Some more news on the raising of stones of the Euston Arch from the Prescott Channel

Some coverage of the recovery of some of the stones of the Euston Arch from the Prescott Channel. Both contain pictures of the stones being removed. Thanks to Richard Palmer for sending these links.

Camden News Journal:
http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2009/052109/news052109_17.html

No stones unturned: Euston Arch raised

FOR nearly 40 years they have lain forgotten beneath the murky waters of the River Lea. But this week stones that were once part of the historic Euston Arch were recovered from their watery resting place.

Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank, who has been campaigning to see the Arch reinstated at the entrance of a new Euston station, watched as the stones being lifted from the silt by a digger this week. He was joined by retired engineer Bob Cotton, who had been the foreman when the original arch was demolished and the stones used to plug a hole in the riverbed for the recently dredged channel.

Mr Cruickshank said: “The Euston Arch Trust has been campaigning for 15 years to re-build the Euston Arch at Euston station. The arch, completed in 1838, was the first great building of the railway age, the largest Grecian Doric gateway ever made and a building of great beauty. It’s destruction was an act of barbarism, but the careful raising of a number of its stones – a magnificent gesture on the part of British Waterways – moves the rebuilding campaign forward significantly.”


East London Advertiser:
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/search/story.aspx?brand=ELAOnline&category=downmemorylane&itemid=WeED21%20May%202009%2019:51:57:590&tBrand=ELAOnline&tCategory=search

Euston Arch mystery uncovered—Dan Cruickshank on the case

21 May 2009

PARTS of the famous Euston Arch which has been ‘lost’ for nearly half-a-century have been uncovered during dredging operations for work on London’s 2012 Olympics.

Stone blocks from the Grecian-style arch that stood at the entrance to Euston Station for 123 years were found in the River Lea in East London where the riverbed is being deepened to take heavy barges for the construction work.

The discoveries have boosted a 15-year campaign led by TV architectural historian Dan Cruickshank to get the arch restored.

BARBARISM

He visited the dredging site at Bromley-by-Bow this week (pictured) to watch the ‘treasures’ emerging.

“It was the first great building of the Railway Age and was the largest Grecian Doric gateway ever made,” he said. “Its destruction was an act of barbarism.”

But he added: “Raising the stones means a great cultural wrong committed in the 1960s can yet be put right.”

MYSTERY

The stones were lifted from the riverbed on Monday and handed over to Cruickshank’s Euston Arch Trust which wants to reconstruct the famous landmark, first built in 1838, and restore it to its original position.

The arch was demolished in 1961 and dumped in a tributary of the Lea when Euston was being redeveloped. British Waterways came across the stones during work on a new lock.

Not all the arch has been recovered. Where the rest of the stones are remains a mystery that Cruickshank is now trying to puzzle out.

Stones from the Euston Arch raised from the Prescott Channel.

British Waterways is retrieving some of the stones of the Euston Arch that lie at the bottom of the Prescott Channel in East London. The following BBC News article says more.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8055034.stm

'Euston Arch' stones to be saved

Stones believed to be part of a giant arch that used to stand at Euston railway station are being retrieved from an east London waterway.

The 70ft Grecian arch stood at the front of the station for 123 years until its destruction in 1962.
The stones are being lifted from the Prescott Channel, where they were used to fill a hole in the riverbed.

Campaigners want to reconstruct the arch using as much of the original stone as possible.
The arch was demolished by the British Transport Commission when the station was redeveloped in the 1960s.

'Act of barbarism'

British Waterways will lift the stones from the channel, near Bromley-by-Bow, on Monday to enable barges to use the lock to transport materials in and out of the Olympic Park for the 2012 Games.

Historian Dan Cruickshank described the arch as "the first great building of the railway age" and said its destruction was an "act of barbarism".

He is a member of the Euston Arch Trust, which wants to rebuild the arch between two existing lodges on Euston Road.

Mr Cruickshank said: "The careful raising of a number of its stones - a magnificent gesture on the part of British Waterways - moves the rebuilding campaign forward significantly and means that a great cultural wrong committed in the 1960s can yet be put right."