form the [[London Borough of Camden]].
The parish of St Pancras was administered by a [[vestry]] until the [[Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras]] was established in 1900. In 1965 the borough was combined with two others to form the [[London Borough of Camden]].


In the 1950s, St Pancras Council gained a reputation for left-wing radicalism and was referred to as "the most freakish borough in London.”<ref>{{cite book |last=Mathieson |first=David |date=2016 |title=Radical London in the 1950s |location=Stroud, UK |publisher=Amberley |isbn=9781445661032|page=86}}</ref> The council refused to take part in [[civil defence]] preparations for war which local councils were obliged to provide.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mathieson |first=David |date=2016 |title=Radical London in the 1950s |location=Stroud, UK |publisher=Amberley |isbn=9781445661032|page=110}}</ref> The Home Office monitored Mayor [[John_Lawrence_(political_activist)|John Lawrence]], and as of 2016, still refuses Freedom of Information requests related to him on the grounds of protecting national security.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mathieson |first=David |date=2016 |title=Radical London in the 1950s |location=Stroud, UK |publisher=Amberley |isbn=9781445661032|page=215}}</ref>
In the 1950s, St Pancras Council gained a reputation for left-wing radicalism and was referred to as "the most freakish borough in London.”<ref>Mathieson, p. 86.</ref> The council refused to take part in [[civil defence]] preparations for war which local councils were obliged to provide.<ref>Mathieson, p. 110.</ref> The Home Office monitored Mayor [[John Lawrence (political activist)|John Lawrence]], and as of 2016, still refuses Freedom of Information requests related to him on the grounds of protecting national security.<ref>Mathieson, p. 215.</ref>


Housing was in [[excess demand]] after the damage and disruption of the [[Second World War]]. There was strong opposition to the [[History_of_rent_control_in_England_and_Wales#Decontrol_1957_to_1965|1957 Rent Act]], which led to a series of decisions that caused serious financial difficulty. John Lawrence and several other councillors were expelled from the Labour Party in 1958 but continued to serve as Independent Socialists.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mathieson |first=David |date=2016 |title=Radical London in the 1950s |location=Stroud, UK |publisher=Amberley |isbn=9781445661032|page=154}}</ref> The Conservative Party won the 1958 council election.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mathieson |first=David |date=2016 |title=Radical London in the 1950s |location=Stroud, UK |publisher=Amberley |isbn=9781445661032|page=158}}</ref>
Housing was in [[excess demand]] after the damage and disruption of the [[Second World War]]. There was strong opposition to the [[History of rent control in England and Wales#Decontrol 1957 to 1965|1957 Rent Act]], which led to a series of decisions that caused serious financial difficulty. John Lawrence and several other councillors were expelled from the Labour Party in 1958 but continued to serve as Independent Socialists.<ref>Mathieson, p. 154.</ref> The Conservative Party won the 1958 council election.<ref>Mathieson, p. 158.</ref>


In 1960, a widespread rent strike in the district led to rioting in September.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mathieson |first=David |date=2016 |title=Radical London in the 1950s |location=Stroud, UK |publisher=Amberley |isbn=9781445661032|page=180}}</ref>
In 1960, a widespread rent strike in the district led to rioting in September.<ref>Mathieson, p. 180.</ref>


===St Pancras Battalions===
===St Pancras Battalions===
{{see also|19th Battalion, London Regiment (St Pancras)}}
From 1859 to 1955, the St Pancras produced dedicated military units for the British Army, initially infantry battalions and later anti-aircraft and searchlight regiments. A high proportion of the recruits were drawn from working-class districts of St Pancras, such as [[Camden Town]].
From 1859 to 1955, the St Pancras produced dedicated military units for the British Army, initially infantry battalions and later anti-aircraft and searchlight regiments. A high proportion of the recruits were drawn from working-class districts of St Pancras, such as [[Camden Town]].


