Abandoned London: Discover the hidden secrets of the city in photographs
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- Create Date：2021-05-03 00:51:11
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- Author：Katie Wignall
- ISBN：1838860207
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Summary
With 150 outstanding color photographs， Abandoned London presents a poignant pictorial exploration of the English capital—from forgotten railways lines and underpasses to lost industrial places， movie theaters， churches， and cemeteries。
London is both a bright， modern city with soaring skyscrapers as well as a metropolis hundreds of years old—and， despite its gleaming surface， there is another side to the city， one of secrets， dilapidation， and mystery。 Wander through disused stations on the Underground; immense， ornate Victorian sewers and waterworks; crumbling but beautiful Art Deco cinemas and empty swimming pools; bombed-out churches and eerie docklands; and ruined mansions and overgrown cemeteries， all haunting relics from a time gone by。 Arranged thematically from transport and industry to residential and recreational， these entries cover both the modern city and the historical metropolis。
Includes:
- South Kentish Underground Station， closed in 1927
- Camden’s horse tunnels
- Great Eastern Street， once a place of light industries， now finally being revived
- Museum Street， Bloomsbury， with its shuttered shops
- Crystal Palace Underpass， built to accommodate Victorian visitors on their way to the Crystal Palace exhibition
- Sailmaker’s Factory， Limehouse
- Strand Union Workhouse
- St Mary’s Lodge， Lordship Road， Stoke Newington
- Mansions， Bishop’s Avenue
- The First Class Swimming Pool Hall – Ladywell Play Tower
- Regal Cinema Highams Park
- Archway Methodist Central Hall
- Highgate West Cemetery
- Ruins of a Victorian Folly， Sydenham Hill Woods
London is both a bright， modern city with soaring skyscrapers as well as a metropolis hundreds of years old—and， despite its gleaming surface， there is another side to the city， one of secrets， dilapidation， and mystery。 Wander through disused stations on the Underground; immense， ornate Victorian sewers and waterworks; crumbling but beautiful Art Deco cinemas and empty swimming pools; bombed-out churches and eerie docklands; and ruined mansions and overgrown cemeteries， all haunting relics from a time gone by。 Arranged thematically from transport and industry to residential and recreational， these entries cover both the modern city and the historical metropolis。
Includes:
- South Kentish Underground Station， closed in 1927
- Camden’s horse tunnels
- Great Eastern Street， once a place of light industries， now finally being revived
- Museum Street， Bloomsbury， with its shuttered shops
- Crystal Palace Underpass， built to accommodate Victorian visitors on their way to the Crystal Palace exhibition
- Sailmaker’s Factory， Limehouse
- Strand Union Workhouse
- St Mary’s Lodge， Lordship Road， Stoke Newington
- Mansions， Bishop’s Avenue
- The First Class Swimming Pool Hall – Ladywell Play Tower
- Regal Cinema Highams Park
- Archway Methodist Central Hall
- Highgate West Cemetery
- Ruins of a Victorian Folly， Sydenham Hill Woods
Reviews
Yvonne
，
This is a wonderful book for those who love photographic art， historical buildings and structures。 Buildings that have fallen into disrepair， that lie unforgotten or have been repurposed。The author of this book has collected a series of photographs from around London。 Discovering relics of the past and presenting them as they now appear。 The book is laid out in 9 sections IntroductionIndustry， Factories and OfficesTransportPublic SpacesShops and RetailPubs， Cafe's and RestaurantsResidential Prop This is a wonderful book for those who love photographic art， historical buildings and structures。 Buildings that have fallen into disrepair， that lie unforgotten or have been repurposed。The author of this book has collected a series of photographs from around London。 Discovering relics of the past and presenting them as they now appear。 The book is laid out in 9 sections IntroductionIndustry， Factories and OfficesTransportPublic SpacesShops and RetailPubs， Cafe's and RestaurantsResidential PropertySport and LeisurePicture Credits。Each image is accompanied by a short description of what the picture shows， where it is and also a brief description as to its use。 The images range through so many different things from graffitied walls to ornately tiled walls， from old transport and railway huts to victorian architecture。 With cornices， bridges， rooftops， empty pools， ruins churches。 Ranging through streets， mews， gardens， estates， high rise flats， abandoned homes and houses this book seems to have it all。TO me some images definitely have a more artistic structure， where the image has been lined up to be able to capture the full majesty of the building， or at a more abstract angle to depict the size。 There is also quite a sadness to many of the images as they lay unforgotten and unloved。 With fly-tipping and graffiti adorning what was someone's home or place of work。 Windows boarded up or broken， nature taking back and growing in and around old structures。 There is a certain amount of beauty within some of the images， but others are quite stark。I really enjoyed flipping through the images， I did have a PDF copy which I don't think has done this book the justice it deserves。 I think it is a book that would be better appreciated in its physical form。 A book of images that show how things have gone to waste and in some ways it feels like a journey through the years as the buildings that were once new are now old。 Ravaged by time and weather。 I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it。 。。。more
