Charing Cross Station & Hotel

This striking 1922 image captures a bustling view of Charing Cross Station and the adjoining Charing Cross Hotel, a Victorian-era landmark at the very heart of London.

Originally opened in 1865 by the South Eastern Railway, Charing Cross Hotel was designed in the opulent Second Empire style by architect Edward Middleton Barry. The hotel façade is seen here with its elaborate windows, corner turrets, and a sweeping conservatory overlooking the street — once a luxurious restaurant space for upper-class travelers.

In front of the building stands the ornate Charing Cross Monument, a Victorian Gothic memorial commemorating Queen Eleanor, wife of Edward I. It's a replica of the 13th-century Eleanor Cross and marks the official "centre of London," from which all distances are measured.

The street scene below is alive with double-decker buses, early motorcars, delivery vans, and Londoners in Edwardian and post-war attire, embodying the spirit of a city in transition — recovering from WWI and entering the energetic, modernizing 1920s. The Southern Railway billboards reflect the growing importance of rail travel and suburban expansion.

Did you know?
The Charing Cross Hotel still exists today (now under a different name), and the Eleanor Cross replica remains a historical focal point for travelers passing through one of London’s busiest stations.

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