At the start of World War One, the [[19th Battalion, London Regiment (St Pancras)|St Pancras Battalion]] was part of the [[London Regiment (1908-1938)|London Regiment]] and known as 9th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (St Pancras). The increase in wartime recruitment led to it being split into two battalions (each around a thousand strong), the 1/9th and 2/9th, with the 3/9th established as a training battalion.
At the start of World War I, the [[19th Battalion, London Regiment (St Pancras)|St Pancras Battalion]] was part of the [[London Regiment (1908–1938)|London Regiment]] and known as 19th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (St Pancras). The increase in wartime recruitment led to it being split into two battalions (each around a thousand strong), the 1/19th and 2/19th, with the 3/19th established as a training battalion.<ref name =JamesLond>James, pp. 114–6.</ref>


These three St Pancras battalions were joined by a fourth, a [[Pals battalion]], which joined a different regiment, the [[Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own)]], as the 16th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade, (St. Pancras), (The Prince Consort's Own).
These three St Pancras battalions were joined by a fourth, a [[Pals battalion]], which joined a different regiment, the [[Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own)]], as the 16th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade, (St. Pancras), (The Prince Consort's Own). It also established a training battalion, the 17th (Reserve) Battalion, which spent most of the war on [[Wimbledon Common]].<ref name = JamesRifle>James, p. 111.</ref>


During World War One these three front line battalions were deployed:
During World War I these three front line battalions were deployed:
* The 1/19th Londons were attached to the 141st (5th London) Brigade, in the [[47th (1/2nd London) Division]] serving on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].
* The 1/19th Londons were attached to the 141st (5th London) Brigade, in the [[47th (1/2nd London) Division]] serving on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref name =JamesLond/>
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* The 2/19th Londons, known as ''Christie’s Minstrels'', after their commander and prowess singing while on the march. This battalion was attached to the [[180th (2/5th London) Brigade]] in [[60th (2/2nd London) Division]], seeing action on the Western front before being moved to the Mediterranean and fighting on the [[Macedonian front]] and in the [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]].<ref name =JamesLond/>

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* The 16th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade, or ''St Pancras Pals'', joined the [[117th Brigade (United Kingdom)|117th Brigade]], part of the [[39th Division (United Kingdom)|39th Division]].<ref name = JamesRifle/> That division served on the Western Front, with [[William Burman|Sergeant Burman]] winning a [[Victoria Cross]] in 1917.<ref>{{cite web|title=IWM record of the medal |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30006584}}</ref> In 1918 the whole Division came close to destruction in the [[Battle of the Lys (1918)|Battle of the Lys]].
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* The 2/19th Londons, known as ''Christie’s Minstrels'', after their commander and prowess singing while on the march. This battalion was attached to the [[180th (2/5th London) Brigade]] in [[60th (2/2nd London) Division]], seeing action on the Western front before being moved to the Mediterranean and fighting in the [[Macedonian front]] and in the [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign]].

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* The 16th (Service) Battalion, or'' St Pancras Pals'', joined the [[117th Brigade (United Kingdom)|117th Brigade]], part of the [[39th Division (United Kingdom)|39th Division]]. That division served on the Western Front, with [[William Burman|Sergeant Burman]] winning a [[Victoria Cross]] in 1917.<ref>IWM record of the medal https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30006584</ref> In 1918 the whole Division came close to destruction in the [[Battle of the Lys (1918)|Battle of the Lys]].


==Geography==
==Geography==
St Pancras was originally an [[civil parish#Ancient Parishes|Ancient Parish]] that ran from a point a little north of [[Oxford Street]], extending north to include part of [[Highgate]], and from today’s [[Regent's Park]] in the west to the road now called [[York Way]] in the east. These boundaries encompass much of the current [[London Borough of Camden]].
St Pancras was originally an [[civil parish#Ancient parishes|Ancient Parish]] that ran from a point a little north of [[Oxford Street]], extending north to include part of [[Highgate]], and from today’s [[Regent's Park]] in the west to the road now called [[York Way]] in the east. These boundaries encompass much of the current [[London Borough of Camden]].
[[File:British Library + St Pancras 7527-31hug.jpg|thumb|The British Library and St Pancras station.]]


