Abandoned London

Discover the hidden secrets of the city in photographs

by Katie Wignall

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Pub Date May 14 2021 | Archive Date Jun 30 2021

Amber Books Ltd | Amber Books

Arts & Photography | Nonfiction (Adult) | Travel

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Description

It seems bizarre that in a place as crowded, noisy and expensive as London there are still wasted unused spaces. The relentless drive for regeneration across Britain’s capital deceives us into thinking that every spare building and patch of ground is under development. But this vast metropolis of more than 10 million people hides many secrets and unexpected treasures from the city’s unique 2000-year history. In Abandoned London, read about the Abbey Mills Pumping Station, a facility created in 1858 to deal with ‘the Great Stink’, and now London’s Italian-Gothic cathedral of sewage; or the subterranean Finsbury Park underground reservoir, a space capable of holding five million gallons of water and today used as an occasional movie location; or the remnants of Highgate’s overground steam railway station, now a protected bat habitat; or the Clapham deep-level shelters, constructed in World War II and designed to provide protection for locals against aerial bombing raids; or the Haggerston public baths, part of an early 20th century building programme devised to improve London’s hygiene. These photographs of abandoned places capture a moment in time. Some of the buildings have since been demolished or refurbished, but many are still there, neglected and uncared for. These places have great value and a rich significance, offering us a glimpse of past worlds.

It seems bizarre that in a place as crowded, noisy and expensive as London there are still wasted unused spaces. The relentless drive for regeneration across Britain’s capital deceives us into...

A Note From the Publisher

Please note the pdf can make the images appear dark, and they have been compressed due to the large file size so the print copy images look much better than those in the pdf. Please request a print copy if you are concerned about the photograph quality.

Marketing Plan

Walking tour, media interviews and appearances. Author available for interview. Please contact editorial@amberbooks.co.uk.

Available Editions

EDITION	Other Format
ISBN	9781838860202
PRICE	£19.99 (GBP)
PAGES	224

Additional Information

Average rating from 84 members

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Featured Reviews

Lukre P, Reviewer

What a surprising book!
In a time when we are all stuck in our homes and we can only dream about travel this book brings London to you, and in a way you've never seen it before.
I've visited London as a tourist several times, and there are always new things I wanted to explore. One time it was a strange church I'd read about, another time it was a little art gallery away from the hustle and bustle of Tate and Tate Modern. After reading through this book there are literally dozens of places I want to explore.
I want to see the carved out piers of the Thames, I want to roll a marble down the spiral slidy things in the Millenimum Mills, I want to take a selfie next to the Russian Tank that appeared in Richard III.
This book is like a portable urban treasure map that just keeps on giving.
Highly recommend.

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Michele L, Librarian

This is my favorite type of armchair travel book: gorgeous photographs of abandoned places that you will never get a chance to see IRL but still (and maybe that adds to the feeling) evoke melancholic feelings of nostalgia. Abandoned London is suddenly my new favorite book.

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Donna M, Reviewer

I love books like this - I love being able to look back at how places were and I like the mix of cultural and social history that often comes with them.

I love you can pick them up as and when you want and dip in and out - that said I started reading this one in an evening and finished it the same night, I just kept turning the pages, it was a welcoming way for me to relax after a tough week.

This book has a good mix of images and I liked the commentary that was added just to add a few details to the images selected, the locations and how they came to be abandoned in the first place.

I do imagine that there are more than enough places to make a second, third or even fourth book and I would love to find out more and I think that the author did a great job with the ones selected.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

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Reviewer 774126

This book is amazing. A collection of beautiful photos, some showing parts of London that are not accessible e.g. underground places or the interiors of derelict buildings, others showing places that you probably walk past without noticing how interesting they are. It's really fascinating - so much history all around us. Even modern history - like the collection of abandoned internet cafes! Internet cafes seemed so modern not so long ago but now they're something we just don't need anymore with the advent of smartphones.