nαомι αndιno
，
There’s something about abandoned places that always make my heart skip a beat。 I love how it was divide into categories such as industries， transport， public spaces and shops。 I would have liked it more if there were a bit more explanations to accompany the photographs。 About the photographs: most were high quality but others lacked proper lighting。 I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review。
Janet
，
Date reviewed/posted: April 30， 2021Publication date: May 14， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and the author in e Date reviewed/posted: April 30， 2021Publication date: May 14， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review。 From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。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。This was a fascinating book to read despite that many of the places have been "tagged" by hooligans and graffiti。" artists"。 I kept referring to the map to keep track of where the photos were in the city as it is a HUGE place。 I will highly recommend this book to all the English/Londoners/geography nerds that I know， along with fans of photography and patrons looking for something different to read。As always， I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis （outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc。 " on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job， people！） so let's give it a cuppa to read the book with - ☕☕☕☕ 。。。more
Anne
，
Fascinating history of London and some of its most enigmatic buildings is contained within the pages of Abandoned London。 The photography， coupled with the narrative， captivated me。 As someone who will probably never travel to London， I was delighted to experience some of its lesser known history through the eyes of the storyteller and photographer。 It’s wonderful that these places time may have forgotten are being resurrected in this book。As someone who reads a lot mysteries my mind was quite i Fascinating history of London and some of its most enigmatic buildings is contained within the pages of Abandoned London。 The photography， coupled with the narrative， captivated me。 As someone who will probably never travel to London， I was delighted to experience some of its lesser known history through the eyes of the storyteller and photographer。 It’s wonderful that these places time may have forgotten are being resurrected in this book。As someone who reads a lot mysteries my mind was quite intrigued by the car found when civil engineers drained Hampstead Heath in 2015。 I want to know more about this and what they may have found inside the car。 One of the most amusing anecdotes is about a man who applied to the city to put in a tank and his application was approved。 Except it wasn’t the kind of tank the city expected。 It was a literal tank， as in military！ That gave me a chuckle and made me contemplate what fun it would be to see something like that just sitting on a residential lot。 If you’re an armchair traveler， this book would definitely be a great choice。 There are so many interesting accounts of history contained within。 I received an electronic copy from the publisher through Netgalley。 No compensation received。 。。。more
Lisa
，
Beautiful photographs and interesting history make this book a joy to read， although it is sad to see so many of them becoming derelict and covered in graffiti。 The buildings range from elegant Edwardian public baths， grand Victorian sanitary stations and art-deco Tube stations to more prosaic industrial structures。 There are sections about all the different types of abandoned buildings， such as pubs and shops。 It's great to see that some of them have been bought and are due to be restored。Londo Beautiful photographs and interesting history make this book a joy to read， although it is sad to see so many of them becoming derelict and covered in graffiti。 The buildings range from elegant Edwardian public baths， grand Victorian sanitary stations and art-deco Tube stations to more prosaic industrial structures。 There are sections about all the different types of abandoned buildings， such as pubs and shops。 It's great to see that some of them have been bought and are due to be restored。London is my favourite city， and I plan to check out some of these places next time I go。 Unfortunately， that doesn't look as though it will be any time soon！I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Alison Starnes
，