The former [[River Fleet]] formed part of the boundary with [[Clerkenwell]],<ref>'West of Farringdon Road', in Survey of London: Volume 47, Northern Clerkenwell and Pentonville, ed. Philip Temple (London, 2008), pp. 22-51. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol47/pp22-51 [accessed 3 August 2020].</ref> while a tributary of it - later known as [[River Fleet#Lamb’s Conduit|Lamb’s Conduit]] - formed the southern boundary with [[Holborn]].<ref>The History of the River Fleet, UCL Fleet Restoration Team, 2009</ref> The tree which gave the [[Gospel Oak]] district it's name, formed part of the boundary with neighbouring [[Hampstead]].<ref>Local history website http://40years.ktcityfarm.org.uk/a-brief-history-of-gospel-oak-and-kentish-town/</ref>
The former [[River Fleet]] formed part of the boundary with [[Clerkenwell]],<ref>{{cite web|title='West of Farringdon Road', in Survey of London: Volume 47, Northern Clerkenwell and Pentonville|first= Philip|last= Temple |location=London|year=2008|pages=22–51|publisher= British History Online |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol47/pp22-51 |access-date= 3 August 2020}}</ref> while a tributary of it – later known as [[River Fleet#Lamb’s Conduit|Lamb’s Conduit]] - formed the southern boundary with [[Holborn]]. The course of this watercourse is now marked, in part, by Roger Street (formerly known as Henry Street).<ref>The History of the River Fleet, UCL Fleet Restoration Team, 2009</ref> The tree which gave the [[Gospel Oak]] district its name, formed part of the boundary with neighbouring [[Hampstead]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Local history website |date=29 August 2013 |url=http://40years.ktcityfarm.org.uk/a-brief-history-of-gospel-oak-and-kentish-town/}}</ref>


The boundaries of St Pancras include take in around half of the modern [[London Borough of Camden]], including [[Camden Town]], [[Kentish Town]], [[Somers Town, London|Somers Town]], [[Gospel Oak]], [[King's Cross, London|King's Cross]], [[Chalk Farm]], [[Dartmouth Park]], the core area of [[Fitzrovia]] and a part of [[Highgate]].
The boundaries of St Pancras include take in around half of the modern [[London Borough of Camden]], including [[Camden Town]], [[Kentish Town]], [[Somers Town, London|Somers Town]], [[Gospel Oak]], [[King's Cross, London|King's Cross]], [[Chalk Farm]], [[Dartmouth Park]], the core area of [[Fitzrovia]] and a part of [[Highgate]].
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===Transport===
===Transport===
There are no motorways in St Pancras, and few stretches of dual carriageway road, but the district has great strategic transport significance to London, due to presence of three of the capital's most important rail termini; [[Euston railway station|Euston]], [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras]] and [[London King's Cross railway station| King's Cross]], which are lined up along the [[Euston Road]].
There are no motorways in St Pancras, and few stretches of dual carriageway road, but the district has great strategic transport significance to London, due to the presence of three of the capital's most important rail termini; [[Euston railway station|Euston]], [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras]] and [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross]], which are lined up along the [[Euston Road]].


The position of the railway termini on Euston Road, rather than in a more central position further south, is a result of the influential recommendations of a Royal Commission of 1846 which sought to protect the [[West End of London|West End]] districts a short distance south of the road.<ref>On the 1846 Royal Commission. https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/information/item/2008-1999</ref>
The position of the railway termini on Euston Road, rather than in a more central position further south, is a result of the influential recommendations of a Royal Commission of 1846 which sought to protect the [[West End of London|West End]] districts a short distance south of the road.<ref>{{cite web|title=On the 1846 Royal Commission|url=https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/information/item/2008-1999|publisher=London Transport Museum}}</ref>


[[National Rail]] stations include [[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] and [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras]]. St Pancras is one of the best-known [[railway station]]s in England. It has been extended and is now the terminus for the [[Eurostar]] services through the [[Channel Tunnel]].
[[National Rail]] stations include [[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] and [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras]]. St Pancras is one of the best-known [[railway station]]s in England. It has been extended and is now the terminus for the [[Eurostar]] services through the [[Channel Tunnel]].
[[London Underground]] stations include [[King's Cross St Pancras tube station|King's Cross St Pancras]].
[[London Underground]] stations include [[King's Cross St Pancras tube station|King's Cross St Pancras]].


===Landmarks===
===Landmarks===
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[[File:2780theHardyTreeOldStPancrasChurchyard.jpg|thumb|The Hardy Tree, growing between gravestones moved while [[Thomas Hardy]] was working here]]
[[File:2780theHardyTreeOldStPancrasChurchyard.jpg|thumb|The Hardy Tree, growing between gravestones moved while [[Thomas Hardy]] was working here]]


