Views of Nottingham

Victoria Clock Tower at Dusk, originally uploaded by ElStruthio.

Victoria clock tower is all that remains of Nottingham Victoria Train Station. It stands at the entrance to the Victoria shopping centre dwarfed by the Victoria flats and looking rather out-of-place amongst the 70s architecture.

Nottingham Victoria station opened in May 1900. The construction of the magnificent Renaissance style building had been a massive undertaking. It involved the clearing of 1300 houses, 24 public houses and the workhouse. After the area had been cleared some 600,000 cubic yards (460,000 m³) of sandstone was excavated.

Victoria Station in the early 1900s (src: Wikimedia Commons).

Within a mere 67 years, however, Victoria Station was at the end of its life. During the 1960s the whole Great Central Line was was run down by diverting services away from it and slowing down express trains. The trains were old and unreliable and the line did not benefit from British Rail’s new diesel locomotives. Passenger numbers fell and the closure in September 1967 was inevitable.

The following video shows the demolition of Victoria Railway Station.