This is an interesting book of photographs， with some commentary， about abandoned buildings and spaces in London。 The photos range from theatres， pubs， and sports grounds to residential， industrial， and shops， some of which are still standing and some not。 Each has a history to tell。Even for those not from the capital， this is a fascinating social history document with plenty to whet the appetite for that next visit。 I love looking at old photographs as there is so much to take in， and nearly al This is an interesting book of photographs， with some commentary， about abandoned buildings and spaces in London。 The photos range from theatres， pubs， and sports grounds to residential， industrial， and shops， some of which are still standing and some not。 Each has a history to tell。Even for those not from the capital， this is a fascinating social history document with plenty to whet the appetite for that next visit。 I love looking at old photographs as there is so much to take in， and nearly always something different to find that you missed the time before。This would make a great coffee table book and a definite conversation starter， especially if you have family and/or friends from the London area。I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Amber Books， in return for an honest appraisal。 。。。more
Kennedy
，
Transport and public spaces were the most interesting sections。
Darius Ostrowski
，
“Abandoned London: Discover the Hidden Secrets of the City in Photographs” by Katie Wignall is a fascinating picture book of the empty places found in one of the most interesting cities of our world。 These are places that once bustled with life， whether a tube station or a shop or someone’s home， but now they are reminders of faded glory。 Some are getting a new lease on life， some are being torn down and replaced， and yet others are still waiting to find out what their fate will be。The book is d “Abandoned London: Discover the Hidden Secrets of the City in Photographs” by Katie Wignall is a fascinating picture book of the empty places found in one of the most interesting cities of our world。 These are places that once bustled with life， whether a tube station or a shop or someone’s home， but now they are reminders of faded glory。 Some are getting a new lease on life， some are being torn down and replaced， and yet others are still waiting to find out what their fate will be。The book is divided into sections which focus on a specific aspect of urban life: pubs and shops， transportation， homes， etc。 Some of the places harken back to ancient times， others are relics of our modern age。 Ms。 Wignall does a fantastic job of describing what we are seeing， and what’s happening now， all in support of her wonderful pictures。Two small points that keep it from being perfect。 A lot of the time we are shown the outside of a building or place， it would be nice to have had more interior pictures （like the gorgeous cover shot）。 And secondly， it seems like we get one picture and then move on， it would be nice to have had more in-depth details and additional photos。But those are small complaints to what is an enjoyable tour of the forgotten places of London。 Enjoy the ride。I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Amber Books Ltd via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Kendra Kite
，
I fell in love with London while attending college there。 This book is fantastic—in a city full of beautiful history and architecture， it is interesting to get a closer look at the abandoned less seen areas。 Even in their abandoned state， the beauty in the place shown through in the photos。 I found myself wanting to know more about some of the places。 It brought a bit of sadness when I saw a few places that I had been to during my stay。 Great information about the subject of the picture but not I fell in love with London while attending college there。 This book is fantastic—in a city full of beautiful history and architecture， it is interesting to get a closer look at the abandoned less seen areas。 Even in their abandoned state， the beauty in the place shown through in the photos。 I found myself wanting to know more about some of the places。 It brought a bit of sadness when I saw a few places that I had been to during my stay。 Great information about the subject of the picture but not too much that you would be bored。 I also learned a new phrase “fly tipping “。 I only wish I had read this years ago because I would have loved to take my own pictures。 。。。more
Meg Hendry
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This is a very enjoyable book。 The pictures were well done and the history of the places was interesting。 The pictures were both beautiful and sad。 I liked that the book mentions if a building was repurposed and how。I recieved an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。
Brenda
，