During the 18th and 19th centuries, St Pancras was famous for its cemeteries. In addition to the graveyard of Old St Pancras Church, it also contained the cemeteries of the neighbouring ecclesiastical parishes of [[St James's Church, Piccadilly]], [[St Giles in the Fields]], [[St Andrew, Holborn]], [[St. George's Church, Bloomsbury]], and [[St George the Martyr Holborn|St George the Martyr, Holborn]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/MDX/StPancras/StPancrasHistory |title=St. Pancras |last=Hinson |first=Colin |year=2003 |website=GENUKI: UK & Ireland Genealogy |access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref> These were all closed under the Extramural Interment Act in 1854; the parish was required to purchase land some distance away, beyond its borders, and chose [[East Finchley]] for its new [[St Pancras Cemetery]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://stpancras.com/history |title=History |website=St Pancras International |publisher=HS1 Ltd |access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref>
During the 18th and 19th centuries, St Pancras was famous for its cemeteries. In addition to the graveyard of Old St Pancras Church, it also contained the cemeteries of the neighbouring ecclesiastical parishes of [[St James's Church, Piccadilly]], [[St Giles in the Fields]], [[St Andrew, Holborn]], [[St. George's Church, Bloomsbury]], and [[St George the Martyr Holborn|St George the Martyr, Holborn]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/MDX/StPancras/StPancrasHistory |title=St. Pancras |last=Hinson |first=Colin |year=2003 |website=GENUKI: UK & Ireland Genealogy |access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref> These were all closed under the Extramural Interment Act in 1854; the parish was required to purchase land some distance away, beyond its borders, and chose [[East Finchley]] for its new [[St Pancras Cemetery]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://stpancras.com/history |title=History |website=St Pancras International |publisher=HS1 Ltd |access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref>


The disused graveyard at St Pancras Old Church was left alone for over thirty years until the building of the [[Midland Railway]] required the removal of many of the graves. [[Thomas Hardy]], then a junior architect and later a novelist and poet, was involved in this work. He placed a number of gravestones around a tree, now known as "the Hardy Tree".<ref name="vweb">{{Cite web |url=http://www.victorianweb.org/photos/hardy/74.html |title=The Hardy Tree, St Pancras Churchyard, London |date=2006-04-17 |website=The Victorian Web |access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref> The cemetery was disturbed again in 2002–03 by the construction of the [[Channel Tunnel Rail Link]] but much more care was given to the removal of remains than in the 19th century. Old St Pancras Church and its graveyard have links to [[Charles Dickens]], [[Thomas Hardy]], and the [[Mary Wollstonecraft|Wollstonecraft]] circle.<ref name="vweb" />
The disused graveyard at St Pancras Old Church was left alone for over thirty years until the building of the [[Midland Railway]] required the removal of many of the graves. [[Thomas Hardy]], then a junior architect and later a novelist and poet, was involved in this work. He placed a number of gravestones around a tree, now known as "the Hardy Tree".<ref name="vweb">{{Cite web |url=http://www.victorianweb.org/photos/hardy/74.html |title=The Hardy Tree, St Pancras Churchyard, London |date=17 April 2006 |website=The Victorian Web |access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref> The cemetery was disturbed again in 2002–03 by the construction of the [[Channel Tunnel Rail Link]] but much more care was given to the removal of remains than in the 19th century. Old St Pancras Church and its graveyard have links to [[Charles Dickens]], [[Thomas Hardy]], and the [[Mary Wollstonecraft|Wollstonecraft]] circle.<ref name="vweb" />


===Open spaces===
===Open spaces===
Open spaces in the district include:
Open spaces in the district include:
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
* [[Camley Street Natural Park]]
* [[Camley Street Natural Park]]
* [[Coram's Fields]]
* [[Coram's Fields]]
Line 110: Line 110:
* [[Waterlow Park]]
* [[Waterlow Park]]
* [[Fitzroy Square]]
* [[Fitzroy Square]]
{{col-break}}
* [[Cartwright Gardens]]
* [[Cartwright Gardens]]
* [[Regents Park]] (part)
* [[Regents Park]] (part)
* [[Hampstead Heath]] (part)
* [[Hampstead Heath]] (part)
* [[Primrose Hill]] (part, the hill itself is in Hampstead)
* [[Primrose Hill]] (part, the hill itself is in Hampstead)
{{col-break}}
{{col-end}}


===Political divisions===
===Political divisions===
Line 119: Line 122:


==Notable residents==
==Notable residents==
* [[Ada Ferrar]], actress
* [[Alice Barth]], soprano
* [[Walter Alfred Cox]], engraver
* [[AJ Dixon]], racing driver
* [[Ada Ferrar]], actress
* [[Monica Charlot]], historian
* [[Monica Charlot]], historian
* [[Elizabeth Eiloart]], writer
* [[Elizabeth Eiloart]], writer
Line 126: Line 132:
* [[William Hartnell]], actor
* [[William Hartnell]], actor
* [[Barnaby Kay]], actor
* [[Barnaby Kay]], actor
* [[John Lawrence (political activist)|John Lawrence]], political activist
* [[John Lawrence (political activist)|John Lawrence]], political activist
* [[Andrew Lincoln]], actor
* [[Andrew Lincoln]], actor
* [[Glyndwr Michael]], homeless man whose body was used for the [[Operation Mincemeat]] deception in [[World War Two|WWII]].
* [[Glyndwr Michael]], homeless man whose body was used for the [[Operation Mincemeat]] deception in [[World War II|WWII]].
* [[Lulu Valli]], actress
* [[W. B. Yeats]], poet
* [[W. B. Yeats]], poet
* [[John William Fisher Beaumont]], justice
* [[John William Fisher Beaumont]], justice

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==Notes==
⚫
{{Reflist|3}}


==References==
==References==
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sPLExnmXvCYC&pg=PA136|title=Ben Jonson's London: A Jacobean Placename Dictionary|author=Fran C. Chalfant|date=1 July 2008|publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=978-0-8203-3291-8}}.
⚫
{{Reflist}}
* Brig E.A. James, ''British Regiments 1914–18'', London: Samson Books, 1978, ISBN 0-906304-03-2/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1-84342-197-9.
* {{cite book |last=Mathieson |first=David |date=2016 |title=Radical London in the 1950s |location=Stroud, UK |publisher=Amberley |isbn=9781445661032}}.
* John Richardson, ''Camden Town and Primrose Hill Past'', 1991, {{ISBN|0-948667-12-5}}.


{{LB Camden}}{{Areas of London}}
{{LB Camden}}{{Areas of London}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Commons category-inline}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Pancras}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Pancras}}
[[Category:St Pancras, London| ]]
[[Category:St Pancras, London| ]]

Latest revision as of 12:36, 7 June 2024

For other uses, see St. Pancras.

St Pancras
St Pancras New Church, Euston Road.
St Pancras is located in Greater London
St Pancras
St Pancras
Location within Greater London
OS grid referenceTQ305825
London borough
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLONDON
Postcode districtWC1
Postcode districtNW1
Dialling code020
PoliceMetropolitan
FireLondon
AmbulanceLondon
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°31′34″N 0°07′04″W / 51.5262°N 0.1178°W / 51.5262; -0.1178

St Pancras (/ˈpæŋkrəs/) is a district in central London. It was originally a medieval ancient parish and subsequently became a metropolitan borough. The metropolitan borough then merged with neighbouring boroughs and the area it covered now forms around half of the modern London Borough of Camden. The area of the parish and borough includes the sub-districts of Camden Town, Kentish Town, Gospel Oak, Somers Town, King's Cross, Chalk Farm, Dartmouth Park, the core area of Fitzrovia and a part of Highgate.

History

[edit]

St Pancras Old Church

[edit]
Further information: St Pancras Old Church

St Pancras Old Church lies on Pancras Road, Somers Town, behind St Pancras railway station. Until the 19th century it stood on a knoll on the eastern bank of the now buried River Fleet.

St Pancras Old Church

The church, dedicated to the Roman martyr Saint Pancras, gave its name to the St Pancras district, which originated as the parish served by the church. The church is reputed to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in England; however, as is so often with old church sites, it is hard to find documentary or archaeological evidence for its initial foundation.

One tradition asserts that the church was established in AD 314 in the late Roman period. There is little to support that view, but it is notable that to the south of the church was a site called The Brill, believed at the time to have been a Roman Camp. The Brill was destroyed during the urbanisation of the area, without any archaeological excavation to assess its age and purpose. The church is certainly very old; it was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and there is evidence to suggest it predated Domesday by several centuries.

A chapel of ease was subsequently established at Kentish Town to supplement the main parish church, which was replaced by a new building in 1822, St Pancras New Church on the south side of Euston Road. The then-dilapidated Old Church continued in use but was reduced to the status of a chapel of ease. Most of the fabric of the Old Church building dates from a subsequent Victorian restoration.

