NEN Gallery

The station was opened by the South Eastern Railway on 1 September 1866 and designed by Sir John Hawkshaw. The original glass roof was removed before World War II as there were fears the station would be bombed and they wished to preserve the roof. Unfortunately the factory in which the glass roof was stored was badly bombed during one of the first air raids destroying it. The station was never hit. During rebuilding of the station in the 1960s it was replaced by a building designed by the architect John Poulson. All that now remains of the original architecture are the twin 120-ft red-brick towers (pictured) and parts of the low flanking walls.