London is a fabulous iconic city， bursting at the seams with so much to see。 And this includes derelict and decrepit buildings， buildings full of stories and wonders。 Often when I see ruined buildings I wonder what they are like inside， who lived or worked there。 Because they ALL have a history and secrets。 One of my favourite things in life to do is explore such buildings。 People often walk by them without knowing what lies beyond and behind。 What can look ordinary on the outside can be extraor London is a fabulous iconic city， bursting at the seams with so much to see。 And this includes derelict and decrepit buildings， buildings full of stories and wonders。 Often when I see ruined buildings I wonder what they are like inside， who lived or worked there。 Because they ALL have a history and secrets。 One of my favourite things in life to do is explore such buildings。 People often walk by them without knowing what lies beyond and behind。 What can look ordinary on the outside can be extraordinary on the inside。 I like to try to open doors and peek inside if allowed。 This book really appeals to my sense of adventure！Learn about the 1723 characterful building which is intentionally kept derelict for filming， gorgeous Abbey Mills Pumping Station， Thames Ironworks， flour mills （love the photo of the spiral slides！）， Royal Gunpowder Mills （had no idea this existed） and subterranean treasures such as Camden Horse Tunnel。 One of my favourite pictures in the book is of Dunstan-in-the-East Church。 Then there are hospitals， penny toilets， cold storage， markets， tanners， soup kitchens and public baths such as Haggerston Public Baths with pretty architectural details as well as the beautifully-constructed Crystal Palace Subway and Carnegie Library。 I learned about pattress plates and Phoenix columns。 Particularly intriguing was to see photographs of Dollis Hill House which I just read about in another book！Some of these buildings are re-purposed as shops and flats but many are left as they are with weeds and trees growing through them。 I am all for rejuvenation but also love the history of originals。 You needn't know London to enjoy this book。 And if you do know it， you will definitely discover new things。 The photography is enchanting， evocative and thought provoking。My sincere thank you to Amber Books Ltd。 and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the e-ARC of this magnificent book about priceless abandoned treasures which abound in historic London！ 。。。more
Tera Slawson
，
I will start my review with the confession that I have a weird obsession with abandoned places。 They kinda scare me， but I still want to see what is going on inside。 And I spend way too much time on Youtube watching other people explore them。 So when I saw this book on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to get my hands on it。 Because in America we have old abandoned places， but in London they have OOOLD abandoned places。 Like pubs Shakespeare used to frequent。 This book has some amazing old buildi I will start my review with the confession that I have a weird obsession with abandoned places。 They kinda scare me， but I still want to see what is going on inside。 And I spend way too much time on Youtube watching other people explore them。 So when I saw this book on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to get my hands on it。 Because in America we have old abandoned places， but in London they have OOOLD abandoned places。 Like pubs Shakespeare used to frequent。 This book has some amazing old buildings and places。 And sadly at this point some of them have been torn down， so the pictures in this book are really all there is left of some of them。 The chapter on old pubs was my favorite， they were really incredible and interesting old buildings。 The only thing that I wished this book had more of was interior shots， it is mostly the outside of these amazing places。 Granted， they may not have been safe to go in at the point these pictures were taken， but I still would have loved to see more。 I really enjoyed spending time with this book and seeing these wonderful old places。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Poptart19 （ren）
，
4 starsThis book is so well done！ Carefully curated photographs accompanied by thoroughly researched text give an intimate look at the history of various London neighborhoods through the visual stories told by graffiti art， historic architecture， old store fronts， churches， pubs， hospitals， train cars， sewers， underground stations， wharfs， public baths， & more。 I learned so much from this book， which exudes a love for the city & an appreciation for the people & communities who have lived among t 4 starsThis book is so well done！ Carefully curated photographs accompanied by thoroughly researched text give an intimate look at the history of various London neighborhoods through the visual stories told by graffiti art， historic architecture， old store fronts， churches， pubs， hospitals， train cars， sewers， underground stations， wharfs， public baths， & more。 I learned so much from this book， which exudes a love for the city & an appreciation for the people & communities who have lived among the places documented here。[What I liked:]•I really appreciate the tone of this book。 Sometimes urban decay photography is a bit sensationalized as creepy or haunted。 I really like the inclusion of sites that are cute， elegant， grand， industrial， and homey as well。 