Ancient Parish

[edit]
A map showing the wards of St Pancras Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916

The ancient parish of St Pancras (also known as Pancrace or Pancridge[1]) was established in the medieval period to serve five manors: two manors named St Pancras (one prebendial, one lay), Cantlowes (Kentish Town), Tottenham Court and Rugmere (Chalk Farm).[2]

The Ancient Parishes of – west to east – Paddington and St Marylebone (in the modern City of Westminster), and St Pancras (in the modern London Borough of Camden) in 1834

By the end of the nineteenth century, the ancient parish had been divided into 37 ecclesiastical parishes, including one for the old church, to better serve a rapidly growing population. There are currently 17 Church of England parishes completely contained within the boundaries of the ancient parish, all of which benefit from the distributions from the St Pancras Lands Trust and most of which are in South Camden Deanery in the Edmonton Area of the Diocese of London.

Pre-urban period

[edit]

In the Middle Ages it had "disreputable associations",[1] and by the 17th century had become the "'Gretna Green' of the London area".[1] On that account Elizabethan playwright Ben Jonson alludes to the area frequently in his plays.[1][a] It was a rural area with a dispersed population until the growth of London in the late eighteenth century.

Urbanisation

[edit]

In the 1790s Earl Camden began to develop some fields to the north and west of the old church as Camden Town.[3] About the same time, a residential district was built to the south and east of the church, usually known as Somers Town. In 1822 the new church of St Pancras was dedicated as the parish church. The site was chosen on what was then called the New Road (now Euston Road) which had been built as London's first bypass, the M25 of its day. The two sites are about a kilometre apart. The new church is Grade I listed for its Greek Revival style; the old church was rebuilt in 1847. In the mid-19th century two major railway stations were built to the south of the Old Church, first King's Cross and later St Pancras. The new church is closer to Euston station.

Metropolitan borough

[edit]
St Pancras Town Hall

The parish of St Pancras was administered by a vestry until the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras was established in 1900. In 1965 the borough was combined with two others to form the London Borough of Camden.

In the 1950s, St Pancras Council gained a reputation for left-wing radicalism and was referred to as "the most freakish borough in London.”[4] The council refused to take part in civil defence preparations for war which local councils were obliged to provide.[5] The Home Office monitored Mayor John Lawrence, and as of 2016, still refuses Freedom of Information requests related to him on the grounds of protecting national security.[6]

Housing was in excess demand after the damage and disruption of the Second World War. There was strong opposition to the 1957 Rent Act, which led to a series of decisions that caused serious financial difficulty. John Lawrence and several other councillors were expelled from the Labour Party in 1958 but continued to serve as Independent Socialists.[7] The Conservative Party won the 1958 council election.[8]

In 1960, a widespread rent strike in the district led to rioting in September.[9]

St Pancras Battalions

[edit]
See also: 19th Battalion, London Regiment (St Pancras)

From 1859 to 1955, the St Pancras produced dedicated military units for the British Army, initially infantry battalions and later anti-aircraft and searchlight regiments. A high proportion of the recruits were drawn from working-class districts of St Pancras, such as Camden Town.

At the start of World War I, the St Pancras Battalion was part of the London Regiment and known as 19th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (St Pancras). The increase in wartime recruitment led to it being split into two battalions (each around a thousand strong), the 1/19th and 2/19th, with the 3/19th established as a training battalion.[10]

These three St Pancras battalions were joined by a fourth, a Pals battalion, which joined a different regiment, the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own), as the 16th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade, (St. Pancras), (The Prince Consort's Own). It also established a training battalion, the 17th (Reserve) Battalion, which spent most of the war on Wimbledon Common.[11]

During World War I these three front line battalions were deployed:

Geography

[edit]

St Pancras was originally an Ancient Parish that ran from a point a little north of Oxford Street, extending north to include part of Highgate, and from today’s Regent's Park in the west to the road now called York Way in the east. These boundaries encompass much of the current London Borough of Camden.

The British Library and St Pancras station.

The former River Fleet formed part of the boundary with Clerkenwell,[13] while a tributary of it – later known as Lamb’s Conduit - formed the southern boundary with Holborn. The course of this watercourse is now marked, in part, by Roger Street (formerly known as Henry Street).[14] The tree which gave the Gospel Oak district its name, formed part of the boundary with neighbouring Hampstead.[15]

The boundaries of St Pancras include take in around half of the modern London Borough of Camden, including Camden Town, Kentish Town, Somers Town, Gospel Oak, King's Cross, Chalk Farm, Dartmouth Park, the core area of Fitzrovia and a part of Highgate.