The vision of the book is more a celebration of these places & their history， not an attempt to sell spookiness。•The photos capture both the grand scale of architecture & close details。 Some shots include the street， landscape， or other environmental aspects to really give a full feeling for the locations。 Some are really interesting & unique， with fancy brickwork， scrollwork， tiles， windows， etc。•There is a good variety of places included， from soccer stadiums to the inside of sewers。 The book is organized in sections by type of site （transportation， retail， residential， etc。） so you can compare within categories。 There is also a nice spread of architecture styles & eras， mainly from the 17th C。 early 20th C。•I’m impressed by & really appreciate the research that went into this book。 I learned tidbits about city planning， residents， local businesses & industries， transportation routes & development， the culture of different neighborhoods over the centuries。[What I didn’t like as much:]•I wish there were citations/notes for the historical research at the end of the book。•This is a random idea I thought of while reading， but it would be cool if the book came with an appendix of addresses/locations （perhaps a Google Earth map with geolocation pins？） of the sites documented in the book。 I know some of the sites have been torn down since， but as someone who’s never been to London it would be cool to be able to easily place the sites on a map & visualize them that way。 Or for locals， it would be handy for those who’d like to visit some of the sites themselves。[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 Thank you for the book！] 。。。more
Annarella
，
A great book that made me discovered new to me places and gave me a great way to visualise place I read about in books。Great pictures， an excellent book。Strongly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine
Zeb Kantrowitz
，
This is a coffee table book and a lot is lost by reading/looking at it on an ereader。 Wignall has been taking pictures of abandoned factories， buildings and underground structures for many years。 Most of the photos are in color but some need to be black and white if you want to see the sharpness of shadows and destruction。 Many of the structures have small blurb histories along with the photos。What I found most lacking was the 'tourist' style of many of the photos in that they only showed the ou This is a coffee table book and a lot is lost by reading/looking at it on an ereader。 Wignall has been taking pictures of abandoned factories， buildings and underground structures for many years。 Most of the photos are in color but some need to be black and white if you want to see the sharpness of shadows and destruction。 Many of the structures have small blurb histories along with the photos。What I found most lacking was the 'tourist' style of many of the photos in that they only showed the outside of buildings that showed a boarded up store （like a pub） but ended up looking like something down the corner in any small town in the Midwest。 Just because it's old and dusty doesn't make a worthwhile photo。 As an example， two of the photos showed only the ground floor and a painted door。 These looked like the building I lived in the Bronx in the 1980s。 So what。Very few of the buildings had impressive stonework above the main entrance or lobby， so that they looked like the beginning of some 1940s Noir movie。 I could take you down the Grand Concourse in the Bronx and show you apartment building that have beautiful late 1890s townhouses or early Art Deco style entries。For me the bottom line is that nothing here is that impressive but is more like a wander down memory lane in an area that was never that interesting to begin with。 。。。more
Laura Simpson
，
This book explores as the title says。。。 many abandoned places in London but I feel it’s much more than that。 This book allows you to walk through the history of London through brilliant photography and captions。 I really enjoyed this book and seeing all the ‘secret’ or lesser known places in London as well as those places that are hidden in plain sight but people won’t think twice about them。。。 and yet they have such rich history。 It’s interesting to see how London has developed over the years a This book explores as the title says。。。 many abandoned places in London but I feel it’s much more than that。 This book allows you to walk through the history of London through brilliant photography and captions。 I really enjoyed this book and seeing all the ‘secret’ or lesser known places in London as well as those places that are hidden in plain sight but people won’t think twice about them。。。 and yet they have such rich history。 It’s interesting to see how London has developed over the years and the pictures present a sense of history and melancholy。 I didn’t realise there was so many abandoned places！ I loved the history aspect， especially in terms of war torn Britain and Victorian England。 I am still gutted that I can never see The Great Exhibition but some of these picture create such a story。 Really enjoyed this one and would recommend， I am not a fan of city life but loved how this book focused on history， the idea of ‘progress’ and development。 Plus the changing nature of society。 Ebook received from netgalley for a honest review。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
This book shows a very different London to that of the usual tourist landmarks。 Full of wonderful images from derelict old buildings to graffiti walls， historic architecture and forgotten interiors。 Many of the places depicted in these images are inaccessible to the public so the reader has a privileged view of places which may have been undisturbed for years。 There are some hidden gems amongst the pages of this book and each photograph is an artwork in it’s own right。 A delight to view and high This book shows a very different London to that of the usual tourist landmarks。 Full of wonderful images from derelict old buildings to graffiti walls， historic architecture and forgotten interiors。 Many of the places depicted in these images are inaccessible to the public so the reader has a privileged view of places which may have been undisturbed for years。 There are some hidden gems amongst the pages of this book and each photograph is an artwork in it’s own right。 A delight to view and highly recommended。 。。。more
Jamie Jack
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The Beautiful and The BlightAs someone who visited London a few decades ago， I found this book of photographs of various abandoned locations in that city fascinating。 The author breaks the locations into topics like industry， transport， shops， restaurants， and residential property。 Some photographs are almost ethereal， with London's ubiquitous fog nearly stealing the show occasionally。 Most， though， just starkly show the abandoned location， sometimes with multiple photographs across several page The Beautiful and The BlightAs someone who visited London a few decades ago， I found this book of photographs of various abandoned locations in that city fascinating。 The author breaks the locations into topics like industry， transport， shops， restaurants， and residential property。 Some photographs are almost ethereal， with London's ubiquitous fog nearly stealing the show occasionally。 Most， though， just starkly show the abandoned location， sometimes with multiple photographs across several pages。 Some of these， especially from earlier centuries， have beautiful aspects—surprising in derelict buildings—or hint at past glory。 Some locations are clearly just urban blight that residents no doubt wish to be removed。 As these are abandoned buildings and spaces， a fair amount have graffiti。 Also， in many， nature is reclaiming the space， with plants trying to overrun the abandoned buildings or objects。 The captions teach much about British history and some specific businesses。 If you have an interest in London， old buildings， or abandoned spaces， you might find this book filled with photographs of such as interesting as I did。I received a free copy of this book， but that did not affect my review。 。。。more
Brandi
，
See London through a new， fresh perspective。 I have traveled there before， but never like this。 My eyes were opened to sights I would have otherwise missed。 I enjoyed the hidden gems that have been disregarded， bypassed and forgotten。 Glimpses of history in our modern world come to life。 The pictures are vivid and capture the story and tone well。 A great resource book to peruse and enjoy。 I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own， See London through a new， fresh perspective。 I have traveled there before， but never like this。 My eyes were opened to sights I would have otherwise missed。 I enjoyed the hidden gems that have been disregarded， bypassed and forgotten。 Glimpses of history in our modern world come to life。 The pictures are vivid and capture the story and tone well。 A great resource book to peruse and enjoy。 I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own， freely given。 。。。more
Tracy
，
It's amazing to me that in such a large vibrant metropolitan as London there can be so many abandoned spaces。 I loved seeing the side of the city that isn't normally on view， and experiencing the nostalgia of what was or might have been。 The boarded up storefronts were not as surprising to me as were the tube stations and public baths that appeared to be have been used one day and just completely forgotten the next。 I appreciated that the pictures were accompanied by captions describing what the It's amazing to me that in such a large vibrant metropolitan as London there can be so many abandoned spaces。 I loved seeing the side of the city that isn't normally on view， and experiencing the nostalgia of what was or might have been。 The boarded up storefronts were not as surprising to me as were the tube stations and public baths that appeared to be have been used one day and just completely forgotten the next。 I appreciated that the pictures were accompanied by captions describing what the buildings had been， why they were abandoned， and what， if anything has been done with them。 Unfortunately， I felt like the book started out strong with extraordinarily beautiful examples of old architecture， but by the end of the book， it felt like the author seemed to be relying on closed storefronts to pad the content。 While I'm sure there are many boarded up chip shops and stores in London， they were far less interesting than the mansions， tube stations， and mills。 I wish there was more of the former and a bit less of the latter -- even if it meant the book just needed to be more pictures of fewer places。I'm grateful to NetGalley and Amber Books for allowing me to read Abandoned London in return for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Joni Owens