Boundary stone between St Pancras and Hornsey at Highgate

Transport

[edit]

There are no motorways in St Pancras, and few stretches of dual carriageway road, but the district has great strategic transport significance to London, due to the presence of three of the capital's most important rail termini; Euston, St Pancras and King's Cross, which are lined up along the Euston Road.

The position of the railway termini on Euston Road, rather than in a more central position further south, is a result of the influential recommendations of a Royal Commission of 1846 which sought to protect the West End districts a short distance south of the road.[16]

National Rail stations include London King's Cross and St Pancras. St Pancras is one of the best-known railway stations in England. It has been extended and is now the terminus for the Eurostar services through the Channel Tunnel. London Underground stations include King's Cross St Pancras.

Landmarks

[edit]

Immediately to the north of St Pancras churchyard is St Pancras Hospital, once the parish workhouse and later the London Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Cemeteries

[edit]
The Hardy Tree, growing between gravestones moved while Thomas Hardy was working here

During the 18th and 19th centuries, St Pancras was famous for its cemeteries. In addition to the graveyard of Old St Pancras Church, it also contained the cemeteries of the neighbouring ecclesiastical parishes of St James's Church, Piccadilly, St Giles in the Fields, St Andrew, Holborn, St. George's Church, Bloomsbury, and St George the Martyr, Holborn.[17] These were all closed under the Extramural Interment Act in 1854; the parish was required to purchase land some distance away, beyond its borders, and chose East Finchley for its new St Pancras Cemetery.[18]

The disused graveyard at St Pancras Old Church was left alone for over thirty years until the building of the Midland Railway required the removal of many of the graves. Thomas Hardy, then a junior architect and later a novelist and poet, was involved in this work. He placed a number of gravestones around a tree, now known as "the Hardy Tree".[19] The cemetery was disturbed again in 2002–03 by the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link but much more care was given to the removal of remains than in the 19th century. Old St Pancras Church and its graveyard have links to Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, and the Wollstonecraft circle.[19]

Open spaces

[edit]

Open spaces in the district include:

Political divisions

[edit]

The name “St Pancras” survives in the name of the local parliamentary constituency, Holborn and St. Pancras. One of the political wards in Camden is called St Pancras and Somers Town; however, ward boundaries are chosen to divide a borough into roughly equal slices with little regard to historical boundaries or day-to-day usage. Besides Somers Town and the area around St Pancras Old Church, the ward includes much of Camden Town and the former Kings Cross Goods Yard, which is being redeveloped as a mixed-use district under the name Kings Cross Central.

Notable residents

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ This is the foundation for the expression "Pancridge Parson", i.e. a minister who will "perform suden or irregular marriages".[1]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Chalfant, pp. 136–
  2. ^ Lovell, Percy; Marcham, William McB. (1938). "'Introduction', in Survey of London: Volume 19, the Parish of St Pancras Part 2: Old St Pancras and Kentish Town". London: British History Online. pp. 1–31. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  3. ^ Richardson.
  4. ^ Mathieson, p. 86.
  5. ^ Mathieson, p. 110.
  6. ^ Mathieson, p. 215.
  7. ^ Mathieson, p. 154.
  8. ^ Mathieson, p. 158.
  9. ^ Mathieson, p. 180.
  10. ^ a b c James, pp. 114–6.
  11. ^ a b James, p. 111.
  12. ^ "IWM record of the medal".
  13. ^ Temple, Philip (2008). "'West of Farringdon Road', in Survey of London: Volume 47, Northern Clerkenwell and Pentonville". London: British History Online. pp. 22–51. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  14. ^ The History of the River Fleet, UCL Fleet Restoration Team, 2009
  15. ^ "Local history website". 29 August 2013.
  16. ^ "On the 1846 Royal Commission". London Transport Museum.
  17. ^ Hinson, Colin (2003). "St. Pancras". GENUKI: UK & Ireland Genealogy. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  18. ^ "History". St Pancras International. HS1 Ltd. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  19. ^ a b "The Hardy Tree, St Pancras Churchyard, London". The Victorian Web. 17 April 2006. Retrieved 25 February 2017.

References

[edit]

Media related to St Pancras, London at Wikimedia Commons

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