，
“It seems bizarre that in a place as crowded， noisy and expensive as London there are still wasted， unused spaces。” The pictures are sad and beautiful。 This is definitely not the London in the brochures but it is the raw truth。 The pictures are really something else。 So much history in these pictures。 It really was wonderfully tragic and moving。
WorldconReader
，
I would like to thank the publisher， Amber Books， and the author， Katie Wignall， for kindly providing an electronic copy of this book for review。"Abandoned London" by Katie Wignall is an artistic， informative， and enjoyable coffee table book。 The subtitle， "Discover the hidden secrets of the city in photographs" very accurately describes the book。 With 200 pictures of abandoned and derelict buildings， tunnels， and public spaces spanning over 200 pages and over 200 years， reading this book is a v I would like to thank the publisher， Amber Books， and the author， Katie Wignall， for kindly providing an electronic copy of this book for review。"Abandoned London" by Katie Wignall is an artistic， informative， and enjoyable coffee table book。 The subtitle， "Discover the hidden secrets of the city in photographs" very accurately describes the book。 With 200 pictures of abandoned and derelict buildings， tunnels， and public spaces spanning over 200 pages and over 200 years， reading this book is a veritable trip in time and space。 While reading the book， I repeatedly thought that I would love to take a tour of places like this， and after finishing it， I really felt like I had just taken a virtual tour of the hidden side of London。 （Just between you and me， I was also pretty happy to learn that there ARE guided tours of the abandoned tube stations。 This is now on my list of activities to do once actual international travel is safe again。） The book is divided into logical categories and includes detailed history and information about each of the locations covered。 And many of the pictures are hauntingly beautiful。 Anecdotes such as those about as Stompie the Tank， and the fake houses in Leinster Gardens were rather amusing。 Reading this book， I learned more about the gritty reality of the history of London， and thoroughly enjoyed being a armchair urban explorer。 I really hope that the author publishes more books like this！ 。。。more
Susan Johnston
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I fell in love with London in 1972 and the love affair has lasted decades。 I was lucky to live there for three years and have returned many times in the intervening years。 So a book filled with pictures of abandoned and derelict spots sounded fascinating。 And it was。Some of the pictures were sad。 Graffiti covered， rusted and rusting， forgotten and unloved。 I found the modern ones more like this than the older buildings partly because the newer places tended to be soulless and utilitarian。 Where I fell in love with London in 1972 and the love affair has lasted decades。 I was lucky to live there for three years and have returned many times in the intervening years。 So a book filled with pictures of abandoned and derelict spots sounded fascinating。 And it was。Some of the pictures were sad。 Graffiti covered， rusted and rusting， forgotten and unloved。 I found the modern ones more like this than the older buildings partly because the newer places tended to be soulless and utilitarian。 Where the book shines is in the buildings of VIctorian times with the ornate beauty that graced so much of the architecture of the time。 As sad as some of those buildings were， especially the hospitals， they were still evocative。 My favourites were the transportation pictures， particularly the underground ones。 I have been fascinated by the history of the Underground and have read about the abandoned stations before。 But these pictures tell such a story。 As do the shelters were people crammed during WWII。 While old factories have tales to tell， they never seem to resonate the way some of the others do。If you are a history fan of London， this provides a great snapshot of what was and what it has become。 Five purrs and two paws up。 。。。more
Mehsi
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I Received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review。Review to come in July/closer to the release date。
Jenn L
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A collection of photographs of Abandoned London。I enjoyed seeing inside the old buildings with striking decor; I also liked reading the historical information alongside the photographs。While I enjoyed some parts but felt that overall it was lacking something。Not all of the photographs have the same professional quality in regards to composition。 There seemed to be too many boarded-up buildings where I would have liked to see more of London's abandoned gems。[I received a copy of this book free fr A collection of photographs of Abandoned London。I enjoyed seeing inside the old buildings with striking decor; I also liked reading the historical information alongside the photographs。While I enjoyed some parts but felt that overall it was lacking something。Not all of the photographs have the same professional quality in regards to composition。 There seemed to be too many boarded-up buildings where I would have liked to see more of London's abandoned gems。[I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review] 。。。more
Emily
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I have mixed views on this book。 I found it had some real hidden treasures， but many pages featuring pictures of the outside of boarded-up buildings。 I lived in London for four months in college， so it has a very special place in my heart， but overall I was hoping for more from this。
Donna Maguire
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My review will be live on my blog on 14th May 2021 - publication day！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 a My review will be live on my blog on 14th May 2021 - publication day！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！ 。。。more
Courtney | Novel Maven
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This tome shows photographs of forgotten London -- the abandoned， derelict buildings that give stories of the past。 Passages next to each photo share the location and history of the structure。 Sadly， many of these buildings have since been demolished or refurbished into housing， so they are not only abandoned but lost to history。
Rachel
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I knew I was enjoying this book， but when I found myself reading out captions and holding up my iPad to show some of the photographs from a city we both know and love， I realised I was really enjoying it。Looking at Abandoned London is a poignant experience as we are still in Lockdown， so freedom to travel is restricted。 Although I live in a beautiful rural area， I’m missing exploring urban spaces a lot。 I miss the noise and bustle， being part of something much bigger and busier than here。 The lo I knew I was enjoying this book， but when I found myself reading out captions and holding up my iPad to show some of the photographs from a city we both know and love， I realised I was really enjoying it。Looking at Abandoned London is a poignant experience as we are still in Lockdown， so freedom to travel is restricted。 Although I live in a beautiful rural area， I’m missing exploring urban spaces a lot。 I miss the noise and bustle， being part of something much bigger and busier than here。 The locations and interesting captions reminds me of how much I’m longing to visit one of my favourite cities again。 It’s igniting my enthusiasm to take some more walking tours， perhaps even in abandoned tube stations。 Seeing photographs of some familiar buildings， and closed underground station entrances which I’ve waited outside for friends in the past， is making me ITCH to get my walking trainers on， pocket my Oyster card and jump on a train。 Soon。。。。！ This is not in any way a tourists’ guide to the city。 Rather it has a very specific brief and it’s one which is fulfilled fairly well。 There are not any photos of the larger area or maps for reference。 You would not get a sense of how distinct the areas of the city are or where the abandoned places are in relation to each other， unless you really know London。 I quite like the fact that there isn’t a huge amount of written information to accompany the photographs。 If I’m particularly interested in an area or the story of a building or place， I will search out further information。 Indeed I have googled to see what The Carnegie library in Lambeth looks like now it’s been restored。 （My heart skipped a beat at the thought that it may have been demolished。）That was one of the buildings which jumped out at me。 Lucky locals！ Plus I’ve found articles about E。 Price Fruiterers in Kensal Town。 What a fantastic renewal and ongoing family story。 （I wonder what the original owners would make of the organic produce and the no-doubt exorbitant prices。 It’s amusing that they list the location as Notting Hill， rather than Kensal Town。。。） I’ve discussed the pubs chapter with the FD of an independent pub chain as he is familiar with some and another friend who was a wine bar manager in London in the 1990s。 I’ve googled what Urban Explorers are about too。 There is some amusing video footage on You Tube。 So， all in all thank you for providing distraction from the isolation and restrictions of life during Lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic。 Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book， in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Ashley （Red-Haired Ash Reads）
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